Document G5ngBZOV7L7y9Jn4rnmwqbZX4

minutes PIPE RESOURCE ORGANIZATION Hotel Sofitel 425 N. Houston Parkway East Houston, Texas 77060 Attendees; Mike Barish, Borden Chemicals Bob Burnett, VI Roy Gottesman, VI Bob Novick, CertainTeed Cal Rehfuss, Georgia Gulf A1 Reventas, Shintech Fred Sacks, OxyChem Gonzalo Sandino, Petroguimica Colombiana Dan Stanowick, Edward Howard Bob Walker, Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association Tuesday March 17, 1992 8:00a-3:OOp I.SELF INTRODUCTIONS. APPROVAL OP MINUTES AND MEETING OBJECTIVES The meeting was opened by Committee Chair Mike Barish promptly at 8:00 a.m. and the minutes of the last meeting held on December 4, 1991 were approved as written. The m eting objectives were stated and administrative details covered. II. AGENCY REPORT ON MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM The Edward Howard and Co. representative, Dan Stanowick, gave the agency report on the marketing and communications program. A. Advertising Dan noted that a photo and copy reference to the Uni-Bell handbook has been added to the bottom of each ad in our testimonial ad series in the AWWA Journal. He reported that he had recently rechecked the contacts used for the ad series and determined that we had to pull the "total performance" ad at the employer's request. This leaves us with "reliability", "versatility", "economics", "durability" and "water quality" although the contact for the latter ad has retired.Dan noted that the AWWA Journal does not conduct advertising impact/readership surveys of any kind, as he was asked to check at PRO'S December meeting. CTL029239 The Vinyl Institute. A Division of The Society of the Plastics Industry. Inc 2 He reported that Uni-Bell has decided to underwrite th costs of running the "durability" ad in the 1992 Public Works Manual, due out in April. There was some discussion of the negative advertising campaign carried out by the Ductile Iron Pipe Organization (see attached). Bob Walker recommended that no "counter advertising" action be taken as it would unduly call attention to it and we could consider the reaction by the Ductile Pipe people as positive. We will, however, attempt to identify the "scores of PVC failures" mentioned in the ad. Action Bob Walker to request documentation on "PVC failures" in the event legal action may be warranted. B. Publicity Dan updated the group on the various publicity activities undertaken by the agency on PRO'S behalf. He agreed to distribute to all PRO members in the future written reports of all agency activities which he had traditionally issued on a bi-monthly basis only to Mike Barish and Roy Gottesman. He reported that an article authored by Uni-Bell's Bob Walker was scheduled to appear in the July issue of Pipelines and Utilities Construction. He distributed copies of articles which have appeared in American City and County, Water and Waste Digest and other publications. Dan reported that Plastics in Building Construction was scheduled to publish a case history article in its March issue. He also reported that the National Utility Contractor is looking for case histories of pipeline rehabilitation projects for a special August editorial feature. PRO members were given the assignment to forward suggestions of same to Dan by late May or early June. Dan reported that an article on PRO activities and achievements was developed for the Uni-Bell newsletter. Readers will be encouraged to request additional information by writing the VI directly or using a tearoff response card in the newsletter. Dan has the assignment to complete the article by mid-April for the newsletter's publication in May. He will also seek to place a similar article in the publications of various other industry groups including, for example, PPFA. CTL029240 3 Action; Dan Stanowick to distribute to all PRO members his bi monthly written activity reports. PRO members to forward to Dan by late May or early June examples of pipeline rehabilitation projects for the National Utility Contractor. Dan Stanowick to complete by mid-April PRO feature article for the Uni-Bell newsletter. He will also seek to place similar articles with other pipe groups. C. Direct Mail Dan reported that PRO'S various marketing and communications efforts