The Down East Seniors Club held their Jan. 13 meeting at the Blind Center of North Carolina in Washington. President Ed Hamrick led the meeting. Chip Ide led the singing of “God Bless America” and Charlie Mike Smith gave the invocation. Dick Paul provided humor.

Stewart Rumley asked for volunteers to deliver for Meals on Wheels at lunchtime the fourth Thursday of each month.

Mike Gwynn introduced Jeff Furness, senior environmental scientist with PCS Phosphate. Furness said that PCS is the world’s largest producer of the three major components of fertilizer: nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. The markets for the phosphate mined and processed at Lee Creek include fertilizer, animal feed, industrial uses and food. The phosphate deposit is a 40-foot, thick layer under 100 feet of soil. The mining process is known as “open pit” since the soil is removed (in two steps) and the phosphate ore is dug out. Millions of gallons of water have to be pumped out of the pit daily to prevent it from flooding. The company has to meet many environmental regulations that are enforced by state and federal agencies. They are currently operating while complying with 10 different environmental permits that took them nine years to receive. They expect operations under these permits to last until approximately 2045.

Mark Eakes won the 50/50 drawing.