What is the Amoco Focus Group?

For nearly two years, the City of Sugar Creek has been sponsoring meetings of the Amoco Focus Group. This group meets periodically, usually every two or three months, to discuss issues and information about the clean up and reuse of the former Amoco refinery. The purpose of the meetings is to:

improve communications amongst the city staff, federal and state agencies and various groups who are interested and involved in the clean up and reuse plans;
increase city official's understanding of the clean up and reuse process; and
increase understanding and communication with citizens interested in clean up and reuse of the site.

Meetings are usually held at the Mike Onka Building in Sugar Creek. Meeting dates and times are scheduled during the previous meeting and published in Sweet Talk on the City Calendar. If you don't see a Focus Group meeting scheduled and would like information about the next meeting, call Jana Oliverez-Dickerson, City Administrator, at 252-4400 extension 28.

Meetings are facilitated by Sheila Shockey, Shockey Consulting Services, Inc. (telephone (913) 248-9585; email shockey@planetkc.com). The meetings follow a pre-determined agenda which typically includes reports of recent activities by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), and BP Amoco. Information on other topics, such as health studies by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), is presented as requested by the group. There is time reserved at the end of the meeting for questions and comments from citizens who attend the meetings, but are not designated representatives of a stakeholders group.

Groups that regularly participate in the Amoco Focus group are listed below with contact information for designated representatives. Other group members also participate as assigned by their group leadership.

Organization Representative Telephone Number Email Address
ATSDR Denise Jordan-Izaguirre (913) 551-1310 Jordan-Izaguirr.Denise@epamail.epa.gov
BP Amoco Lloyd Dunlap (816) 836-6044 dunlaple@bp.com
City of Sugar Creek Ron Martinovich (816) 252-4400 ext. 31 ronm@sugar-creek.mo.us
CLEANUP Bill Haman, President (816) 254-8935 SCCLEANUP@aol.com
CLEANUP Janet Elliott, Secretary (816) 252-9155 nicholsworth1@msn.com
EPA Bob Aston (913) 551-7392 aston.robert@epamail.epa.gov
MDNR Brian McCurren (573) 751-3553 nrmccub@mail.dnr.state.mo.us
TOSC (K-State) Terrie Boguski (913) 780-3328 mboguski@birch.net

Meetings are always open to the public. Citizens of Sugar Creek and Independence are encouraged to attend the Amoco Focus Group meetings and provide comments or ask questions. Stakeholder representatives are normally available after the meeting to speak to citizens personally about any additional information they may need.

The next Amoco Focus Group meeting is scheduled for February 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the Mike Onka Building.

What is the Amoco Focus Group?

Local Navigation