Community Interviews



Community Interviews

Description

Community Interviews are conducted to gather
information for a Community Involvement Plan
(CIP) or for a Technical Assistance Needs
Assessment (TANA). These interviews are a way
to meet with community members and learn about
their site-related needs, concerns, and expectations,
as well as how the community gets information and
prefers to receive site-related information from
EPA. Community interviews also can provide a
valuable opportunity for the Site Team to explore
community concerns in depth and build positive
relationships with members of the community.

NCP Provisions

The NCP addresses community interviews as part
of the process of preparing a Community Involve-
ment Plan. Community interviews generally should
be conducted whenever a CIP is prepared or
revised.

As stated in the NCP at 40 CFR § 300.430
(c)(2)(ii)(A): to "Ensure the public appropriate
opportunities for involvement in a wide variety of
site-related decisions, including site analysis and
characterization, alternatives analysis, and selection
of remedy; and [B] Determine, based on commu-
nity interviews, appropriate activities to ensure such
public involvement..."

Consistent with the NCP [40 CFR §
300.430(c)(2)(i); 300.415(n)(3)(i); and
300.415(n)(4)(i)], the Agency conducts "community
interviews with local officials, community residents,
public interest groups, or other interested or af-
fected parties, as appropriate, to solicit their con-
cerns and information needs, and to learn how and
when citizens would like to be involved in the
Superfund process." The CIP should be in place
before remedial investigation field activities start,
"to the extent practicable" (40 CFR §300.430
(c)(2)).

As discussed in the NCP, EPA typically reviews the
CIP prior to initiating the remedial design "to

determine whether it should be revised to describe
further public involvement activities during Reme-
dial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA) that are not
already addressed or provided for" in the CIP (40
CFR §300.435 (c)(1)).

For removal actions lasting 120 days or more, the
NCP specifies that the lead agency must conduct
interviews and prepare a CIP "by the end of the
120-day period" (40 CFR § 300.415(n)(3)(i)
and(ii)). For removal actions with a planning period
of at least six months, the NCP requires the lead
agency to conduct community interviews and
prepare a CIP prior to completion of the Engineer-
ing Evaluation and Cost Analysis (EE/CA) (40 CFR
§ 300.415(n)(4)(i)). Formal community interviews
generally are not required for removal actions that
do not require CIPs; i.e., those that will last less
than 120 days or require less than six months to
plan.

In addition, EPA's Comprehensive Five-Year
Review Guidance recommends that "you may also
wish to interview several community members... to
get their views about current site conditions,
problems or related concerns" during the five-year
review process. This is in addition to notifying the
community that the five-year review will be con-
ducted or has been completed and providing the
results of the review to the local site repository.

Community interviews are equally important at
potentially responsible party (PRP)-funded sites,
federal facilities, and sites using the Superfund
Alternative Approach (SAA).

Making It Work
Why

Community interviews often are the single most
important element of preparing a CIP. Conducting
community interviews is a particularly effective
way to gather information about community needs,
questions, and concerns, as well as expectations
and unique needs or cultural behaviors, customs,

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Community Interviews

and values. Often issues emerge during the inter-
views that some citizens would hesitate to share
during a public meeting or an availability session. In
addition, the interviews normally provide for more
depth and follow-up questions than usually is possible
through those other means. The information and
insights gained through community interviews help
enable EPA to develop a highly responsive CIP,
assess the potential need for technical assistance
(See Technical Assistance for Communities tool),
and determine whether a TANA should be conducted.
Community interviews also provide an opportunity
for the Site Team to encourage the community's
participation.

When

For remedial actions, community interviews usually
take place when the release and affected areas
(a.k.a., "the site") is formally listed on the National
Priorities List (NPL), but it can be useful to conduct
interviews sooner. Community interviews can
provide information, such as patterns and practices
of chemical usage at the facility, illegal disposal
practices, and unique exposure pathways that the
Site Team can use when developing the RI/FS
work plan.

