Working collaboratively with the community to identify issues, address concerns and answer questions is an important part of Omya's operational practices. We are committed to open and transparent communication. To strengthen the dialogue between Omya and its neighbors Community Stakeholder Teams were formed.
Community Stakeholder Teams are a forum to work with area neighbors on issues that matter to them. The teams join members from the local community and employees from Omya and its contractors, who are familiar with the company's operations, around specific areas of interest raised by the local residents.
In the Fall of 2017, Omya started a new Community Stakeholder Team specifically for the Middlebury Quarry operations. The team was formed under the same premise and model of the initial 2007 Florence stakeholder groups that continue to meet to this day to discuss the plant processing operations. The Middlebury Quarry is the primary feed stone source and critical to the Omya mineral processing operation in Florence, VT. The objectives and goals of starting a Middlebury Quarry Community Stakeholder Team are:
- To know our neighbors / stakeholders and for them to know us at Omya & Shelburne Limestone Corporation (SLC) (Omya's quarry contractor)
- Build relationships to foster two-way open communications during meetings but outside too
- Educate the community on quarry operations where team members become comfortable as quarry liaison outside of meetings
- Create a venue to receive neighbor / stakeholder feedback and as a sounding board for current activities and potential future new items
- Identify opportunities to collaborate toward achieving common goals or overcoming challenges both quarry related or community based
Community representatives on the Middlebury Quarry Community Stakeholder Team are: Barbara Blodgett, Senator Chris Bray, Robert Cohen & Claudia Cooper, Matthew Cox, Robert & Heather Foster, Ray & Eric Highter, Bill Kernan, Jennifer Murray, Glen Peck, Mike Quinn, Kathleen Ramsay, Representative Robin Scheu, Darcy Stone, Dick Thodal, and Cindy & David Wemette.
Representatives from the Quarry Operations are: Hans Bruning (Omya), Michael Laurent (Omya), and Jim Cousino (SLC). In addition, outside consultants are frequently included to provide their expertise on the topics of interest.
We will continue to work closely with members of our community. If you have questions or would like to share your ideas or concerns about Omya, its processes, practices or development projects, please contact us directly through the
Contact Us page or call our 24 hours automated Community Feedback Line at
802-770-7644. We welcome your input.
