233F03007
Provide v ;
Technical and Financial
Assistance for Public;
Involvement
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Step 3: Consider Providing
1 Technical or Financial
Assistance to Support
Public Involvement
Goal:
- To help affected groups and individuals who may not have
adequate resources to participate effectively
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its
revised Public Involvement Policy in Jupe 20,03. The Policy's
overall goal is for excellent public involvement to become an
integral part of EPA's culture, thus supporting, more effective
Agency decisions and actions.
The Policy provides guidance to EPA managers arid staff -
on how you can better involve the public in the Agency's f -
decisions. The Policy outlines seven steps to effective ,
involvement. This brochure (ojrie in a series) offers ^ C_
suggestions to help you "get started" when considering
technicaLand financial assistance for public involvement.
Why Prtftatej'ubllc Involvement Assistance?
Technical and financial assistance help communities
navigate complex scientific issues, data and documents.
< Such assistance alsoIRelps, groups and communities decide
if a proposed solution frfs their- understanding of protective \
enough. They may not"agree with EPA's definition of
^acceptable risk." ,-*",
Many individual stakeholders cannof effectively take part in
.a dialogue about difficult environrnejntat.de.cisions because
they,do not tjave. enough suitable and timely technical or.
financial assistances personal timeto/esearch th& issues,,
understand the effects and results of possible,decisions, and'-
feel comfortable, expressing their opiniohsJn a public forum, •"'
Although weli-esfab!ished'groups may exist in a given- -, -',
community, they often face several obstacles.to taking part in
environmental decisions; \ .' '. , ( . ~= ' -
• Lack of time to review data „' ' _ /''„'-
• Distrust of.pub'lioofflcials ' _, ' - '
• Lack of access tol information
• Lack of knowle'dge about both science methods arid
Policy choices, and processes ° - - '- "' v "- .
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Residents often have unique,-firsthand knowledge about ~ -, * ,. .
local resources and environmental threats. By making their; \ 'ja
involvement easier, the-Agertcy can gatrier information •• ' ," " 'Jp
available only from these,'sources, and by.doing so.Jmbrove , -"-fl
uality of the overall decision-making process. " - •„**
What to Consider about Offering Assistance
It is important for EPA to provide abound understanding of :
the issues and choices itis considering, diflzens who Want-to
participate in EPA decision making may need substantial. •:
technical and/or financial assistance id do so.1 Understanding
the needs of potential stakeholders is the. first step in ,J_'
' considering, whether to 'provide assistance. "*",*-'
Researching historic, environmental a&d political decisions'^ ~,
a given community can help lead yoa to existing groups and\
individuals.,By. listening td-mese parties* you can usually/ - '
learn about their- abijity:to'engage in your>articulaK«,; , H•;"
program*s decision and their uriderstantfing'ol the:'" .• /'' '' ;
• Issues*- '* ;> , ' f - . ' „"' . • ~ " ==.
• Scientific and technical information' .-''-, \ ' (.
1 tt "Risks and all costs of any.choices - ;,' % ! :' ^ t -^
m Legal and procedural constraints ", * ,
'. ft Oyerall decision-makmg process —^ ^ .p
• papaeity to engage in your program's^decjsipn-jfiakjng'-,
„ process % --'/. - • '/-'t, %',- ,!_''• .
' The next step is to understand what assistance choices are -.
fitting and available. Talk tb colleagues-within EPA-afiout the,;'
many sources,-of'information on technical andifina'nciaj .
. - assistance {SeeAddftionatRespurcesJ.Jnyolvement and '*" ^
oufre'ach specialists have often forked With affected groups /
^ and individuals, and they are a valuable resource.
Technical aid'is not just necessary to he~lps ebmmunities
% ynderstand the risks that a CERCLA site or apollotmg facility
creates - it's also-necessary to help folks translate *§fhat they
know, because they live near the facility, into tecftnicaf~issues
d The type of smells, the timing of odors, the occurrence;of, •._
disease, or simply nose, throat, or lung irritation—alf.6i;that. ,
can translateinto important technical information abouta ,-\ '
facility's operations and the risks that it creates for a
community." , -' -
-Alma Lowry, The Public Interest Law Firm at
Syracuse University College of Law ,
Dialogue on Public Involvement in EPA Decisions
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If assistance is needed and available, widely announcejts
availability as early in the process as possible. Clearly
describe the process for seeking the supporOndudjng -
timing and the documentation needed to apply. ' ,
Consider the following points about funding public - • ' •
involvement: ^ ' > ,* '
fl "
- Whether the applicable statutory authority allows the ~
proposed activity ',,„-,
- Whether the potentially affected parties are adequately
represented •/_ « ~
- The current capacity of the; ppteh'ttaily affected parties to
substantially participate without support >, '
' - The applicant's qualifications to do the. wdrkjfl^typur
\ , project may fund -~ >\ '- " 'v-
- The direct involvement of affected community: members^
- ' •-' ^ '"'to- - f
--The extent to which the funded activity wiiHegtjio more
effective public involvement and benefit the public, ,.