If the Site Team thinks that site issues are such that
the community may need more EPA attention,
consider conducting the interviews and other
community involvement activities even before the
site is listed on the NPL. This should help give EPA
early insight into community needs, concerns, and
expectations, and can help EPA make better
decisions and take actions that protect those commu-
nities that are near potential hazardous waste sites.
While there is no specific statutory or regulatory
requirement for community involvement activities
before a site is listed on the NPL, early community
involvement usually is an important component of
establishing a mutually beneficial and respectful
relationship between EPA and the community.

For removal actions, community interviews should
be conducted as soon as it becomes clear that the
removal action will last more than 120 days or that
removal planning will take longer than six months.
In both cases, the interviews typically are done to
complete the CIP.

Community interviews also are often an important
part of the TANA process. Community interviews

contain a few preliminary questions that may
suggest a potential need for additional technical
assistance in the community. (See Attachment 3:
Community Interviews—Recommended Ques-
tions for Assessing Community Technical
Assistance Needs.) If the preliminary questions in
the community interviews suggest the need to
conduct a TANA, you may wish to conduct the
TANA interviews concurrently with a smaller
number of individuals who can help define the
community's specific technical assistance needs.
If this is not possible, the TANA may be con-
ducted at a later time.

It is recommended that a new round of community
interviews be conducted whenever the CIP is
revised, and in conjunction with the five-year
review process.

How

The Community Involvement Coordinator (CIC)
should start by meeting with the Remedial Project
Manager (RPM) or On-Scene Coordinator (OSC).
He or she can tell you about site issues, help
identify potential interviewees, and provide informa-
tion about the community surrounding the site.

Other members of the Site Team—the risk asses-
sor; the enforcement case team; EPA contractor;
state, tribal, or local agency staff; or others—may
want you to find specific information during the
interviews, such as little-known practices that could
have contributed to site conditions or practices that
could be relevant when identifying potential expo-
sure scenarios.

Community interviews often are among the first
opportunities for EPA to engage one-on-one with
community members. The site's RPM or OSC
should play a role. When RPMs and OSCs attend
community interviews, they can better understand
the community, learn things about the community
that cannot be learned from written records,
discover issues and uncover misunderstandings that
can then be corrected, and explore issues with
community members by following up an
interviewee's answers with more detailed ques-
tions. Often community stakeholders have impor-
tant information to provide in characterizing the site,
developing cleanup solutions, and understanding the
community's thoughts regarding the reasonably
anticipated future land use at the site. In addition,
one-on-one discussions can help build community

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Community Interviews

trust and confidence, and allow community mem-
bers to see the members of the Site Team as
people, not federal bureaucrats. Some RPMs and
OSCs conclude each interview with a short site
update providing information about the site and
EPA's work. This interaction also is an opportunity
to personally inform community members about
their opportunities to be involved throughout the site
investigation and cleanup process.

CICs often are supported by EPA contractors who
assist with some portions of the community inter-
views. Use your contractor support wisely. The
contractor generally conducts the logistics, including
scheduling the interviews with community mem-
bers, preparing directions for the interview team,
taking notes or recording the actual interviews, and
writing up notes summarizing each individual
interview.

We encourage you to follow these recommended
steps to plan for, conduct, and glean useful informa-
tion and insights from community interviews:

Define the community and the geographical
area of concern.

Before conducting community interviews, it is
helpful to gather and analyze demographic informa-
tion in order to prepare a draft Community Profile.
This should help you understand the characteristics
of the community of concern and identify potential
cultural, socioeconomic, and non-English-speaking
subgroups within the population. The research
conducted for the community profile also can help
identify potential issues, sensitivities, and special
considerations to keep in mind when scheduling and
conducting community interviews. The community
profile is a working document that evolves through-
out the interview process and should be finalized
only after completing the community interviews.

We recommend you define "the community" by
determining the boundaries of the area in which
residents may feel that they are affected by the
site. This may include residents who live or work
within a certain distance of the site, but it also could
include others. Consider whether there are groups of
people who live further from the site who may have
an interest in, or be affected by, the site and its
cleanup (for example, parents of children in a
daycare center near the site, but who live beyond the
boundaries of the geographical "area of concern").

Define objectives for interviews: What do you
want to learn from the interviews?

