Dr. Doug Hindman feels he has a duty to his community.
“I have been a social activist almost all of my life,” said Hindman. “It has always been my way to give people a voice to try to make things better for the community. I took great interest when I heard it was planned for chemical weapons to be destroyed right here in Madison County.”
Hindman is the chair of the Kentucky Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission (CAC), a nine-member group appointed by the governor. The CAC’s mission is to provide a mechanism for the thorough and objective exchange of information among the community, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the Army regarding the chemical weapons demilitarization program.
“I am one of the few members of the community who can trace his involvement with this program back to the beginning,” said Hindman. “I was at the very first meeting on this subject, in 1984. We have come such a long way since then.”
In his role as chair, Hindman makes himself available to community members to discuss concerns and comments about the Blue Grass project, receives updates and information from project representatives, meets with CAC and working group members to provide input and recommendation to project officials, tours the Blue Grass construction site regularly to stay abreast of progress, and much more.
“I have a life-long interest in working with people to solve problems and make things better for the community,” said Hindman. “We’re in a good place now, and are all working together toward our common goal of the safe destruction of these weapons.”
Hindman’s involvement is viewed positively by Jeff Brubaker, site project manager.
“We greatly value Dr. Hindman’s interest in and input to the destruction project,” said Brubaker. “He has long been a driving force in actively keeping the community involved in the project.”
The CAC and its subcommittee, the Chemical Destruction Community Advisory Board meet on a quarterly basis to disseminate information to the citizens of Madison County and to provide opportunities for public input to the Blue Grass chemical weapons destruction project. The next meeting is Sept. 9, 2015, at 1:30 p.m. at Eastern Kentucky University’s Perkins Building.
