FOTOFAX
BREVARD PLANT
PHOTO PRODUCTS DEPARTMENT
(SDPOftt) Vol. 12, No. 3 March, 1979
Fresh Debate For Lake Fishers
M
t-33T ."'I (
Clouds of vapor almost obscure CP on this cold day. At present, there s no
practical way to recover this low grade lost heat.
Funds have been approved for
addition of more fish to Lake DERA.
The present population of bass, bluegills
and channel catfish may find they have
rainbow trout as neighbors.
Stocking the lake with trout is
being considered in response to com
plaints from some members who find
the lake fishing a bit dull.
There is considerable discussion
right now concerning fishing in the
lake. Some members want a lake
fishing committee to keep the lake
stocked, as the present fishing com
mittee does with streams. This would
require people fishing in the lake to
pay a fee, as the trout stream fishers
do. Others enjoy the lake as a lazy
place to relax without being bothered
too often by overly aggressive fish;
these would prefer the lake staying
on a no charge basis. Whatever your
feelings, be sure to share them with
either your representative or Joe Light,
DERA President.
Fishing is one of the most popular
DERA activities. All money received
from fishing fees is reinvested in fish, but
Orville Mull, chairman of the fishing
committee, points out that today's
dollar buys fewer fish. Channel catfish
are much more costly than trout. If you
hook a fish you don't want, particularly
one of those lake catfish, free it as
gently as you can and release it. Give
the fish, and some other angler, another
chance.
Trout streams on the property have
been freshly stocked.
Energy Committeemen Face Growing Challenge
Energy conservation became a com
mon concern in the mid-70's when the
declining supply became a personal
problem. When one of the family must
wait in line for gasoline, the reality of
shortage became obvious.
Prices which had been stable for years
increased, then increased some more.
Oil based commodities other than fuel
became more expensive as petroleum
costs went up. For a while, people
turned off the bathroom light and bought
smaller cars; then higher prices seem to
have^been accepted as a fact of life.
About a year before the gas shortage,
a job of "Energy Specialist" was created
on the plant. Jerry Stamey first held
the title. Energy saving programs were
nothing new to Du Pont, but the assign
ment of dedicated manpower was some
thing new at this plant.
Our effort to conserve has been
aggressive from the start. When Jerry
started in 1973, he focused his efforts
on fuel usage in the powerhouse. By
the end of the year, not only had the
plant realized substantial savings, but
Jerry had also defined a very large job
yet to be done.
In January, 1974, a full fledged
committee was established to assemble
knowledgeable people from all plant
areas. Jim McKie was its first chairman.
Bob McGee followed Jim; Ken Walend
later replaced McBee and is the current
energy engineer.
Each month the committee reviews
progress and discusses ideas for further
savings. Each member applies either
knowledge of energy usage or expertise
in an operating area. Changes based on
work of this committee saved the
equivalent of more than eighteen
thousand barrels of oil in 1978.
Norm Alford, assistant plant mana
ger, recently talked at a meeting of the
energy committee. Flis statement of
management's view of the energy
problem may be of interest to you.
I think we're beginning to behave more
responsibly.
"But it's surprising to find that some
people still feel that conservation is
unnecessary, that there are no real
shortages and perhaps the whole thing
is an oil industry hoax.
"I'm not going to put myself in the
position of defending the oil industry —
1 don't know anything about that
business, but I am personally convinced
we must all learn to live in a world of
diminishing resources, and I'm also
convinced that the top-level support of
the Du Pont company for the conserva
tion effort is real. Company concern is
born of necessity, of real concern for a
real problem.
"Impressive energy savings have been
accomplished on this plant. I've also
heard it said that all the easy work has
been done, the big savings already made.
The challenge to this committee now is
that of imagination and ingenuity,
because it seems probable that much
more can be saved.
"It may be unavoidable, but there
seems to be a lot of BTU's rising into
the sky in those white plumes I see
when I come into the plant on a frosty
morning. We spent 5.6 million dollars
for energy last year; about half for fuel,
half for electricity. We're estimating an
energy bill of 6.2 million for 1979, and
it looks like it's going to keep climbing
by about ten percent a year. The prob
lem isn't going away. Energy price
increases are going to make it very costly
to operate this plant.
"Last year this committee reached
77% of its objective. You may not
think that's too good, but you shouldn't
be discouraged by failing to reach your
goal. Seventy-seven percent of an
ambitious objective is a lot better than
110% of a mediocre one.
"Keep your momentum. Look at the
problem with new eyes, don't let missing
last year's target interfere with setting a
bold goal for this year.
"I assure you that management is
interested in your progress and that a
finger is being kept on energy conserva
tion. Your activities and accomplish
ments are worthwhile and they are
noticed.
"ThanksI And give this year your
best shot."
CAR POOLS
SAVE GASOLINE
Pool it
Norm addresses energy committee.
"We, as Americans, are going to have
to change our style of living.
"I think, as a country, we're becoming
more conscious of waste. A young
person of ten years ago might have
looked at something coming from a
factory's stack and called it 'pollution'.
Today they see the same thing and start
talking about wasted energy. As a nation.
Address Correction Requested
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