Together with the RPM or OSC and other members
of the Site Team, you should define the objectives
for your community interviews—what information
are you seeking about the community? (Use
Attachment 1: Determining Interview Objectives
and Drafting Questions.)

Generally, community interviews are conducted to
learn about community needs, concerns, and
expectations. Key issues to learn about include site-
related perceptions, beliefs, and experiences of
community members; how community members
would like to receive site-related information from
EPA (i.e., via email, a website, a newsletter, etc.)
and be included in the decision-making process; and
whether there are perceived barriers to effective
participation, such as past experiences of mistrust
or any unique concerns. Interview objectives also
should include gaining a better understanding of
how people share information in the community,
who they trust, and how they work together. Ask
questions that will help you better understand who
participates in community life and the most important
formal and informal meeting places in the community
where people tend to gather or have informal
exchanges (at a church, a weekly farmers" market,
or local coffee shop, for example). With this informa-
tion, you can better target community outreach and
information dissemination and education.

We recommend you include questions that will help
identify the key leaders (not just government
officials) and groups that are active in the commu-
nity. This information can enable you to work
through existing social networks. Generally, it is
useful to identify in advance the people you should
interview, and to include a question asking each
interviewee to help identify other groups or individu-
als whom you may have missed.

Community interviews should include questions that
allow you to assess whether additional technical
assistance may be appropriate. (See Attachment 3:
Community Interviews—Recommended Questions
for Assessing Community Technical Assistance
Needs) If you think additional technical assistance
may be appropriate, the TANA should be conducted
concurrently whenever possible. This should allow
EPA to explore the types of technical assistance
resources that might be consistent with the

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community's needs, evaluate the most appropriate
vehicles for providing technical assistance, and
identify existing groups in the community that may
be able to manage a Technical Assistance Grant
(TAG) or a Technical Assistance Plan (TAP),
coordinate Technical Assistance Services for
Communities (TASC), or work with universities or
non-profit organizations that may provide this
assistance voluntarily.

Attachment 3 provides a recommended two-part
process for assessing technical assistance options
during community interviews. Part 1 of Attachment
3 provides recommended questions and provides
guidance for determining whether Part 2 of the
process, the formal TANA, may be appropriate. (If
so, please consult the Technical Assistance Needs
Assessment tool for the TANA questionnaire and
for further information about completing the TANA
process. Note that the questions included in the
formal TANA will be asked of some, but not all
people with whom community interviews are
conducted.)

If the community's technical assistance needs
cannot be adequately articulated or defined at the
time that community interviews are conducted, the
TANA can be conducted at a later date.

In general, objectives for community interviews
include the following:

¦	Identify community members to be interviewed.

¦	Define the issues, questions, and concerns most
important to community members.

¦	Explore community perceptions or opinions on
specific issues or site concerns that the Site
Team wants to better understand.

¦	Identify the past uses, practices, or other history
about the site that could help inform any of the
various aspects of the cleanup, such as the site
investigation and risk assessment.

¦	Identify potential environmental justice issues, such
as unique exposure scenarios, the potential for
unequal access to the decision-making process, or a
perceived or real disproportionate burden of
exposure or environmental health effects along
the lines of race, national origin, or income.

¦	Identify additional stakeholders in the community
to include, such as individuals and groups that
may be marginalized, under-represented, or not
represented at all due to social, economic, or
cultural factors.

¦	Identify the most important communications
outlets (newspapers, websites, blogs, newslet-
ters, etc.) that are most frequently used by
community members.

¦	Learn about additional official or unofficial
community leaders and organizations that
people already know and trust and who should
be involved in community involvement efforts at
the site.

¦	Determine the ways community members would
like to receive news or information about site
issues.

¦	Identify the places in the community, regular
events, or situations in which community mem-
bers often gather.