to date have generated more than 3,500 inquiries, with about 2/3's of those coming from advertising. He presented a design comprehensive of a newsletter, titled PROfile, which he recommended be published and distributed 3 times per year to PRO'S mailing list of the above. The total cost for same was estimated at $20,000. Pending preliminary budget approval by the Vi's Board on March 18, Dan was given the assignment to develop the first issue of PROfile for distribution in the Uni-Bell booth at the AWWA Annual Meeting and Conference in Vancouver in mid-June. H will work with a subcommittee consisting of Mike Barish, Bob Novick, Bob Walker, Bob Burnett and Roy Gottesman on same. Keller and Heckman will be asked to approve final copy. Action: Dan Stanowick is to work with PRO subcommittee to complete the first issue of PROfile by mid-June. D. Market Research Dan presented the agency's proposal for a survey to get feedback on the direction of all the Vi's proactive programs. The PRO portion of the proposal was approved and Dan was given the assignment to develop and distribute to members prior to the Vi's Annual Meeting a draft of the survey questionnaire. Action: Dan Stanowick to develop draft survey questionnair for discussion at the Vi's PRO meeting on May 28th. CTL029241 4 III. INFLUENTIALS LIST UPDATING Whereas PRO'S current influentials list includes a crosssection of industry representatives, it was decided to split the list into two lists - one consisting exclusively of pipe manufactures and one consisting of everyone else. Action; Bob Burnett to instruct Pat Benkner to split PRO'S current influentials list into two lists. IV. PPFA REPORT This report was given by Mike Barish. He attended the recent meeting in Palm Springs which had a record attendance of over 200 present. This included the recently merged USPPA. Those in attendance represented 15 "producers" and is reaching a critical mass. Mike reported that there are no pressing issues at this point. A statistical sales report for PVC pipe is being pursued by the PVC Product Line Committee. Th program included a number of speakers generally favorable to PVC pipe. The current executive director is Dick Church and the managing director for PPFA is Brian Pugliese who works in the PPFA offices in Glen Ellyn near Chicago. V. STATUS OF CALIFORNIA EIR The California EIR situation remains unresolved. There was a meeting on March 16 in California without result. SPI is considering legal action. It was noted that favorable resolution would help CPVC as well as ABS and PB. Tim Coyle remains the key player as director of Housing and Urban Development. It was noted that the ABS group will now be part of SPI. There have been no recent developments in Europe affecting PVC pipe. It was noted that Denmark has adopted a voluntary reduction on PVC packaging. The only regulatory ban currently in effect is in Switzerland which applied only to water bottles. VI. SOLVENT CEMENT ISSUE It was reported that the situation in Southern California is apparently improving with producers of solvent c ments achieving lower volatile organic emission levels. They are also requesting a year's extension of the compliance dat . A "bubble" concept is being considered and the pipe and fittings producers are now on board. Don Goodman of Oxy, who is vicechairman of the Ad Hoc Solvent Cement Committee, will c ntinue to follow this program for the VI. CTL029242 i 5 VII. UNI-BELL PROGRAM Bob Walker reported the following: A. Pivotal Cities No changes in Atlanta since the last PRO meeting, however efforts have continued in Washington, D.C. to open up specifications for PVC water pipe. An "encouraging" second seminar in the D.C. area will be followed by an applications conference. Another major target is Lansing, Michigan which is a non-C900 user. A dozen others are also being targeted. A special case occurred recently in Alabama where PVC pipe approval was in jeopardy. Tampa may provide an opportunity to "move the needle" with a large new housing development. The recent development in New Hampshire was reviewed where a ban had been proposed on water service pipe under 4" that did not have AWWA approval. This has now been put on hold. There was extensive discussion about actual or potential