Going Door to Door * i i J i J X. t Going Door to Door Description There are times when community involvement coordinators (CICs) may need to go door to door to convey or obtain information from community members. CICs may go door to door to inform residents about a nearby cleanup, distribute infor- mation, obtain access agreements to sample indoor- air quality or collect drinking water or soil samples from their properties, or to conduct informal community interviews to better understand the community's point of view on the site. CICs may also visit commercial and business properties so they are aware of site-related issues that may affect their business operations. Required Activity No. There are no community involvement require- ments specific to going door to door to convey or obtain information from community members. However, when you need to ensure that information gets to community members in a timely manner or you need to obtain information from community members, it may be advantageous to go door to door. Making It Work First, determine if going door to door is the best approach to meet your objectives. Why do you want to visit with members of the community? What are you trying to achieve? Is a door to door visit the best way to gather or convey information for this purpose? Does it make more sense to disseminate information in another way or to pre- schedule interviews with members of the commu- nity? Going door to door in a neighborhood may be effective when you: ¦ have a simple message that can be conveyed quickly ¦ want to informally gather a small amount of non- sensitive and non-controversial information ¦ need to disseminate information personally and quickly to residents of a small area or neighbor- hood ¦ want to introduce yourself or the Site Team to members of the community Going door to door may be less effective when you have complex information to convey or you need to spend more than a few minutes with each resident. If it is critical to reach every household personally or to talk with a specific member of each house- hold, it may be more appropriate to schedule more formal visits. Before heading out into the neighborhood to knock on doors, you need to do some homework: ¦ Consider working with community groups that are already engaged with the community over environmental issues or the specific site. ¦ Consider whether you should advise local officials about your plans to go door to door in a neighborhood. In some municipalities you may want to talk to the mayor and/or city manager. Other places you might want to talk to county board members, commissioners or ward chairs. ¦ Talk to the police department and/or fire depart- ment. They likely will be able to give you safety guidelines. The police department also might send an occasional patrol car to the area to check on your safety. Advance consultation can help protect you, and save you embarrassing encounters with public officials. ¦ Ideally, it is better to work during late afternoon and the non-dinner-hour portion of the evening when residents are more likely to be home. Be courteous of observed dinner times in the neighborhood. ¦ Decide what you want to say and how you want to say it. Prepare necessary information and handouts. Map a route and learn as much as possible about the people you are planning to visit. ¦ Work with your existing community contacts ahead of time to learn as much as you can about the neighborhood and the residents you plan to visit. Determine whether you are likely to need — 1 ------- 1 V i J V V* l i V V I Going Door to Door an interpreter to talk with residents with limited English proficiency. You also might want to walk or drive the route in advance so you are aware of any safety issues (e.g., aggressive dogs) before heading out to talk to the community. ¦ Let people know in advance of your plans to visit them, if possible, and your reasons for doing so. You can announce your visit in a press release, on a website, on a postcard mailed to the house, or through other means, such as through neigh- borhood organizations or churches. ¦ If the community has a group mailing list or uses a listserv to communicate with community members, you may want to ask the listserv moderator to post a message on your behalf notifying members of your plans to go door to door, and your reasons for doing so. You can encourage residents to let other neighbors know that EPA will be visiting using their own means, such as word of mouth, through texting, or via Facebook or other social media. When to Use Going door to door may be appropriate when you want to: ¦ Introduce yourself or members of the site team to residents. ¦ Invite residents to an event and explain why it is important to attend. ¦ Provide information about the site and upcoming activities. ¦ Inform residents and commercial and business owners about site activities, such as the installa- tion of wells or other infrastructure related to the construction of a remedy, that could disturb the neighborhood. ¦ Obtain access agreements to homes. ¦ Reach out to hard-to-reach members of the community. ¦ Gather information about community needs, expectations, or concerns. However, be mindful of Paperwork Reduction Act limitations on collecting information or conducting surveys. How to Use Be aware that people can be suspicious or even fearful of people who approach their homes uninvited or unannounced. They also may be reluctant to answer the door because they do not want to be subject to a sales pitch or recruited to a cause. Keep in mind that you are interrupting whatever they are doing