¦	Explore whether there may be unmet needs for
technical assistance and whether a formal
TANA should be conducted concurrently with
the community interviews or at a later time

OSWER Directive #9230.0-20, Innovative Meth-
ods to Increase Public Involvement in Superfimd
Community Relations (November 1990), recom-
mends conducting interviews with at least 15-25
persons for a CIP, depending on the complexity of
the site and the level of citizen interest. The Direc-
tive states that, "Increasing the number of inter-
views with citizens is one of the most effective
methods to enhance citizen participation/'

The actual number of interviews normally depends
on many factors, including the size, complexity, and
the stage of the cleanup process; the number and
diversity of affected residents and community
groups; the level of community interest; and the
potential contentiousness of issues regarding the
site. Fewer interviews may be sufficient in a very
small community, where the level of interest is low,
or where few residents will be affected by the site.
On the other hand, if the Site Team believes that
the site is likely to require more extensive commu-
nity involvement, we recommend you plan to
significantly expand interviewing efforts. In some
cases, EPA has conducted dozens or even hundreds
of interviews to reflect both the complexity and the
level of citizen interest at a site. Although this may
require substantial labor and resources at the onset
of the community involvement process, it helps
ensure that EPA identifies and focuses attention on
the issues that are most important to the community
and ensure protectiveness of human health.

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Community Interviews

We recommend you begin identifying the various
stakeholder groups in the community, then the
specific organizations and individuals who should be
represented in your interviews. (Use Attachment 2:
Recommended Guide to Identifying People to
Interview, as a worksheet to help identify stake-
holders, community groups, and individuals for
community interviews, and to help you think about
the questions you should ask them.)

Conversations should not be limited to the most
visible or vocal groups of individuals. In addition,
special efforts should be made to interview resi-
dents who are not affiliated with any group, and to
include all stakeholders in the community. We
recommend interviewing a broad range of people in
order to gain the greatest variety of perspectives
about the site, including PRPs, if appropriate.

Conducting community interviews should be an
interactive and dynamic process. The list of people to
interview and guiding questions typically continue to
evolve as interviews are conducted. To start, we
recommend using information and insights gleaned
from initial interviews with local officials and key
citizens and perhaps an availability session or public
forum to help identify potential site issues. We
recommend you ask everyone you interview if other
relevant stakeholders should have been identified,
particularly those that may have been overlooked or
are under-represented at public meetings or other
site events and may not participate in the most active
community organizations. This information can then
be used to help identify others who may not have
been identified initially for interviews. This process
may mean building time into the schedule for an
additional round of community interviews.

For enforcement actions, the CIC should work with
technical and legal staff to become informed of any
enforcement action information that should not be
discussed during community interviews (e.g., where
there is sensitivity to pending litigation).

Determine how interviews will be conducted.

We recommend you plan in advance how inter-
views will be conducted, including who will ask the
questions, how notes will be taken, and who should
be present for the interviews. Community inter-
views generally should be conducted by EPA staff,
preferably by the CIC, accompanied by the RPM
or OSC. We recommend that you keep the group of

EPA interviewers small so as not to be intimidating,
especially when conducting individual interviews in
people's homes.

Community interviews generally work best when
conducted with an individual or with members of
the immediate household. If others come, ask if you
can schedule a time just for them. EPA's experi-
ence is that people talk more freely and completely
when they are alone. Groups tend to self-censor or
conform to previous answers. Interviews with
groups of people can be dominated by one or more
vocal participants, and some participants may defer
to others who they believe to be more powerful or
knowledgeable. You may wish to conduct one or
more group interviews or focus groups in conjunc-
tion with individual interviews, but these are not a
substitute for individual interviews.

While it may be appropriate to conduct some
interviews by telephone depending on site-specific
circumstances (e.g., remote location of some of the
interviewees), telephone interviews normally are
not as effective as interviews conducted face-to-
face. Telephone interviews can be less personal
and normally do not provide the same opportunity
for getting to know and forming relationships with
members of the community.

Contact interviewees and schedule interviews.

We recommend you let the community know EPA
will be conducting interviews before you start
calling individuals to schedule the interviews. It
normally is helpful to issue a press release or
include an announcement in the site fact sheet that
is distributed to the community. This way, it is more
likely community members already will know
interviews are being conducted when you or your
contractor start requesting interviews.

