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PAHRUMP ADVISORY COMMITTEE Pahrump Environmental Management Advisory Committee March 3, 2023 scheduled - 11:30 AM / actual – 11:40 AM 1. Pledge of Allegiance and Call to Order. 2. Roll Call: John Pawlak, Debra Perna, Bill Stremmel, Robert Adams – call-in Absent: Mike Smith, Dale Griffith Guests: Gerard Cote, Amy Fortin, Heather Freeman, Cheryl Varkalis BOCC liaison: Ron Boskovich – call-in 3. Approval of the Agenda for March 3, 2023 Debra P. – 1st Bill S. – 2nd 4 – yay / 0 - nay 4. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT none 5. For Possible Action – Discussion and deliberation of Minutes of the Pahrump Environmental Management Advisory Committee (PEMAC) meeting of February 3rd, 2023. Debra P. noted a correction that VEA + SolPower would be staffing a combined table at the Earth Day event rather than separate tables. Motion to approve as corrected: Debra P. – 1st Bill S. – 2nd 4 – yay / 0 – nay 6. Announcements (first) none 7. Committee Comments none 8. For Discussion Only – regarding new committee member additions. Chair John P. said that an ad had run in the newspaper to fill the positions. Applications have been received from Cheryl Varkalis and Dina Williamson-Erdag. 9. For Discussion Only – regarding Earth Day / Arbor Day event for April 22, 2023. Chair John P. said he has received a commitment for up to $3,000 in funding from the Southern Nye County Conservation District. Most of this will be spent on advertising. They also approved $1,000 for Beatty’s Earth Day event. John P. suggested to Commissioner Boskovich that the Town of Pahrump could pay for a shredder, whose cost last year was underwritten by Pahrump Valley Disposal. John P. also said that he is hoping to have someone from DOE site specific advisory boards display their cross-section of soils. Cheryl Varkalis will be representing Clean-Up Pahrump and said she is working with the BLM Lake Havasu office who is coordinating with their Pahrump field office to staff a booth. Cheryl also contacted Home Depot suggesting that they display their outdoor air dryer. Cheryl suggested that the off-road vehicles organization provide information about “environmentally responsible riding”. John P. asked Robert A. if he could outreach to the OHV group about that. Robert A. responded that he would try to contact someone. Debra P. will staff the SolPower/VEA booth displaying an inverter and VCA/VEA trinkets. ---PAGE BREAK--- Amy Fortin, representing the Nye Communities Coalition (NYECC), discussed gleaning program planter boxes with the excess going to the food banks. She said she would be working with Tamilin Taylor of NYECC and the Pahrump Valley Garden Club on coordinating their booths. John P. asked Heather Freeman about having the 4H club. Heather Freeman said she will contact Christiana Manville about showing her tortoise. John P. said that Debbie Woodland will prepare a flyer. He said that U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service may be too severely short-staffed to send a representative from Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, and he was also seeking a representative from Amargosa Conservancy. He anticipates that the Death Valley Natural History Association will have a booth next to one with “People With Telescopes”. 10. For Discussion Only – regarding OML meeting. Chair John P. noted sparse attendance at his session and the lack of changes. 11. For Possible Action – Discussion and deliberation of any 2023 work plan additions. Bill S. – 1st Debra P. – 2nd 4 – yay / 0 – nay. Commissioner Boskovich will prepare a list. Robert A. mentioned salt cedar eradication. John P. concurred with Robert A. that this should be limited to county properties, such as those seized for delinquent taxes. There was a motion to put removal of salt cedars, tamarisk and mistletoe on the agenda for our next meeting. Bill S. – 1st Debra P. – 2nd 4 – yay / 0 – nay 12. For Possible Action – Discussion and deliberation regarding environmental issues in Southern Nevada and within the Town of Pahrump to include comments to the Board of Nye County Commissioners. Bill S. – 1st Debra P. – 2nd 4 – yay / 0 – nay. There was a motion for Southern Nye County Conservation District to test the water at all four of the County wells for an assessment of arsenic and other hazardous compounds for display at the Earth Day event. Bill S. – 1st Debra P. – 2nd 4 – yay / 0 – nay. Heather Freeman said she would talk to Donna Lamb about presenting the results for Basin 162. 13. For Possible Action – Discussion and deliberation regarding nuclear issues in Southern Nevada and within the Town of Pahrump to include comments to the Board of Nye County Commissioners. [ action/deliberation dropped so no vote needed.] none 14. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT (Second) none 15. ANNOUNCEMENTS (Second) none . 16. ADJOURNMENT Deb P. – 1st Bill S. – 2nd 4 – yay / 0 - nay 12:38 PM The next meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 7, 2023 @ 11:30 am. Signed: Date: