The L.E.P.C. met on Thursday, March 3, at the Tyler County senior center in Middlebourne for their regular monthly business meeting.

Tom Cooper Tyler County Emergency Magagement Director welcomed the group to the meeting and began discussion of general business stating he had attended the Region 2 LEPC workshop training session in Morgantown a couple weeks earlier. He then explained that immediately following Thursday’s meeting there would be an Oil and Gas Rountable meeting and following that the Region 11 Homeland Security meeting will take place.

Cooper moved on to current grants they have been awarded or are waiting on. He said they are currently working on a mitigation grant to install a double-sided LED message board for the Middlebourne senior center. On March 9, Sooper will be meeting with the Coast Guard Huntington Port Security regarding grants for the area parks in Paden City and Sistersville.

He added they are still working on the grant from Homeland Security for law enforcement equipment. And are awaiting the arrival of the back ordered CSI equipment.

He mentioned they have purchased two generators for the Law Enforcement and Swat Trailers and will be putting cabinets in the trailers.

The EMPG – 2019 has been awarded. The 2020 EMPG and COVID Supplemental grant will be applied for soon.

Under Planning/Training/ and Exercises, Cooper said wilderness first aid classes will be held on April 1 and 2, at the 4-H camp and April 8,9, at Wirt County Boy Scout camp. He said 25 people have signed on for the first class and about 8-10 so far for the second. On October 19th and 20th the Air Force Inland Search and Rescue Training will take place at the senior center in Middlebourne.

“Pay That Dog!” training will be held April 29 – May 1, with people as far away as Michigan and Wisconsin already enrolled. March 12 will be field team training – which includes project lifesavor field test, and rescue knots.

Other Projects and events taking place will be the Wetzel/Tyler health department will be holding COVID vaccination and testing clinics at their office in Paden City. The scheule is on their Facebook page as well as the local LED signs. They are phasing out but currently still doing them. The RAD-X team will be doing COVID testing every Wednesday from 11-3 at the Sistersville VFD.

Cooper said they have Spill Trailor Supplies including (4 bags) of 5“x10′ white brooms, (4 bags) of white absorbant pads, (2 rolls) of 30”x150′ while absorbant material. He also announced they are in the process of purchasing ZOOM membership, and sound and video equipment for training and meeting events.

Aaron Goddard of Antero resources announced the Oil and Roundtable meeting following the L.E.P.C. meeting would be open to anyone who is a member of the L.E.P.C., however if you are an elected official, general public or a member of the news media you are not welcome.

The regular L.EP.C. meeting was then adjourned.

Cooper wished to thank Antero for sponsoring breakfast for the March, meeting and Apex for the February meeting. He said Momentive would be sponosring the April breakfast and JayBee O&G would sponsor the May meeting.