Depending on how many people will be inter-
viewed, we recommend you plan on at least
several days to complete the interviews. You should
schedule interviews at times that are convenient for
interviewees. This may mean scheduling interviews
during early evening hours. You should indicate that
you would like to conduct the interview at the
person's convenience and at a place of their
choosing. In addition, you should offer to come to
their home or wherever the interviewee feels most
comfortable.

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Community Interviews

We recommend you determine the dates that you
expect to be on-site, and call each person you plan
to interview about two to three weeks in advance to
arrange an appointment. Generally it is helpful to
explain the purpose of the interviews and what they
can expect (e.g., how long the interview should
take, how many people may be in the EPA delega-
tion, and that someone normally takes notes). Also,
you should assure confidentiality and explain that
the interviews are designed to help develop a CIP.
If there is reason to believe an interpreter may be
needed, you should ask the person being inter-
viewed if he/she would like to have an interpreter
present during the interview. We recommend you
provide a telephone number and email address the
interviewee can use to contact you if their plans
change. If you have contractor support, the con-
tractor can make these calls and maintain the
schedule. We recommend you confirm appoint-
ments a day or two in advance.

Normally, you should allow about an hour for each
interview, plus travel time. If you plan to conduct a
TANA at the same time, plan to schedule additional
time for the interview. If possible, we recommend
you leave some open time in the schedule for
additional interviews with people identified by
others during the interview process, but who were
not on the initial list of interviewees.

Prepare an interview protocol and prepare for
interviews.

An interview protocol can help guide the entire
interview, but normally should not be read verbatim.
We recommend you outline a set of guiding inter-
view questions that includes prompts or bulleted
reminders to help you remember to cover all key
points. We recommend you start off by introducing
yourself and others present and explaining the
purpose of the interview. In addition, you should
include a prompt in the protocol with other introduc-
tory information and reminders at the end of the
interview to tell each interviewee how information
from the interview likely will be used and where to
find more information about the site.

We recommend you draft a list of guiding questions
that address the specific interview objectives
outlined earlier. You should avoid questions that
elicit multiple-choice, yes/no, or short answers.
Generally, it is helpful to include a few such ques-
tions in the interview protocol, but whenever

possible, it can be more effective to ask open-ended
questions that invite the interviewee to talk or
explain a response. Asking positive, thoughtful, and
well-crafted questions can stimulate constructive
conversations that travel beyond the interview. The
usefulness of the information we gather during the
community interviews and how it can shape the
CIP and future actions taken at a site often depends
on the quality of the interview questions. We
recommend you strive to ask questions that surface
underlying assumptions, stimulate reflective conver-
sation, and evoke more questions. Using "why,"
"how," and "what" in your questions often encour-
ages reflective thinking and can promote an en-
gaged conversation. We recommend you try to ask
compelling questions that lead to thinking about
possibilities.

You may wish to group your questions by topic, at
least at first. (Use column 2 of Attachment 1:
Determining Interview Objectives and Drafting
Questions, as a worksheet for drafting questions to
address the interview objectives that were defined
in column 1.) The order of the questions can be
rearranged depending on how a conversation might
flow.You may wish to include the questions outlined
in Attachment 3: Community Interviews—Recom-
mended Questions for Assessing Community
Technical Assistance Needs as part of your
protocol.

Typically there are appropriate variations in the
questions. Generally, the goal is to engage the
interviewee in a conversation (not to conduct a
survey). Some questions may not be relevant for all
interviewees, particularly elected officials and
government staff. (We recommend you consider
using column 3 of Attachment 1: Determining
Interview Objectives and Drafting Questions as
a tool to identify which questions may be appropri-
ate to ask of interviewees.) During the interview,
we recommend you use the guiding questions in the
interview protocol as a way to engage the inter-
viewee, listen closely to responses, and then pursue
lines of questioning that flow from earlier re-
sponses.

It may be a good idea to ask a group of questions
about the community first—questions that ask the
interviewee to talk about familiar things—such as
how long he or she has been a resident in the
community. This should allow time for the inter-

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viewee to feel comfortable and for a rapport to
develop. Usually, it is more effective to ask sensi-
tive or controversial questions about the site, site-
related issues, and perceptions of EPA, the PRP, or
other more sensitive subjects in the middle of the
interview. Consider ending the interview with
positive, future-oriented questions: In xx years, how
do you envision the site? How can EPA maintain an
open, transparent relationship with the community?