at the time, so you must be able to put them at ease in just a few seconds. Be sure to carry your business card and display your photo EPA ID so you can identify yourself when going door to door. You can give them a handout that easily explains the purpose of your visit. You also can refer people to a website for additional information or provide a handout with a Quick Response (QR) code that the person you are visiting can scan with a mobile device to view an EPA webpage to verify your visit is legitimate. Visiting each household in teams of two can be particularly effective. This can provide a sense of security for you, especially if you are invited inside. Sometimes a team may want to split up to expedite the work. Under such circumstances, the team should work the same street, perhaps on opposite sides. Try to keep as much visual contact with each other as possible and set scheduled times when you will meet. All team members should have each other's cell phone numbers. Your supervisor should be advised of your planned canvassing schedule and periodic check-in phone calls are recommended. Be pleasant when introducing yourself and inform residents—in the first sentence—who you are, why you are there, and how much of their time you are requesting. While many neighbors will have the whole conver- sation with you on their front porch, some neighbors may be more comfortable talking inside their homes. If they invite you in, and it seems reason- able and safe to do so, take them up on their offer. 2 II I ------- Going Door to Door * i 'i1 LJ V V "V i— Related Tools ¦ Community Interviews Tips ¦ Learn more about a community before going door to door, e.g., interpreter needs for commu- nity members who do not speak English, safety issues. ¦ Dress professionally but not too formally. Wearing a suit may make you less approachable and may make neighbors wary. Consider wearing a jacket or polo shirt with the EPA logo to make yourself more identifiable. ¦ Whistle before entering a yard with a fence to determine whether a dog is present. If a dog is present, determine whether it will be safe to enter the gate. ¦ Do not enter yards if signs such as "no trespass- ing" or "dog on guard" are posted. ¦ Be friendly, introduce yourself, and shake hands, if appropriate. Be respectful of the person's time and make each visit short. ¦ Prepare a fact sheet or other handout with basic information or Frequently Asked Questions to distribute to the residents during your visits. If non-English languages are spoken in the neigh- borhood, consider having this translated and leave both English and translated versions when you are in doubt. If nobody answers the door, leave the handout in the door, or rubber-banded to the doorknob. Do not leave things in the mailbox. ¦ Document as much as you can, including phone numbers and email addresses of residents, so you can follow up with any additional questions you may have. ¦ Persistence pays off. Keep returning if you must speak to a spouse, parent, or property owner. Try to obtain owner contact information if the owner is absent, then call the owner and make arrange- ments to visit them. ¦ If you are seeking authorization or signatures from the property owner, offer to leave a copy of your information and signature forms with them and leave a postage paid envelope so they can mail it to you. ¦ Take clipboards and pens with you so you can more easily obtain signatures, if that is your reason for going door to door. ¦ Consider working with a local fire department or elected official who can make robocalls to community members to inform them in advance about your visit. Attachments Attachment 1: Example of a Desk Statement Explaining When and Why EPA Plans to Visit Residents Attachment 2: Example of an E-mail Message Explaining When and Why EPA Plans to Visit Residents Attachment 3: Example of a Robocall Statement Attachment 4: Example of a Fact Sheet for a Door to Door Visit Attachment 5: Example of a "Sorry we missed you!" Flyer — 3 I ------- Going Door to Door ATTACHMENT 1: Example of a Desk Statement Explaining When and Why EPA Plans to Visit Residents DESK STATEMENT - Blue Ridge Plating Removal Action in Arden, NC Contractors for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified a small, 1-gallon container of suspected perchloric acid while removing hazardous materials at the Blue Ridge Plating Site in Arden, N.C., on Dec. 9. Under some circumstances it may act as an oxidizer and present an explosion hazard. EPA notified the Asheville Fire Department and the Asheville Bomb Squad, and met with city officials on Dec. 10 to develop a strategy to safely deal with the situation. On Sunday, the Asheville Bomb Squad will send a robot into the laboratory where the perchloric acid container is stored to prepare it for removal and neutralization. EPA will conduct air monitoring throughout to ensure the safety of the surrounding community. On Saturday, EPA and the Asheville Fire Department will notify residents and businesses within a quarter mile radius of the planned activities. More information about EPA's cleanup at the Blue Ridge Plating Site: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/ admpress.nsf/2ac652c59703a4738525735900400c2c/faa6fd77465d39ce85257dal006659c9!QpenDocument L ------- ATTACHMENT 2: Example of an E-mail Message Explaining When and Why EPA Plans to Visit Residents Subject: Donna Reservoir NPL Site In 1993, it was discovered that fish from the Donna Reservoir and Canal System (Donna, Texas) were contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs were once used in