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women of influence

Mom becomes activist to take on coke plant

Lisa Frye, pictured inside her Monroe home, is the president of SunCoke Watch Inc., and has been fighting SunCoke for the last 18 months.

Staff photo by Gary Stelzer Lisa Frye, pictured inside her Monroe home, is the president of SunCoke Watch Inc., and has been fighting SunCoke for the last 18 months.

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By Jessica Heffner, Staff Writer 2:26 AM Thursday, September 10, 2009

MONROE — As a mother and homeowner, Lisa Frye has done her best to protect her family — even if that means taking on a multibillion dollar company and the plant it wants to build next door.

The president of SunCoke Watch Inc., a citizens group Frye organized to keep residents informed about the new $340 million SunCoke Energy coke oven facility proposed for a site off Yankee Road in Middletown near the Monroe border, said she never considered herself an activist.

Before February 2008, Frye described herself as a mother of four who ran an at-home business with her husband, Kevin. But a conversation with neighbor Joan Schiavone during a routine trip to the grocery store asking if she had heard about the new coke plant changed all that.

“I thought she was talking about Coca-Cola,” Frye admitted.

The conversation piqued her interest. She began doing research on the plant, its location and the pollutants it would emit. She joined with Garden Manor Retirement Village officials after they took a tour of the Niederlander Lane neighborhood to gather concerns.

When Garden Manor dropped out of the fight, Frye picked up the cause, creating SunCoke Watch and keeping residents informed through e-mail blasts and door-to-door visits while walking her dog, Camelot.

Her leadership has kept the cause alive. Without Frye, neighbors say they would not have been nearly as effective in pushing SunCoke to pursue a New Source Review air permit after arguments were made that its first minor source air permit issued by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency may violate the Clean Air Act.

SunCoke voluntarily halted construction in January and has submitted an application for an NSR permit, which is under review by the Ohio EPA.

“I think she has been instrumental in postponing this (plant) and forcing a second look at their permit,” said Sally Pearson, who lives on Ohio 4 in Monroe. “I think she has just been instrumental in banding the neighborhood together and I think she is truly concerned about the health and safety of our community.”

But the effort is not without sacrifice, Frye said.

“It has taken a lot of time. It has affected my time with my family, my business, my personal time,” she said. “But this is a sacrifice we felt we have had to make to protect our family and our community.”

Activist’s tenacity inspires

A day in the life of an environmental activist is never dull nor easy.

Since February 2008, Lisa Frye has been gathering information and neighbors through grass-roots group SunCoke Watch Inc. to fight the proposed $340 million SunCoke Energy plant off Yankee Road in Middletown near her Niederlander Lane home. The proximity to the plant and the 2,700 tons of pollutants it will emit raised concerns about the safety of her family and community.

The fight has evolved to one she believes to be rooted in SunCoke’s alleged deceptions and her distrust for its ability to meet environmental standards.

“This started out as a fight of coke plant v. no coke plant. However, it’s become much bigger than that,” she said. “This has become a fight over right and wrong.”

Neighbor Barb Stubbs said she is “quite amazed” by Frye’s leadership and ability to accomplish so much for both the SunCoke Watch cause and her family.

“Having been a mother with two kids in sports myself, I don’t know how she does it,” she said.

Jean and Chuck Inwood met Frye after the neighborhood began organizing against the coke plant. Instantly, Jean said she clicked with Frye, and recognized her drive that is “the fiber of her being” in all she does. “I think she goes after what she believes in and I think she is unstoppable and I’m glad we have her,” she said. “I don’t think we would be where we are today if it wasn’t for Lisa. She just goes above and beyond the call of duty.”

Frye’s “tenacity” and skills at completing record reviews to find facts to help the cause “just get us all inspired to keep up the effort,” Chuck Inwood said.

Most of Frye’s neighbors say her leadership has been a success. The plant’s construction has been significantly delayed as SunCoke pursues a new air permit, it’s first issued by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency being the subject of multiple appeals by Frye, the city of Monroe and others in addition to a Clean Air Act lawsuit. The New Source Review air permit, which Frye said the company should have sought all along, is now under review by the Ohio EPA.

But Frye’s life did not begin as an activist. She was a ballerina from age 4 through her freshman year in college at Butler University in Indianapolis, where she was a dance major. Struggling with bulimia, she knew to overcome the disorder she must quit dancing. When her father passed away from cancer during her sophomore year, she transferred to Miami University Middletown. She now holds a master’s degree and is a licensed independent social worker and is taking sign-language classes at St. Rita School for the Deaf, hoping to eventually become an interpreter.

Thanks to the support of her family — Tanner, 16; Madison, 14; Maxwell, 11; Mason, 8; and husband, Kevin — most days run pretty smoothly.

“I think it has made us stronger as a family,” Kevin said. “More importantly, the kids see us standing up for something we believe in.”

The SunCoke issue has been a big part of her life of late, but it doesn’t define Lisa Frye. “I’m a lot of things; there is a lot of facets to what I do,” she said. “It’s all wound up together into who I am as a person.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843

or jheffner@coxohio.com.

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I think cokeless has the best point on here, both sides can change, its probably not a bad idea to get a good education if you constantly have to stress about finding a job, or if you are in constant worry about being laid off

skinner
12:43 PM, 11/18/2009

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You all should be ashamed. Lisa is a devoted mom and wife. THIS is what American's used to do, stand up for what they believe in. Now they just believe every single word of the liberal media. Nice work Lisa! Keep it up! :)

Joe
11:10 PM, 9/28/2009

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Isn't it amazing that all of these people claiming 'new jobs' are being halted due to opposition to this project. AND - the comments that others should move, instead of standing up for what they think is right. I continue to stand by my prediction that AK will shut down its Ashland & Middletown coke plants - COSTING jobs, not creating them. AND, I say to those of you suggesting others move away - maybe you should move - that's the coward's way out of a conflict. Thanks Lisa for all you've done

ex-ARMCO
1:02 PM, 9/11/2009

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I agree not to judge if you do not know, but I personally know Lisa as a parent through sports/school. She may have some of you fooled, but beneath that false concern is a self motivated, selfish person who is not as dedicated to her family as she will want everyone to believe.

concerned parent
10:35 AM, 9/11/2009

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People, it is NOT about property values for most of us. We are retired and my husband is in poor health, if that coke plant goes in we will not be able to enjoy our home because of the emissions. Why would anyone destroy a residential area for a few permanent jobs (75 to 80). Lisa Frye is a very dedicated person to her family and all else she believes in. Please don't judge her if you don't know her. Keep up the great work Lisa. We appreciate you

C&W

carol cowman
10:21 AM, 9/11/2009

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