It is a good idea to test the interview protocol. Even
seasoned CICs can learn by practicing the inter-
view with colleagues. Doing so should help you
identify unclear questions, rearrange the order of
questions, and practice active listening skills.

Conduct interviews.

Be on time, be courteous, and dress profession-
ally. You should arrive on time for the interview.
Normally, it is good practice to introduce yourself
and everyone who has accompanied you; tell the
interviewee why you are in the community; esti-
mate about how long you expect the interview to
take; and thank the interviewee for taking the time
to participate. We recommend you reassure the
interviewees that they need not be knowledgeable
about the site or site issues and that there are no
wrong answers. You should reiterate EPA's interest
in hearing his or her views and the Agency's
commitment to involving the community in the
decisions that affect them. We also recommend you
explain how you plan to use the information from
this and other interviews. Strive to be respectful of
community standards in your dress. Extremes in
dressing (e.g., expensive suits or overly informal
clothing) generally are not recommended.

Assure confidentiality. Many residents fear
retribution for talking with EPA. Reassure
interviewees that their privacy will be protected.
Explain that the information they provide will be
captured by a notetaker and may be included in a
summary in the CIP, but the information will not be
attributed to any individual, nor will their name or
identity be made public. (However, local officials or
PRP representatives who are interviewed in their
official capacity may be identified in the list of
contacts.)

It is not recommended that you record the inter-
view, but if you do wish to record the interview, ask

for permission first. Some people may find an audio
recording device intimidating and they may be less
candid or more nervous about speaking frankly. If
you use a recording device, assure the interviewee
that the recording will be used to ensure accuracy
of your notes, but for no other reason.

Actively listen. All cell phones and Blackberries
should be turned off. Complement the attitude of
your interviewee. Maintain eye contact, if appropri-
ate to the cultural norm of the interviewee, and try
to maintain open and friendly body language, no
matter what is said or occurs during the interview.
Other members of the team who have accompa-
nied you also should be mindful of appearing
attentive and engaged in the interview, even if they
are saying very little. Sitting back, slumping, texting,
or folding arms across your chest all can convey
lack of interest or a closed mind. Restating the
answer helps to ensure that you heard it correctly
and demonstrates to the interviewee that he or she
has been truly heard and understood.

Listening intently allows for follow up with clarify-
ing questions and for further discussion of issues or
topics of interest. Be flexible; interviews are fluid
and often change direction. Know what information
is needed, but be prepared to respond to other
issues or concerns that may arise during the
interview. Be willing to move around the interview
questions based upon responses.

Remain impartial and never become defensive.
Remember that you are there to listen—not to
justify, defend, or explain the Agency's actions or
positions. The goal is to gather information about
the community. Resist the temptation to justify or
explain the Agency's actions or positions, or to
correct misconceptions. Correcting can appear
defensive and can negatively impact the interview.
You will get a much more accurate picture of what
the community thinks if you refrain from defending
EPA or responding to criticism during the inter-
views. Corrections, if needed, can be made during
the site update briefing (see below) that is recom-
mended after the interview has been completed.

Consider ending interviews by having the site's
RPM or OSC give a short site update briefing to
the interviewee. This allows the RPM to fill in gaps
in historical knowledge; bring interviewees up-to-
date on site issues, activities, and plans; answer

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questions; and address any risk or hazard-related
material that might be appropriate. It is an excellent
opportunity for the RPM or OSC to provide infor-
mation and make himself or herself available to
each interviewee to answer questions directly. The
briefing should come only after the interview has
ended, after the interviewee has had an opportunity
to express views freely.

For enforcement actions, remember that members
of the Site Team are not investigators of PRP
actions at the site. If this type of information is
volunteered during interviews, the CIC should
advise the resident that the information will be
passed on to the RPM/OSC and other appropriate
EPA officials. If warranted, civil investigators may
follow-up on this information.

Immediately after the interviews, send a
thank-you note to each interviewee and
summarize notes from each interview.

