More Information about the Policy
Copies of the Policy and the Framework for implementing it
are available at http://www.epa.qov/publicinvolvement/policy2003/
policy2003.pdf and http.7/www.epa.gov/publicinvolvement/policy2003/
framework.pdf
The Web site for the "Internet Dialogue on Public Involvement
in EPA Decisions" is http://www.network-democracy.org/epa/epa-pip
EPA's Response to Comments on the Draft 2000 Public
Involvement Policy is available at http://www.epa.gov/public
involvement/policy2003/response.pdf
How to Improve
Public Meetings
and Hearings
"Involvement brings the pieces together" artwork is the creation
of Erica Ann Turner, who contributed the work through an
agreement between the Art Institute of Washington and EPA.
Involvement brings
the pieces together
United States Environmental Protection Agency
National Center for Environmental Innovation
Public Involvement Staff
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW1807T
Washington, DC 20460
EPA233-F-03-Q12
U.Wes* Jackson Boufevanf. 12tti Fk»
Clueago, II 60604-3S90
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Alternatives to Meetings and Hearings
Additional Resources:
You can use these and other techniques first to familiarize
the public with key technical terms and concepts and later
to discuss issues and options in depth.
Citizen Advisory Panel/Committee/Group
Typically, members of these groups are community
representatives from local government, business and
civic groups, environmental organizations, and other
stakeholders. They have regular meetings and access to
the decision-making processes related to EPA's activities
in their area.
The group may become an ongoing body that helps to
improve communications to and from the community at
every step of the EPA decision-making process.
When EPA forms such a group to provide advice, it is an
advisory committee and subject to the requirements of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act for public notice, open
meetings, and record keeping.
Listening Sessions/Availability Sessions/Open Houses
At these informal forums, presenters erect displays or
posters or share slide shows to illustrate their ideas or
frame their issues. It is useful to have several EPA people
attend to meet one-on-one with members of the public.
Workshops/Group Discussions
A workshop is one or several parallel small group issue
discussions among members of the interested public and
the event sponsor. Usually a discussion leader or subject
expert guides the group process.
"...in today's America, different people are working on different
schedules. There's no "best time" for public hearings .. Trying
to squeeze all citizens into the same schedule will be almost
impossible. Be as flexible as possible "
Rev. Robert Francis Murphy, Clergyman -
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Public Comments on the 2000 Draft Public
Involvement Policy
Principles for Effective Communications with Communities
About Ecological Issues. EPA, Document #236-F-96-001,
Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, January
1997.http://www.epa.gov/ecocommunity/order9.htm
Superfund Community Involvement Toolkit. EPA, Document
#540-K-01-004, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
Response, September 2002. http://www.epa.gov/superfund/tools
Public Involvement in Environmental Permits: A Reference
Guide. EPA, Document #500-R-00-007, Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response, August 2000.
http://www.epa.qov/permits/publicquide.pdf
The Model Plan for Public Participation. EPA, Document
#300-K-00-001, Office of Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance, Public Participation and Accountability
Subcommittee of the National Environmental Justice Advisory
Council (NEJAC), February 2000.
http://es.epa.gov/oeca/oei/nejac/pdf/modelbk.pdf
Suggestions for Improving Public Participation in
Community Involvement Activities. Missouri Department
of Natural Resources, Division of Environmental Quality,
Solid Waste Management Program.
http://www.dnr.state.mo.us/alpd/swmp/publicpartplan.pdf
Other EPA Public Involvement Brochures
Introducing EPA's Public Involvement Policy
How to Plan and Budget for Public Involvement
How to Identify People to Involve
How to Provide Technical and Financial Assistance for Public
Involvement
How to Do Outreach for Public Involvement
How to Consult with and Involve the Public
How to Review and Use Public Input and Provide Feedback
How to Evaluate Public Involvement
How to Improve Working with Tribes
How to Involve Environmental Justice Communities
How to Overcome Barriers to Public Involvement
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Plan Your Work
How to Organize Your Public Involvement Hearings
and Meetings
Be prepared. Know the issue, the community, and the
technique you are using. Do some research. Get the logistics
right for your goals. Select a meeting format, place, and time
that suits those you want to attend, and plan accordingly.
- Know enough about the issue to talk about it clearly and
know when you should ask the experts.
- Consult with EPA colleagues about their work with similar
communities, public involvement techniques, and issues.
- Learn about the community or affected public's interest in
and potential questions about the issue.
- Understand "the way things work here" by working with and
through organizations like city councils, civic associations,
churches, or other community groups.
- Try to develop relationships with existing community
organizations, and ask them to help you reach potential
participants.
- Choose the format that best suits those you seek to involve.
If a hearing is not required, design the event to promote
effective information exchange between the public and EPA.
- Choose a location and time convenient for the community or
affected public.
