Obituary for Michael Todd DeBusschere
Environmentalist and local businessman Michael DeBusschere died February 25th, 2023 after a 12 year battle with metastatic prostate cancer. He was 75. He is survived by his loving wife, Jane, of 50 years; his daughter, Kate DeBusschere-Nikolic (Marko & grandson Oliver); and son, Eric; his sister, Sandy Johnson (Marvin) of Davenport, FL; his sister, Karen Robson (Doug) of Friendsville, TN; and his brother, Paul DeBusschere (Amy), of Canton, GA; many wonderful nieces and nephews; and his supportive, cat Benny.
Michael was a noted environmental professional for over 50 years. A veteran of the Public Health Service, he was project manager for four of the first air pollution implementation plans while working at EPA when it was first formed. He was Director of the Indianapolis Air Pollution Control Division, and was Louisville’s Air Pollution Control Officer for over nine years, during which he developed the first emissions trading program in North America.
He then left government to start Camp Dresser & McKee’s Louisville Industrial Services group, was Senior Vice President of ERM Midwest managing their regional air compliance, health & safety program, and was a Vice President of TRC Environmental, a member of the legendary Air Force. He subsequently founded Kentuckiana Engineering Company, an environmental consultancy specializing in industrial environmental compliance and permitting, notable for securing the last air emissions permit for a major coal burning power plant in the US and the first two permits for full sized coal gasification power plants in the US. His accomplishments the last twenty years included work as a LEED reviewer for almost 100 US Green Building Council certifications, consulting with the Panama Canal and other foreign entities to build environmental management systems, conducting ISO environmental, health & safety management plan verifications in the US, Canada and Mexico and verifying over 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas reductions from programs in a wide variety of protocols. He was a President of the Urban Alternative Homestead in Louisville, and chaired a county-wide bottle bill commission.
Michael was active in the International Air & Waste Management Association or AWMA, a world-wide body composed of industrial, university, government and consulting professionals. He founded the AWMA Kentucky Chapter, Chaired the East Central Section, the organization’s Sections & Chapters Council and became international President in 2000. During this period, he performed lectures in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Brazil and Mexico, was a consultant to the Marshall Plan regarding emissions trading in Germany, and consulted with several cities in Poland regarding vehicle emissions monitoring. He initiated the organization’s designation as a delegate to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and was its first delegate to the Conference of the Parties in Katowice, Poland in 2018 and again in 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Michael was a Kentucky Real Estate Broker and founded DeBusschere Realty, a property management and rehabilitation business. The company performed the first historic rehab in Phoenix Hill and in the NuLu neighborhoods. In addition to saving and restoring residential properties in Louisville and Ft Lauderdale, the company acquired and managed over one hundred by-the-office rentals known as Summit Executive Suites and St. Matthews Executive Suites.
Michael traveled extensively with Jane and for business, visiting all seven continents, almost all European countries and most of Mexico and Canada. He visited all 50 states and 60 countries. His other interests were collecting first edition books, fine art and currencies from around the world.
Michael leaves behind a wonderful family and dear friends who supported him in every way.
His visitation will be Wednesday, March 1st, 2023, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Highlands Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Road. His memorial service will follow at 1:00 p.m., on Wednesday, at Highlands.
Michael was a noted environmental professional for over 50 years. A veteran of the Public Health Service, he was project manager for four of the first air pollution implementation plans while working at EPA when it was first formed. He was Director of the Indianapolis Air Pollution Control Division, and was Louisville’s Air Pollution Control Officer for over nine years, during which he developed the first emissions trading program in North America.
He then left government to start Camp Dresser & McKee’s Louisville Industrial Services group, was Senior Vice President of ERM Midwest managing their regional air compliance, health & safety program, and was a Vice President of TRC Environmental, a member of the legendary Air Force. He subsequently founded Kentuckiana Engineering Company, an environmental consultancy specializing in industrial environmental compliance and permitting, notable for securing the last air emissions permit for a major coal burning power plant in the US and the first two permits for full sized coal gasification power plants in the US. His accomplishments the last twenty years included work as a LEED reviewer for almost 100 US Green Building Council certifications, consulting with the Panama Canal and other foreign entities to build environmental management systems, conducting ISO environmental, health & safety management plan verifications in the US, Canada and Mexico and verifying over 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas reductions from programs in a wide variety of protocols. He was a President of the Urban Alternative Homestead in Louisville, and chaired a county-wide bottle bill commission.
Michael was active in the International Air & Waste Management Association or AWMA, a world-wide body composed of industrial, university, government and consulting professionals. He founded the AWMA Kentucky Chapter, Chaired the East Central Section, the organization’s Sections & Chapters Council and became international President in 2000. During this period, he performed lectures in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Brazil and Mexico, was a consultant to the Marshall Plan regarding emissions trading in Germany, and consulted with several cities in Poland regarding vehicle emissions monitoring. He initiated the organization’s designation as a delegate to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and was its first delegate to the Conference of the Parties in Katowice, Poland in 2018 and again in 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Michael was a Kentucky Real Estate Broker and founded DeBusschere Realty, a property management and rehabilitation business. The company performed the first historic rehab in Phoenix Hill and in the NuLu neighborhoods. In addition to saving and restoring residential properties in Louisville and Ft Lauderdale, the company acquired and managed over one hundred by-the-office rentals known as Summit Executive Suites and St. Matthews Executive Suites.
Michael traveled extensively with Jane and for business, visiting all seven continents, almost all European countries and most of Mexico and Canada. He visited all 50 states and 60 countries. His other interests were collecting first edition books, fine art and currencies from around the world.
Michael leaves behind a wonderful family and dear friends who supported him in every way.
His visitation will be Wednesday, March 1st, 2023, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Highlands Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Road. His memorial service will follow at 1:00 p.m., on Wednesday, at Highlands.