After each interview, review what you heard with
those who accompanied you. Did you hear the
same things? Did you get the same impressions?
Do this as soon as possible, but certainly not while
standing outside the interviewee's house. Quickly
follow-up by phone for any additional information or
clarification that might be needed, or to provide any
information that was promised to the interviewee. It
also is a good idea to send a thank-you note
promptly to everyone who was interviewed.

Summarize notes from each interview as soon as
possible, when memories are fresh and notes are
easier to transcribe. Use this information to prepare
a general summary of community interviews.

Make appropriate changes to the process as you go
along. Use information and insights from earlier
interviews to refine interview protocols to explore
emerging patterns or issues in subsequent inter-
views. Expand the list of interviewees based on the
advice provided by the people you talk to.

Identify key community needs, concerns,
expectations, and communications prefer-
ences derived from community interviews.

After all of the interviews are conducted, meet with
the RPM or OSC and the contractor, if appropriate,
to discuss what was learned and the overall "feel"

of the interviews. The CIC is responsible for
preparing a summary of all the interviews. Use the
summarized notes from individual interviews to
prepare a general summary of the community
interviews. This general summary of community
interviews typically is the basis for the "Community
Needs and Concerns" section of the CIP.

Generally, when writing the summary of community
interviews, remember that the individual interviews
are protected from disclosure; therefore, they
should not be released. The summary may include
quotes from community interviews, but
interviewees should not be identified. Names,
addresses, or phone numbers of private citizens
obtained during the community interviews process
should not be released or appear in any public
document, nor should information be included that
will allow others to deduce the identity of any
individual. Generally, the list of the private-citizen
interviewees and the interview schedule also are
not to be released.

The summary and analysis of the information from
community interviews should be more qualitative
than quantitative—generally, in a narrative de-
scribing what was said rather than giving raw
numbers. It can be useful to show responses in a
table or other visual format. Since interviews
typically are not based on a scientific sample of
the population, responses generally should not be
considered statistically representative of the
community as a whole.

We recommend that the summary include informa-
tion about the number of interviews conducted,
when they were conducted and by whom, and how
interviewees were selected or how they represent
the stakeholder groups in the community. It also
should describe what was heard from community
members during the interviews, as well as what
may have been learned from community inter-
views—the themes and major concerns that may
have emerged. Were there things that were heard
over and over and common views or perceptions?
Were there differences in views, perceptions,
needs, or concerns expressed by people from
different perspectives, stakeholder groups, or
socioeconomic groups?

8

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Community Interviews

Tips

We recommend you consider conducting more
than 15-25 interviews when:

-	A site is complex.

-	A site is controversial.

-	The affected community is large.

-	There are many community groups or groups
with differing views.

We recommend you be sensitive to cross-cultural
issues (see Cultural Awareness tool). Seek to
understand the cultural and behavioral expecta-
tions of the community and the interviewee, and
modify your behavior accordingly, if necessary.
We recommend you consider and address
language needs by arranging in advance to bring
along an interpreter when interviewing people for
whom English is not their primary language, or a
sign language interpreter for the hearing-im-
paired.

Determine in advance whether an interpreter/
translator is needed. Even if the interviewee is
fairly comfortable speaking English, it sometimes
is useful to have an interpreter/translator avail-
able in case translation is needed at some point in
the conversation.

In many cases, it is useful to schedule the first
set of interviews with state and local officials to
obtain background information and to let these
counterparts know of your plans to interview
area residents. If you are aware that the com-
munity mistrusts local officials or if the local
government is a PRP. you may want to interview
community members first, and then follow-up
with local officials. It is important to ensure that
all stakeholders understand EPA's intent is to
listen to as many viewpoints from the community
as possible.

You may wish to conduct one or more group
interviews or focus groups in conjunction with
individual interviews. Keep in mind, however,
that group interviews have a different dynamic
and are not a substitute for individual interviews.
Interviews with groups of people can be domi-
nated by one or more vocal participants, and
some participants may self-censor or defer to
more powerful or knowledgeable speakers.

What can emerge is a picture of what the group
thinks rather than an accurate idea of what
individuals in the group think or feel.

