Resource

Conservation and

Recovery Act
Community
Engagement
and Technical

Assistance

EPA outreach meeting after Hurricane Katrina.

What is RCRA and how
could it potentially impact
my community?

RCRA is the federal regulation that gives
EPA the authority to protect human health
and the environment from the potentially
harmful effects of improper management
and disposal of waste. More than 2.96 billion
tons of solid, industrial, and hazardous waste
a year are subject to the RCRA regulations.
Approximately 5.3 million people live within
one mile of a permitted hazardous waste
facility where hazardous waste is stored,
treated, or disposed of. Approximately 118
million people live within three miles of a
RCRA corrective action site (roughly 36%
of the U.S. population), including 37% of all
children in the U.S. under the age of five.

What happens after I submit an
Assistance Request Form?

Upon receipt of your Assistance Request Form,
EPA will:

1.	Confirm receipt of the form.

2.	Conduct an initial review of the request.
EPA may contact you for additional
information.

3.	Evaluate whether requests fall within the
scope and limitations of the CETA program.

4.	Approve the request or redirect you to
other appropriate assistance.

5.	If approved for the CETA program, EPA will
initiate a preliminary discussion with you
and our contractor to confirm the services
that are being provided.

TO LEARN MORE, CONTACT
RCRA_CETA@epa.gov

www.epa.gov/rcra/forms/ceta-program
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Facilitating Robust Assistance
Community by Community

oEPA

United States
Environmental Protection
Agency

EPA's "Journey to Justice" tour in New Orleans, Louisiana.

EPA's CETA Program assists communities
with addressing their concerns about
environmental and health issues related
to waste management by providing access
to support, resources, and information
through a neutral third party. These
services empower communities to develop
informed opinions when participating in
environmental decision-making about their
waste-related concerns. CETA
services also facilitate
effective and active
participation
in efforts to
improve public
health.

EPA Administrator
Michael S. Regan
with community
members from
Mossville,
Louisiana.

Prioritizing communities with multiple stressors.

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What is the CETA Program
and how can it assist
with addressing my
community's concerns?

EPA's CETA Program, through contractor
support, can assist your community
by supporting opportunities for
community engagement and technical
assistance; facilitating transparent and
open communication; and providing
the information and tools to make
informed decisions. CETA also empowers
communities with environmental
justice concerns to make independent
judgements about environmental matters
that impact their lives.

July 2023 I EPA 530-F-23-006

What types of services
can CETA provide to my
community?

•	Assisting with coordination and support
for new and established community-
based organizations.

•	Providing translation or interpretation
services for documents and meetings.

•	Supporting community engagement
workshops.

•	Reviewing and interpretation of RCRA
decision documents.

•	Reviewing and interpreting scientific data
and other technical reports.

•	Providing information about basic
science, environmental policy, and
related resources.

•	Assisting communities with
understanding health risks and impacts.

•	Developing a social media presence
to assist with creating plain language
messages and amplifying community
voices.

•	Identifying existing studies relevant to
community concerns.

A community town
hall discussion.

Establishing a list of interested parties and
contacts based on a particular issue.

Helping the community engage in the
planning and implementation process.

Enhancing community and interested
party involvement.

Preparing outreach materials (e.g., fact
sheets, brochures, newsletters, and
reports).

Presenting educational programs on RCRA
issues (e.g., safety and sustainability for
individuals and families at home and in the
community).

Developing and delivering virtual
presentation slides that include research
and documentation on RCRA issues to
support community meetings.

Supporting community meetings by
providing subject matter experts to speak
on topics identified by the community or
by providing meeting facilitation.

Assisting with gathering community input
to ensure all questions/concerns are
identified so that community leaders can
seek answers and share information.

EPA's "Journey
to Justice" tour in
Houston, Texas.

Who is eligible for
assistance through
CETA?

•	Community-based organizations.

•	Partnerships of community-based
organizations.

•	Faith-based organizations.

•	Tribes or tribal organizations.

•	Community representatives,
including local officials.

•	Concerned residents.

•	EPA regional offices (on behalf of
communities).

•	State organizations (on behalf of
communities).

How can my community
request assistance?

Eligible entities can request assistance
by completing and submitting the CETA
Assistance Request Form: www.epa.gov/
rc ra/f o r ms/ceta-p rogr am.

Technical support capacity and
resources are limited, so the CETA
program may not be able to fulfill all
assistance requests. EPA will prioritize
disadvantaged and historically excluded
communities. In cases that are beyond
the scope or capacity of CETA, the
program will attempt to redirect the
request to other appropriate assistance
vehicles.

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