Environmental Issues Projects

January 3, 2025 By Chris Porter

ENERGYSTATE

There is a great deal of ENERGY in the Elizabethtown-Fort Knox MSA and surrounding region since the September 2021 announcement that the $5.8 billion BlueOval SK Battery Park would be established here bringing with it 5,000 new jobs. The project, the largest in Kentucky economic development history, adds even more opportunity to our already vibrant economy and will make the area home to the largest EV battery plant by investment, square footage, capacity and employees in the world. Add to this our location on Interstate 65, centrally located among other EV battery announcements, and this community is well poised for residential, commercial and industrial growth.

With construction underway on the two 4.2 million-square-foot plants, our communities are hard at work embracing this once-in-a-generation opportunity. ENERGYSTATE represents the Chamber’s efforts to convene, collaborate and communicate with stakeholders through this exciting process.

In 2022, the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce, along with three commissioning sponsors (Baptist Health Hardin, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, and the Elizabethtown/Hardin County Industrial Foundation) and multiple donors from the Hardin County business community, launched an economic transformation study to better understand the impact of BlueOval SK’s anticipated buildout. L.B. Schmidt & Associates managed the project and released its initial findings in a presentation to the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce in August 2023. The final report was released in September 2023.

Downloads

August 4, 2013 By Luke Schmidt

Maxwell Technologies European Ultracapacitor Recycling Project

Introduction

Maxwell Technologies is a San Diego-based company and is one of the largest manufacturers of ultracapacitors in the world. In addition to its San Diego facilities, the company also has extensive operations in Switzerland and China.

Maxwell Technologies is one of the world’s leading producers of ultracapacitors. Ultracapacitors are used to distribute energy from batteries to and through short burst/high energy applications. Ultracapacitors are used in a variety of applications, including automotive, aviation, energy distribution, mass transit, etc.

As the use of ultracapacitors increases, Maxwell Technologies reached the conclusion that it needed to develop a safe and environmentally efficient means for its customers to dispose of its products. Ideally, the company would like to recycle the various components which are contained within its products. Maxwell Technologies retained L.B. Schmidt & Associates, LLC for the purpose of launching this project and developing the first post-consumer (end use) market for spent ultracapacitors in Europe.

Project Scope

Luke Schmidt first met with company officials in San Diego to obtain a greater understanding of the company’s products and sales and distribution channels. A similar meeting was held with company officials in its European division located in Rossens, Switzerland.

Meetings were conducted with key customer groups throughout Europe in order to gain a better understanding of the various applications of ultracapacitors and how they are used in various product applications in the field. In order to develop the recycling system, an appropriate end-use market needed to be confirmed.

It quickly became apparent that battery recycling companies might provide the most productive end-use market opportunities. Luke Schmidt met with the CEO of the European Battery Recycling Association in Paris and from this meeting was able to develop a list of potential end-use market companies throughout Europe. Individual meetings were held and site visits conducted. The list of potential end-use markets was narrowed down to two companies – one in France and the other in Sweden.

Luke Schmidt facilitated lab-scale testing of Maxwell Technologies’ ultracapacitors in both locations. The French company was confirmed as the most appropriate end-use market for Maxwell’s products. Luke Schmidt facilitated a contract for recycling services between the French firm and Maxwell Technologies.

###

July 27, 2013 By Luke Schmidt

International Bottled Water Association Recycling Manual Project

Introduction

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is a not for profit organization which represents the manufacturers of bottled water in the United States. IBWA is an active organization which addresses such issues as hydration, water sourcing, environmental best practices, recycling, etc.

With the rapid growth of bottled water in the marketplace, concern had been growing about what to do with empty plastic water bottles. IBWA decided that its members (located throughout the U.S.) needed a guide that they could use in establishing local plastic bottle recycling programs in their respective communities.

IBWA retained Luke Schmidt and L.B. Schmidt & Associates, LLC to develop the Resource Recycling Guide for IBWA Members. Luke Schmidt conducted the research needed in order to develop and draft the Guide. Luke Schmidt also drafted the Guide, working with IBWA’s internal communications staff.

The Guide is a comprehensive look at plastic bottle recycling and also focuses on the 50 largest cities in the U.S. Various recycling strategies are presented along with an extensive list of resources.

Summary

Since the completion of this project, the Guide has been posted to the IBWA Web site for use by its members. Hard copies have also been distributed to IBWA members. The Guide has provided IBWA with an asset that it can share with members of the environmental community and demonstrate its leadership on recycling issues in communities throughout the U.S.

###