History: Established in the summer of 1997 to provide a forum for responding to the EPA Risk Management Program by the community. It evolved into an ongoing advisory panel operating under ground rules drafted in 1998 by an industry-community committee.

Number of plants: 16

Number of community members: Approximately 40

Facilitator: Mary Jane Naquin

Liaisons: The Baytown West Chambers County LEPC, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, Harris County Pollution Services.

Contact information: m.j.naquin@informedfutures.com

Meetings: Monthly – 3rd Mondays, unless rescheduled due to holidays, etc.; 5:45–8:00 pm, usually at Lee College Center for Workforce and Community Development. Meetings also use the ZOOM online platform at this time in compliance with CDC protocols.

The Baytown Area CAP provides a means for ongoing, constructive conversations that increase communication, understanding and trust between industry and its community neighbors as it addresses mutual interests, challenges and concerns.

Purposes:

• To open communications between community and industry through a respectful dialogue that addresses items of interest to the community and industry sponsors.
• To learn about industry’s performance, plans and the potential challenges that could affect employees, communities nearby, area business or passersby.
• To serve as a conduit to the broader community via members’ friends, families and networks and to give feedback to industry management.

Most common issues of interest:

• Growth and industrial expansions
• Workforce development
• Air quality – updates from Houston Regional Monitoring
• City Strategic Planning focusing on traffic, mall redevelopment, amenities
• Port Houston – Bayport and Barbours Cut terminals’ growth
• Galveston Bay, Houston Ship Channel environmental issues/conservation
• Hurricane surge and industry preparedness
• Salt dome management/pipeline safety
• Worker safety
• Contractor selection, training, onboarding at local plants
• Environmental performance
• NGL fractionation – consequences, pros and cons
• Local tours — Transtar, U.S. Coast Guard Houston Sector, San Jacinto Marine Technology Training Center