THE BIG PICTURE
Americans would like better
access to accurate, high-quality
information.
Only 4 in 10
Americans believe there is
enough information available
to answer their questions about
environmental conditions in their
communities.
of Americans say they do not
have the scientific and technical
knowledge to understand
environmental problems. Since
2010, the number of Americans
who say they know a lot or a fair
amount about environmental
issues has decreased by 14
percent (73% to 59%).
Sources-. GfK Green Gauge
Reports Worldwide 2013
and Roper
FEDERAL FACILITY CLEANUP DIALOGUE:
SHARING INFORMATION EFFECTIVELY
Ensuring that people have environmental information about their
communities is a top priority for EPA. Recent public opinion polls show why
this is important - many Americans would like better access to accurate,
high-quality environmental information. Such information empowers
communities by enabling them to participate more fully in the environmental
cleanup process. As part of ongoing efforts to enhance community
engagement, EPA reached out to diverse stakeholders through several
Federal Facility Dialogue meetings to discuss the federal facility cleanup
program. During these discussions, stakeholders identified ways to make
information on federal facility cleanups more accessible and useful for
communities. This fact sheet provides guiding principles and best practices
that federal agencies can use to share information more effectively.
Guiding Principles
. Build on strong foundations. Community engagement is essential to the cleanup
and long-term stewardship of federal facilities and relies on information sharing
between federal agencies and the public.
. Seek input early. Designing information-sharing tools and methods with diverse
user needs and preferences in mind helps ensure their usability and acceptance.
. Think long term. Continue to provide information and engage communities even
after remedy selection. Statements about the protectiveness of remedies and any
follow-up actions should be clearly stated in plain language.
• Stay in touch. Sharing timely, useful information shows government transparency in
action, increases trust in federal actions and improves agency operations.
. Prioritize. Providing access to key information means people will be able to use it
more effectively. Priority information often includes the status of site investigations
and cleanup, target dates, site features, contaminants of concern, cleanup budget
updates, demographic data, and agency points of contact.
. Be creative. Using multiple formats (electronic, printed material, in person) means
more people will be able to access federal facility records. Formats should be based
on the particular needs of affected communities near the federal facility.
• Rely on innovation. Social media and other tools and systems should bring federal
facility data together from everyone - states, tribes, local governments, communities,
federal agencies, others-enhancing information sharing.
• Evaluate progress. Regular review of information-sharing strategies and systems
makes sure they continue to address evolving needs and integrate new tools.
Additional Information Resources
at
EPA 505-F-15-001
A Guide to Planning, Implementing, Maintaining, and Enforcing Institutional Controls
Contaminated Sites: http://www.epa.qov/superfund/policv/ic/quide/Final%20PIME%20
Guidance%20December%202012.pdf
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies on Tribal
Consultation: http://www.epa.qov/tribalportal/pdf/tribal-consultation-memorandum-09.pdf
EPA Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes: http://www.epa.gov/
tribalportal/pdf/cons-and-coord-with-indian-tribes-policv.pdf
f
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THE BIG PICTURE (cont.)
Best Practices
. Provide content in a variety of easily understood formats.
Combine text in a layout with maps, tables, graphics and graphs.
. Avoid technical language and unnecessary acronyms.
• Maximize the responsiveness of online resources such as
websites. Provide a place where the public can ask questions, report
important information about a federal facility, and provide feedback.
. Provide a point of contact for all information resources.
• Make sure websites are easily searchable by Internet search
engines.
• Help users get to important information fast. Limit the number of
"clicks" it takes to get to federal facility details.
. When possible, make website navigation reversible. Users need
to be able to backtrack to previously visited pages.
. Keep information-sharing systems up to date. Include the status of
investigations and project dates. Websites should note the posting date of the
most recent information.
• Get the word out. Social media provides a real-time way to share project
news and milestones effectively.
Looking Forward
To help ensure effective community outreach and engagement, federal
agencies must be able to respond to rapid changes in information-sharing
technologies. EPA is leading the way, pursuing a range of activities to make
sure environmental information is more accessible and useful to the public.
The Cleanups at Federal Facilities Resource Directory provides
users with direct online access to the most relevant federal facilities
content, using a single navigation page: http://www2.epa.aov/fedfac.
An E-Docket tool enables electronic management of federal facility
records, paving the way for greater information sharing with the
public as well as other federal agencies.
Regular updates on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites
share the latest federal facility news.
Site profile pages on EPA's website provide easier access to updated
federal facility content.
An interagency work group is focused on streamlining Five-Year
Review reports and making them more useful to the public. Training
materials for site managers and community outreach materials show
communities how to use the reports as valuable information resources:
http://www2.epa.aov/fedfac/five-vear-review-federal-facilitv-cleanups.
online sources such as newspapers,
magazines and blogs for environmental
information.
Information sharing today is briefer and
more visual and aesthetically pleasing.
This trend is reflected in the rise of
visual social media, how consumers
use technology and in the increased
use of infographics.
Sources-. GfK Green Gauge US and Roper Reports
Worldwide 2013
BACKGROUND
Information in this fact sheet comes from two
Federal Facility Cleanup Dialogue stakeholder
meetings and an Information-Sharing Webinar
hosted by EPA.
At the meetings, participants shared
suggestions for strengthening stakeholder
involvement in the Federal Facility Cleanup
Program. They also discussed the importance
of making information more accessible and
useful for community members, particularly
during the long-term phase of cleanup at
federal facilities. Representatives from tribal,
state and local governments, non-governmental
organizations, citizen advisory boards, and
communities participated.
Federal agencies joining EPA for the Webinar
included the Departments of Defense, Energy
and Interior.
To learn more about federal facilities and
the Dialogue meetings, visit: http://www2.
eoa.eov/fedfac.
Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office
March 2015
EPA 505-F-l 5-001
&EPA
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