United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
DIRECTIVE NUMBER: 9230.0-15
"ITLE: Role of Community Interviews in Development
of a Community Relations Program for Remedial Response
APPROVAL DATE: 6/15/90
EFFECTIVE DATE: 6/15/90
ORIGINATING OFFICE: OERR/HSCD
e FINAL
D DRAFT
STATUS:
REFERENCE (other documents):
OSWER OSWER OSWER
DIRECTIVE DIRECTIVE Dl
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Washington. DC 20460
QSWER Directive Initiation Request
1. Directive Number
9230.0-15
2. Originator Information
Name o< Conuct Person
Melissa Shapiro
3. Till*
Mail Coda
OS-220
Office
HSCD
Telephone Cod*
Role of Community Interviewsin the Development of a Community Relations
Program for Remedial Response
4 Summary of Directive (include onei statement 01 purpose)
Offers guidance in response to recent Regional questions regarding community
relations interviews required by the NCP.
S. Keywords
CERCLA; NCP; Community Relations
DA. uoes i nis Uuecuvc supersede rrevious uirecuveisj t
b. Dots It Supplement Previous DlrectJve(i)?
[x | No I I Yts What directive (number, title}
x ] No | [ Yet What drecttve (number, tffie)
7. Dnn Level
A-SlonedbyAM3AA
B - Signed by Office Director
C - For Review & Comment
> - h Development
8. Document to be distributed to States by Headquarters? LJYM IZ]No
This Request Meets OSWEM Directives System Format Standards.
9. Sgnature ol Lead Office Directives Coordinator
Betti VanEpps
10. Name and Title ol Approving Official
Henry L. Longest II, Director OERR
Date
6/15/90
Date
6/15/90
EPA Form 1315-17 (Rev. S-17) Previous editions are obsolete.
OSWER OSWER OSWER 0
VE DIRECTIVE DIRECTIVE DIRECTIVE
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^ ^v ^m - :
USE,
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
PROM:
TO:
UN I 5 1990
OSWER Directive #9230.0-15
OFFICE OF
SOLID WASTE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Role of community Interviews in the Development of a
Community Relations Program for Rei^ed^jil Response
Henry L. Longest II, Director, jrifV^-
Office of Emergency and Remedial /response
Director, waste Management Division
Regions I, IV, V, VII, vm
Director, Emergency and Remedial Response Division
Region II
Director, Hazardous Waste Management Division
Regions III, VI, IX
Director, Hazardous Waste Division
Region X
PURPOSE;
To offer guidance in response to recent Regional Office
questions regarding the community relations interviews required by
the National contingency Plan.
BACKGROUND;
Without a doubt, the interviews are the single most important
element in the development of a site-specific community relations
plan (CRP). The CRP, in turn, serves as the backbone of the entire
community relations program during a remedial response. I hope you
find the following information useful in clarifying the role of
this crucial activity.
POLICY;
1) The CRP should be based upon interviews conducted with the
community. The National Contingency Plan (NCP) requires interviews
and the development of a CRP based upon them. Among the community
relations activities required by Section 300.430(c)(2)(i)of the NCP
is "...preparing a formal community relations plan (CRP), based on
the community interviews and other relevant information..."
Printed an Recycled Paper
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OSWER Directive #9230.0-15
2) Interviews should be conducted among a variety of people.
Staff ordinarily speak first with state and local officials to
obtain background information and to let these people know that
area residents will also be interviewed. The group of interviewees
should not, however, be limited to these officials. "These
discussions with elected officials cannot in themselves generate
enough information to develop an adequate community relations plan.
Special efforts must be' made to interview local residents,
particularly those who are not affiliated with any group."
(Community Relations i_n Superfund — A Handbook, OSWER Directive
#9230.0-3B, p.3-4). staff should interview a broad range of people
so as to gain the greatest variety of perspectives about the site,
including potentially responsible parties. Furthermore, the staff
should "...never limit conversations to the most visible groups or
individuals." (Community Relations Handbook, p.3-4)
3) Interviews should be conducted with at least 15 - 25
residents. It is imperative that staff interview a group that
represents a cross-section of the community. This number is
typically at least fifteen to twenty-five persons, depending on the
size and complexity of the site, but it can be more. At one
particularly complex site, for example, Regional staff conducted
over two hundred interviews.
4) contractors should never conduct interviews without the
presence of EPA staff. EPA dependence on contractors has been a
particularly controversial issue and community relations was named
in a recent memorandum from Administrator Reilly as an area
potentially vulnerable to contractor misuse (See attached
memorandum), interviews are most often conducted by some
combination of the Remedial Project Manager, community relations
staff, enforcement staff and contractors. Remedial Project
Managers are especially encouraged to conduct community interviews
as a way of learning about a community and its issues, as well as
meeting community leaders early and fostering positive
relationships.
For more information regarding community interviews, refer to
Chapter 3 of Community Relations iri Superfund — A Handbook, and
Section 300.430(c)(2)(i) and accompanying preamble of the NCP. If
you have additional questions, please contact Melissa Shapiro of my
staff at FTS 382-2350 or Jeff Langholz at FTS 382-2460.
Attachment
cc: Public Affairs Directors
Regional Community Relations Coordinators
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