YiT
                      United States
                      Environmental Protection
                      Agency
Region 10
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Alaska
Idaho
Oregon
Washington
                                 Community Involvement and Outreach Unit
                                    (Kathleen Veit, Manager, 206-553-1352)

Our Vision: To give the public access to information, the tools they need to participate in a meaningful way, and the
opportunity to affect Agency decisions.

Our work ensures that the public influences and trusts EPA decisions that affect them and the environment. The work of
Community Involvement Coordinators  (CICs) extends beyond the Office of Ecosystems and Communities to include
support for many other EPA Region 10 programs, including the Superfund, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA), the Water and Air programs.  Activities include developing public involvement strategies, written fact sheets
and brochures, and hosting public meetings.
                                     Key Laws, Regulations, and Policies

           Public Involvement Requirements in the CWA, CAA, RCRA, CERCLA, and NEPA.
           EPA's Part 25 Regulations on Public Involvement
           EPA's Public Participation Policy
                                                 Our Goals

           Help EPA programs be successful in community outreach
           Help the public provide meaningful input to agency decision making
           Evaluate program effectiveness and identify areas for improvement
           Improve access to tools needed for environmental decision-making
           Create a work environment that maximizes staff satisfaction and productivity
                                   What We're Doing to Achieve our Goals

           Providing information to the public about EPA's work and upcoming decisions through fact sheets,
           brochures and meetings
           Advocating for changes in Agency decisions based on citizens' input where appropriate
           Conducting annual "listening tours" in strategic geographic areas with upper level management from
           a cross-section of EPA programs
           Assisting EPA programs in developing comprehensive public involvement strategies for key program
           priorities
           Partnering with land grant universities to identify and fill research and education needs, as part of a
           coordinated water quality program
           Working in targeted geographic areas to assist local governments in making better informed land use
           decisions to minimize environmental impacts
           Developing methods to evaluate how public involvement affects decisions at Region 10 and
           document how decisions were changed

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