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13 <br /> Page 1 of 2 Lily Schacht <br /> Volunteer Application <br /> Orange County Advisory Boards and Commissions <br /> Name: Lily Schacht <br /> Name Called: <br /> Home Address: 5317 Sweetbush Rd. <br /> Chapel Hill NC 27516 <br /> Phone: 203-554-2957 <br /> Email: lily.schacht@gmail.com <br /> Year of OC Residence: 2021 <br /> Township of Residence: Chapel Hill <br /> Zone of Residence: County <br /> Gender Identity: Female <br /> Ethnic Background: White <br /> Age Range: 18-34 <br /> Community Activities/Organizational Memberships: <br /> Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) <br /> Past Service on Orange County Advisory Boards: <br /> N/A <br /> Boards/Commissions applied for: <br /> Commission for the Environment <br /> Please explain how your background, education and experience is relevant to this board <br /> My background is in soil and water quality. Specifically, I have an MS in Environmental <br /> Engineering. In the past, I have done research at the EPA in RTP on indoor air quality and at NC <br /> State on groundwater contamination. I currently work at Lithos Carbon, a startup that spreads <br /> local basalt rock dust on NC farms to improve soil quality and sequester atmospheric carbon. <br /> Our focus is on farms East of Durham County, so I don t think this is a conflict of interest for <br /> Orange County. <br /> Please explain your reasons for wanting to serve on this board <br /> I want to serve on this board to make a meaningful impact on the environmental initiatives in <br /> Orange County and to become more involved in the community. I hope to bring evidence-based <br /> knowledge to the group to foster well-informed decision making. <br /> How would your particpation on this board contribute to the diversity of viewpoints? <br /> My experience with the interconnectedness and downstream impacts of air, water, and soil <br /> quality will contribute to the diversity of viewpoints. Orange County is socioeconomically diverse <br /> on a very small scale, with gated mansions nearly adjacent to mobile home communities. This <br /> heterogeneity makes environmental justice issues less apparent than in areas with clear <br /> socioeconomic boundaries, where it is obvious when a dump, power plant, or high-traffic road is <br /> constructed in a low-income area. However, these issues still exist and are important to keep in <br /> mind when forming policies and initiatives related to the environment. For example, agriculture <br /> and heavy industry put groundwater at risk for contamination and aquifer depletion. If this <br /> happens, wealthier residents may be able to drill deeper wells or invest in water treatment <br /> systems while others are left without abundant, clean water. <br />