- Decide on the most appropriate setting for the activity to ensure:
• Participation from a wide range of the public that
otherwise might not attend (e.g., host meetings at
county fairs or other local functions)
• Adequate space for the audience
• Spatial layout that does not intimidate people (no
raised stages; use a circle of chairs for small groups
and keep presenters on same level as audience)
• Reliable (previously tested) equipment (projectors,
microphones, etc.) for the activity which allows the
most effective and clear communications
• Consider transportation and parking costs, weather and
seasonal activities, the community's cultural practices, and
accommodations for the disabled.
"... public hearing formats sometimes are restrictive and some
people just don't like coming forward to sit before a microphone
and state their opinions."
David Weitz - Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources
2001 Dialogue on Public Involvement in EPA Decisions
Work Your Plan
- Advertise your activity well in advance of the event. In the
publicity, describe how people can participate and how the
sponsor will conduct the session.
- Prepare and distribute supporting materials that will help
people understand the issue more easily.
- Make all relevant documents available for review before and
after the event.
- Convene the event by clearly explaining its purpose, and for
hearings, explain the formal procedure.
- State that EPA came to listen, and ensure that the Agency
understands the participants' concerns.
- For meetings, mutually establish ground rules to help
everyone stay focused on the issue.
- Clarify the roles of EPA and participants for the event and
entire project.
- Have sign-in sheets that allow attendees to request
information or check an "opt out" box to decline future
mailings on this or other EPA issues.
- Describe issues and topics in terms of the audience's values,
such as the rights and responsibilities of the community to
know.
- Provide, if necessary, a facilitator and/or language translator
who is trusted by the community.
- Urge everyone to speak in plain language.
- At meetings, have someone write a summary of the results
and actions to keep track for future reference.
- Share meeting notes with attendees and make the hearing
record accessible.
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How to Improve
Public Meetings
and Hearings
Goal:
- Enable the public and the Agency to share data, ideas,
advice, and concerns
- Help EPA to gather input from a wide range of interested and
affected parties
- Build a shared knowledge base about the community's
various interests, ideas, and needs, helping the Agency to
better understand and consider the issues related to a
particular decision
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its
revised Public Involvement Policy in June 2003. The Policy's
overall goal is for excellent public involvement to become an
integral part of EPA's culture, thus supporting more effective
Agency actions.
The Policy provides guidance to EPA managers and staff
on how you can better involve the public in the Agency's
decisions. This Policy outlines seven steps to effective
involvement. This brochure offers suggestions to help you
"get started" when conducting public meetings and hearings.
Meetings and Hearings
Meetings are less formal than hearings, but both can be
daunting to the public. Though often not the best involvement
practices for the situation, public meetings and hearings are
the most common ways for individuals and communities to
directly address EPA officials with their concerns. Permitting
and rule-making processes rely heavily on these techniques.
"Public participation is vital to the quality and legitimacy of rule
making. Information provided by the public will strengthen the
content of rules and enhance the Agency's implementation and
enforcement efforts. The Constitution guarantees that our law will
reflect the will of the people. Participation in rule making extends
this important principle to the development of regulations that
carry the force of law."
Cornelius M. Kerwin
Provost and Professor of Public Administration,
American University
Fellow, National Academy of Public Administration
The purpose of a public meeting is to share information and
discuss issues, not to make decisions. Public meetings should
promote two-way communications and provide a means for
all interested parties to ask questions and raise issues in an
informal setting. Those settings include conferences,
informational sessions, seminars, workshops, or other
activities that do not require formal, previously scheduled
presentations or a formal record of the proceedings.
Many laws and regulations require public hearings be held to
provide a formal opportunity for the affected public to present
comments and oral testimony on proposed EPA actions for the
record. Non-judicial public hearings may be mandatory or
discretionary and have specific requirements (depending on
the project) for:
• Timing and content of the hearing notice
• Advance availability of pertinent documents
• Format and conduct of the hearing, including prior
scheduling of presentations
• Record of the hearing (usually a verbatim transcript)
on which the public may comment
Think through what will work best for your situation before you
design a public involvement process to use either some type
of public meeting or a formal hearing. Here are some specific
differences between the two types of activities.
Public hearings are held:
- When requested by a member of the public during a public
comment period
- During a public comment period following the issuance of a
draft permit or major permit modification or at the selection of
a proposed corrective measure
- When the level of community concern warrants a formal
record of communication
Typically, the sponsor will prescribe a formal way to
submit/present information and time limits on presenting
comments at a public hearing.
Public meetings are less formal. Anyone can hold a public
meeting, but typically the sponsor is a facility in the
community, a member of the community or affected public, or
EPA. Anyone can attend, there are usually no formal time
limits on statements, and meetings can occur any time during
the involvement process. Because they are open and flexible,
meetings are preferable to hearings as forums for sharing and
discussing issues. Comments made during a public meeting
do not always become part of the official administrative record
as would comments from a hearing.
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