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Voice 813-620-3260 Fax 813-620-3505 GopherResource.com 6505 Jewel Avenue

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Tampa, Florida 33619

April 21, 2021 Dear Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners: As you have been discussing

Gopher Resource’s operation in Tampa, we feel it is important to reach

out with additional information you may not have and to draw attention to several other important facts we want to ensure are not overlooked. Gopher welcomes and is cooperating with the governmental inspections that are underway, and we look forward to both the OSHA and Hillsborough County EPC reports when they are complete. As an official with

the EPC’s Air Management Division

noted in a presentation to you last week, Gopher has always implemented EPC recommendations to improve our operations and processes. During the BoCC meeting on April 7, you heard from leaders of the Environmental Protection Commission and Department of Health. One noted that when Gopher bought the plant, we spent millions of dollars in soil remediation and clean-up of the surrounding area and then enclosed the plant to prevent exposure in the community. Another reported that Gopher made a significant investment in state-of-the-art pollution control technology and that there had been a subsequent

“significant decrease in

emission

” over the years

. It was confirmed that based on a long history of inspections and cooperation, the company is in compliance. One leader remarked that due to the low emissions from the plant, the risk of

contamination in the surrounding area is “extremely low” and

said he did not believe broad based community testing was necessary. We also wanted to let you know that Gopher is one of fewer than a dozen facilities around the U.S. that are able to break down and recycle lead batteries. This service is essential to our environment and our modern economy. O

ur society uses so many of these lead batteries that Gopher’s facility in

Tampa recycles about 13 million batteries every year. Gopher is part of a success story for the lead battery industry, which can claim a stunning 99 percent recycling rate in the U.S., keeping them out of landfills. Protecting our people and our community is a core value of Gopher and keeping our workers at the facility safe means requiring them to wear special equipment and training them to take stringent precautions to protect themselves and the environment.

Gopher spends millions of dollars a year on this equipment, even going further than regulators’

guidelines. Gopher began in 1946 as a family-owned business, building a reputation over 75 years for taking care of our employees and the neighborhoods and communities in which we operate. In 2006, Gopher purchased the Tampa facility. The first order of business was investing $230 million in modernization and improvement efforts, with more than half going to environment, health, and safety efforts. We created local jobs that paid well and provide strong benefits. We also dedicate about $3 million a year on personal protective equipment, training, testing and monitoring for our

workers. Many of Gopher’s 320 employees come from minority and disadvantaged

backgrounds, and

we’re proud that

we have helped many move up the ladder of economic success. We estimate that Gopher Tampa adds about $40 million per year to the Tampa economy.


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Since 2012, air quality around Gopher has improved 89 percent. In 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency strengthened its lead standard significantly. Gopher is 67 percent below that more stringent air quality limit. In 2018, Gopher brought in new leadership and team members with deep experience in safety. The following year, this new team i

ncreased the company’s annual

and recurring investment in safety by 50 percent. We also developed and implemented a hygiene program and tools that we believe are industry leading and if rigorously followed, enables continued reduction of employee lead levels and will prevent lead from leaving the plant with the employee (see below for the details). In addition, Gopher provides more than 8,000 hours of training for employees every year. And as a result, we have witnessed a 15-year sustained decline in the lead level in employees, which is one of the most important measures of safety. Since Gopher acquired the plant in 2006, the average blood

lead level among employees is half what it was, and it’s less than half the level of many state and

federal standards for workplace safety, as well as the American College of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). We sincerely hope that as you review any reports from the EPC or the Department of Health, you will also consider the facts we have highlighted here. We look forward to working with you as you serve the Hillsborough County community. Sincerely, Brian Leen President and CEO


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EMPLOYEE HYGIENE PROTOCOL

Proper hygiene as one of the key elements to reduced lead levels with employees and importantly, the most important element of prevention of any lead leaving our plant unintentionally. The process is detailed and includes the following elements: 1.

Arrive at plant and enter clean locker space. Put on a company-supplied clean uniform and shower shoes. 2.

Enter the boot wash area change into work boots, put on gloves, respirator, hard hat, and hearing protection. 3.

Walk into the work area and begins work. 4.

When exiting the building, keep respirator on. Wash boots in an automated boot wash. Vacuum any dust off of uniform. 5.

Remove and clean hard hat, and the sealing area around respirator with a D-lead wipe. 6.

Remove boots and put them in boot locker 7.

Bag respirator and put it into dirty locker or place it into a respirator wash bin to be cleaned by hygiene personnel. 8.

Remove gloves and dispose of them. 9.

Go to the hand washing station and wash hands, face and neck area. 10.

Go into the dirty locker area, and remove work uniform. Wash hands and face again, or shower depending on if just going on break or leaving for the day. 11.

If going on break, put on a clean break uniform, and then proceed to the break room. If leaving for the day, employee is required to shower, put back on street clothes from clean locker and depart. We also offer personal laundry services to our employees for their undergarments that they may wear into the plant.