The Sierra Club - Lehigh Valley Group Executive Committee

Monday August 9, 2021   7:00 PM

Virtual meeting using Zoom

MINUTES

Executive Committee Members:   Matthew MacConnell,  Don Miles, Nanci McGonigal, Marilyn Jordan, Al Wurth

Guests  Charissa West, Bill Egbert, Priya Pathak (Chester PA, Don suggested Priya contact the Philadelphia Group)

Minutes for June 14 were approved.

Upcoming Executive Committee Meeting (Don Miles) At the next PA Executive Committee meeting they will discuss changes wanted by the National Sierra Club. Included are making chapters more inclusive and efficient. Eight teams are being developed for people to work together on different issues. Don is on the team working to make the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area a National Park.

Web page update (Nanci McGonigal) We need content for our webpage.

Conservation Reports (Matt MacConnell)

• Buck Mountain2 Acid Mine Drainage Remediation. Slatington Fabricators is making (for free) a filter to remove aluminum. Penn Future may partner in the effort to pressure Wildlands Conservancy to approve and allow needed work. Don said he and Matt should meet with the Acid Mine Drainage group in Scranton and get their support.
• Tree and shrub planting at Jordan Creek. All the planted trees are surviving. About 30% were growing out of the top of their protective tubes. Matt removed the netting from the tops.
• Water quality monitoring. Matt bought our own probe, a refurbished Minisonde. The Stocking Association owns the two probes we have been using. Volunteers are needed for a tributary survey; chest waders required. It will be a long strenuous day, but volunteers can help for just part of the day. Matt showed a webpage display of water quality probe data.
• Ricky Park Wetland. Jewel weed and thistle are overgrowing the wetland. Matt wants to install a sign with a list of species names. A volunteer is needed.
• Air quality monitoring. Matt had added three monitors to the Purple Air real time air quality map https://www.purpleair.com/map  One of them –Don’s monitor – is not working. Particulates from Forest fires (PM2.5 of 180!) have complicated comparison of diesel exhaust sources at sites near and far from warehouses.
• Air pollution in the news. Charissa told us about B. Braun, a medical company in Hanover Township near the Lehigh Valley Airport that has (legally)  been releasing ethylene oxide, a potent cancer causing chemical used to sterilize equipment, for decades.  Search on: “Bethlehem pa air pollution ethylene oxide” for more information. Charissa also informed us about a Chicago Tribune story about how toxic air pollution raises cancer risks above EPA guidelines. The article covered  a case of ethylene oxide emissions in Grand Rapids, MI. and gave a link to a map where our (or any) area can be searched for toxic air pollutants and the cancer risk for different pollution levels: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-viz-toxic-air-pollution-look-up-your-area-20190724-htmlstory.htm