problems with PVC fittings (particularly on golf courses) where failures have been reported. He also mentioned efforts to fight legislation in New York and Indiana that would effectively ban PVC culvert pipe n grounds of durability and flammability respectively. Action Bob Walker to draft a letter to PPFA proposing a new C907 standard to be used in PVC fittings. B. AWWA - RFP 708 Preliminary results were shared with the group. Presentation is scheduled for the Uni-Bell Annual Meeting in April. A final report will be issued by Dr. A1 Mos r through AWWA. c. uni-Bell Staffing A member company of Uni-Bell has withdrawn due to the recession and resulted in the elimination of the staff engineer position. They anticipate a $10,000 deficit in 1992. Lower cost PPFA dues may be hampering efforts to recruit new members. A joint meeting with PPFA could take place in the 3rd quarter '92 to discuss cooperation. D. Large Diameter Pipe The PE storm sewer proposal at ASTM was narrowly defeated but could resurface. CTL029243 I 6 E. Water Pollution Project The topic was covered with a handout. X. CODE ISSUES/ABTM UPDATE No report due to absence of Peter Lloyd. XI. MDPE MONITORING A written report was received from Peter Lloyd and suggested setting up a PVC study group to counter the PE initiative. The subcommittee will include Bob Walker, A1 Reventas, Cal Rehfuss and a CertainTeed representative. A request was made to contact the BFGoodrich company to appoint a backup for Peter Lloyd. R.T. Gottesman is to handle this. XII. UPDATE ON UNI-BELL BROCHURE ON VCM IN PVC WATER PIPE A new target date has been set based on fresh data. Meredith Scheck will be requested to provide survey input. XIII. BUDGET REVIEW Since the PRO group is exceeding the '91-92 budget it was agreed to defer the May ad to June which will reduce th overrun to about $15,000. The '92-93 proposal of $150,000 is still in the current budget which it is anticipated will receive preliminary approval in the Board meeting of March 18. XIV. REVIEW OF ASSIGNMENTS Assignments were reviewed and confirmed. XV. NEXT MEETING DATE/LOCATION The next meeting will be at the Annual Meeting at 8:00 a.m. on May 28 in Ponte Vedra. XVI. ftraSTOMlBffT The meeting was adjourned, as scheduled, at 3:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted. Robert H. Burnett Executive Director CTL029244 Choose Ductile Iron Pipe Over PVC Or You May Break Under Pressure. Pressure end stress are .net reserved exclusively for pipe. Take a jock a* :r.e guy who specifies the pipe. New that's a heavy responsibility tc carry around. Especially when you consider `what's at stake. Niche the -wren; decision about the right pipe and the ccsis can be astroncmioal.Th.is is a business `where there are r.c srr.ei! mistakes.That's `why ~ore and mere professionals are making the rich! decision by specifying Ductile Iron pipe over PVC and concrete pipe. Ductile Iron pipe is built tough to last long, item shipping ar.c handling through installation and years oi use. Its proven long life is a resuil of being able to withstand pressure surges, expansive soil, direct tapping, fresi penetration a r.c ether causes of pipe failure. With even greater success than PVC. Ductile Iron pipe not only saves money on installation and maintenance, but on pumping costs as well due to Ductile's larger inside diameter, high `low coefficient end bottle-ticht joints. By comparison. PVC doesn't quite hold its own. And Ductile Iron is easily one ol the most effective pipe materials when it comes tc environmental factors. Not only is Ductile Iron made from recycled raw maieria.'s. but its bottle-tight joints and impermeable wells prevent value lly ell ira :ion or exhltre lion..\'o other pipe material is mere envircnmentellyccnpettble or secure. For more technical information cn Ductile iron pipe call Ductile Iron Pipe research Association. When you lock et the liabilities involved m specifying pipe. Ductile Iron pipe stands up as a strong asset DUCTILE IRON PIPE THE SIGHT DECISION TnrnTuijuiHpmRrsAJio(AJsoajrnoK(j.;i5r-.f cM*ei '.i.i2! S. *: 3.:-.*;-r ;r; :*: -v:r: r-t :-r:2 j, :f j.j.-j.i-< rj|- i' f: ;it 7u` i.-r. ? ;* - :t -.c-jir. i/j r-.m iVj.t, jri vr.'.jrt C*` r ;* . rc.`: 5 i ! Tir * : T:_ri*v '. * : r ? -* -j c-..-v CTL029245