electrical equipment and for other industrial purposes until 1977. PCBs, which are colorless and odorless, could cause harm to humans and wildlife. Because eating fish that contain high levels of PCBs may affect human health, in 1994 DSHS declared it illegal to possess any fish that come from the Donna Reservoir and Canal System. It has been brought to the attention of the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) that fishermen continue to catch and keep fish from the Donna Reservoir and Canal System. In addition, DSHS has been informed that these fishermen may be selling the contaminated fish to local restaurants. Personnel from DSHS, working with staff from the local health departments, will be visiting with restau- rant managers/owners in the Donna & Alamo area June 3rd - 5th. We will be informing the restaurants that both state and federal law prohibits the purchasing of food (fish) from an unapproved source. Attached is the information that we will be providing (in English & Spanish). Please forward this informa- tion as needed. If you have any questions please contact me. ------- 1 i1 I J 1 V* I i i V Going Door to Door ATTACHMENT 3: Example of a Robocall Statement During a time-critical removal at the Blue Ridge plating facility, a container labeled perchloric acid was found. This chemical can become shock sensitive. To be protective, EPA plans to stabilize the contents of the container on site Sunday morning with the assistance of the Asheville Fire Department. EPA will conduct air monitoring throughout to ensure the safety of the surrounding community. If you have any questions please call Angela Miller at xxx-xxx-xxxx. 6 II I ------- ATTACHMENT 4: Example of a Fact Sheet for a Door to Door Visit FACT SHEET U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Blue Ridge Plating - Removal Action Arden, Buncombe County, North Carolina No. 1 December 2014 ^tDSrX PRO"^ This Site information sheet summarizes the history of the Site, present Site status, and future activities planned for the Site. Contact Information Angela R. Miller EPA Community Involvement Coordinator (xxx) xxx-xxxx Ken Rhame EPA Federal On-Scene Coordinator (xxx) xxx-xxxx SITE HISTORY The Blue Ridge Plating Site is a former plating facility that used black oxide, cadmium, chromium, copper, cyanide, tin and zinc in electroplating processes. The facility operated from 1974 to 2014. The Site was added to the Superfund National Priorities List in September 2005, and was cleaned up by EPA in 2007. The cleanup involved removing approximately 8,700 cubic yards of contaminated soil. EPA continues to periodically monitor the groundwater. At the time of the cleanup, the facility was still operating and the former process building was not included. After operations ceased, an inspection of the facility identified leaking and unlabeled containers that still remained in the building. The building is in disrepair and has been declared unsafe by the City of Asheville. REMOVAL ACTION EPA is conducting a time-critical removal at the former processing building. During a Site visit, EPA observed structural damage to the roof and walls, which could permit hazardous substance releases. While characterizing some materials in the building, a container labeled perchloric acid was found. This chemical can become shock sensitive and could possibly be a danger. To be protective, EPA plans to stabilize the contents of the container on site Sunday morning approximately 9am with the assistance of the Asheville Fire Department and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). EPA will conduct air monitoring throughout to ensure the safety of the surrounding community. Once the chemical is stabilized, EPA will continue to conduct additional sampling as needed in order to characterize materials for disposal or recycle; repackage containers, as needed, to safely and properly ship materials off-site; assess the building for asbestos and remove it if found prior to demolishing the building, then will transport and dispose of construction debris. Removal activities are anticipated to be completed by the end of January 2015. ------- Going Door to Door ATTACHMENT 5: Example of a "Sorry we missed you!" Flyer P*^TEXAS rJ\ Department of State Health Services We are sorry we missed you. Staff from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) are in your neighborhood July 10-12 to talk with the residents of the Circle Court area. The purpose is to inform residents that trichloroethene (TCE) has been identified in the local groundwater. Part of the DSHS site assessment is to gather residential information as well as any concerns there may be related to the contamination. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed the Circle Court area as a Superfund Site because of the groundwater contamination. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) collected water samples from the public water supply system and residential homes. In these samples it was discovered that TCE levels exceeded the EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) for public drinking water systems. If you would be willing to visit with us, either in person or by telephone, please call (XXX)XXX-XXXX during July 10-12, 2012. We will check messages throughout the day and will return your call as soon as possible. Please let us know the best time to contact you as well as a phone number where you can be reached. Texas Department of State Health Services Health Assessment and Toxicology Group, MC 1964 PO Box 149347, Austin, Texas 78714-9347 1 -800-XXX-XXXX 8 II ------- |