; Jrigeneral, £PA should make special efforts to help groups
'- ~thatlfadiSona8y have fewer opportunities or resources to " ,
-, pacBcipSte.,Environmervtal justice, ethnic minority, anddtapblad -
<„ comrqunity jnernbers-'rriay Aeed more extensive suppprtrV r=-
. ' - ' ^ '
Technical Assistanceljps - 1 . ;.••> . .
"- List and analyze all cpst-^ ideas, ftfst~be creative.
- -Promote access to Agency experts or ix>ntractors: * .
- Identify existing modejs in pfter communities, partnering '
, with.them to help your speqfflc project. v _ - •
- Fi|i^t develop, aHd'provtde readily-available tools, to he^i -
aduite underslandcompfex-environmentar issues using: '
•» -« One-on-one,trainmg classes- ' - *- ^ - ,
• Seminars1'. - * .' J~ , ~
< • Self-learning modules-- v - .','
- - • Specialized contact people on EPAJs staff
, • '• Online materials and courses * , ;
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In Si^erifcn&communities, consider using Technical
Outreach' Services to Communities (TOSC) services.
Offer to brief religious'leaders (ordained and lay) so they
can share information with, tfieir congregations.
Offer to brief local government"8fficjal5/staff so you can
work together to serva-cormnuriify information needs.
Offer to provide train-the-tfainef helpjfdr~ teachers arid-
librarians who can be excellent community partners for
explaining complicated materials. ,
Help people translate their common:Sense~knowfedge,and /
'^observations (timing of events, odors, Disease cases) ihtf> -
Jechnical information about the environmental jmpactsjjf- ;*
localfacilities and potential associated risks.-1' [ ,-, V'/-'-'
PaTtrie°f with colleges, universities, schools, local ',r ~ '» I
government uhits, libraries, state and other federal^ .- 'j,
agencies as repositories, meeting hosts, and more.- „,"=; V,
Financial Assistance Tips
In some limited iRsttaoces,.«lirect finanelaj ait
available jbr EPA partners, QjJtside-orgaEMzaL-,,-^.,-
stakeholders. EPATtia'na^ersinay considerjtsuitable and -- *.
essential toprovide aid-.sjna|HoraI governments, outside,"
", groups,1* arid stakeholders io achieve piiogram goals.
r*; jn^dldon, EPAshqtild^'i&Jirnited'sifaiations, consider; ' -'
; financial support4o sta^iqlders>su;Ghas: " -^ \
m Traveiarid/perdiemforstafcehpldersto provide ,^ • I
" advice dire^c% te'Agency
,- • Compe|)sa|lOTvfor£mee^ng &G& &p$\las a membepof aj' . ,'- ,'s'
\~m Honoraria, ^sfl^ends^of srnaft grants to=organizatioJTS s
-, jndjyldtials tha1! have a vl^contribufidn to make to Jffie
* :"^publicdefeaV-,^v/° !- / "* * \ „ o,."* '",.'
founds so libraries c&i oVganizfe documents for public % %
. / 'access', / ._ s \ ,,'>'-~< " = ^', -( ; ,
-•'"• Trairiing SQ^ibranaris and otheV'irlformafflbri^prQviders can
• •'better «erve, the public ^% '„ -.-^ .; ,,_ ' /-
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•f Technical ai¢ers at local colleges and universities so t;
information comes from "local'-sources the public is more
. likely to, trust *.''-,. ' '" ,
• Supervised technical aid thai graduate science or '
business s&identa may provide for academic credit
••Contract mone^y to support community .groups °tftat,needr "•
help to participate •' - '*• •'.• /• /'
M 'Grants for health advisers to interpret risk data"; sueh as :
reports from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
"Registry'(ATSDR): ''"/,—" : %""> J '
Additional Resources:
-* , Solid Waste and: Emergency 'Response, EPA Publication #
--.,,
'toolsy&aa/ci Jiaid&(»k.'Ddf * ..,""- '.,"•
= Public InvoJvementin EPA'Decisions, U.S. EPA, Information - r
Renaissance, Hewletffoandatiorif Internet Dialogue, July 1 3,
,2001, htto://wwwAbtwdrR^mocra(^.^epa-Dio/ioin/surn 7
Comfnanity Assistance Teami Lessons Learned, U.S. EPA
internet site, rittD://www.&Da.dov/oppt/caliD/catt.html
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More Information about the Policy
\. "i
Copies of the Policy and the Framework for'implementing it are
available at http://www.eDa.gov/publicinvolvement/poircV2003/
Dolicv2003.pdf and http://www.epa.gov/publicinvolvement/policy20Q3/
framework.pdf
The Website for the "Internet Dialogue on Public Involvement im
EPA Decisions" is http^/www.networit-deniBcracy.orq/epa-pip
'="
EPA's Response to Comments on the Draft. 2000 Public
Involvement Policy is available at http^/www.epa.gov/public
involvement/policv2003/re^bonse.pdf *: ° * ,
-r;.
*Invpi^erjient brings ttte pieces together" artwork (S fie creation
jf?f,fertcaAhn.T"uri30c who/qonfrflDyted the work'through an/ . *
United States Environmental Protection Agency
National Center for Environmental Innovation
Public Involvement Staff
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 1807T
Washington, DC 20460
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