When conducting community interviews, we
recommend you use a map of the site and its
surrounding areas to provide a visual reference
of areas of concern within the site and to help
interviewees understand the site's location in
relationship to them.

In the rare cases where there is strong mistrust
of EPA, it may be useful to ask a third-party
contractor to conduct community interviews. In
these cases, contractors should be accompanied
by EPA staff.

Another option for conducting community
interviews is to visit residents via door-to-door
engagement. This can be an effective method of
outreach for sites with a timely need for comple-
tion of the CIP, or at the time of the five-year
review. As with the method of scheduling
interviews by initial phone contact, door-to-door
"calling" as a first method of contact should be
conducted with the same sensitivity. A resident
should not receive a visit too early in the day or
too late in the evening. Consider sharing with
residents a fact sheet or meeting announcement
that contains the site repository location(s) and
site team representative contact information as
your "calling card." Introducing yourself as a
representative of the Agency who wants to relay
information about Superfund's short or long-term
presence in the community is the key message.
There are many ways to summarize what was
heard and what was learned from community
interviews in a clear and meaningful way. Many
CIPs summarize this information by organizing
the responses from community interviews in a
number of categories. Examples include:

-	The 2013 CIP for Tuba City Dump, which
discusses (1) Community Concerns about Clean
Up Duration, Drinking Water Well Contamina-
tion, Past Exposure to Smoke from the Dump,
Water Supply and Quality; and (2) Communica-
tions and Public Education Preferences. (See
http://yosemite.epa.gov/r9/sfund/r9sfdocw.nsiy
3dec8ba3252368428825742600743733/
2a32894331dfa3b88825771200761e61/$file/
tuba%20city%20cip%202_l 3 .pdf)

-	The 2009 CIP for the Hudson River PCBs
site, which discusses: (1) community concerns
about the process; and (2) community con-
cerns about the remedy. (See http://
www.epa. gov/hudson/cip .htm.)

— 9

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Community Interviews

10

Related Tools

¦	Community Involvement Plans	¦ Technical Assistance for Communities

¦	Community Profiles	¦ Technical Assistance Needs Assessment

¦	Cultural Awareness

Attach m en tsAttached Items
Within this Tool

- The 2009 CIP for the Iron King Mine/

Humbolt Smelter site summarizes commu-
nity concerns in several categories: (1)
Environmental Concerns; (2) Human Health
Concerns; (3) Superfund Cleanup Activity
Concerns; (4) Cleanup Costs and Financial
Impacts Concerns; (5) Communications and "
Public Education Concerns; and (6) Future
Site Use Concerns. (See http://
yosemite.epa.gov/r9/sfund/r9sfdocw.nsf/
3dc283e6c5d6056f88257426007417a2/
f77Hklc9d9362d7SS2576f8(X)78c62c!0|TcnDocmncnt) ¦

Attachment 1: Determining Interview Objectives

and Drafting Questions

Attachment 2: Guide to Identifying People to

Interview

Attachment 3: Community Interviews—Recom-
mended Questions for Assessing Community
Technical Assistance Needs
Attachment 4: Sample Scheduling Call
Attachment 5: Sample Confirming Letter

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Attachment 1: Determining Interview Objectives and Drafting
Questions

You should consider using the recommendations in this tool to define objectives for community interviews
and start crafting specific questions to ask interviewees. The recommended objectives and questions are
not listed in the order in which they would be addressed in an interview.

Once the questions are defined, you can use them to prepare an interview protocol questionnaire. We
recommend you carefully reorganize the questions in an order that will allow you to touch all bases and
engage the interviewee in a conversation-like interview. Once the master interview protocol is developed, you
may need to customize it for interviews with different people based on their needs, perspectives, and interests.

Recommended Objective:

Recommended Questions to Ask1:

Who to Ask:

Identify the issues and concerns most
important to community members.

Please explain why this site is important to
you.

What do you know about the XX site?

What are your concerns about the site and
its cleanup? What is your biggest
concern?

Do you know if anything has been done?
What is your understanding of the
contamination related to the XX Superfund
Site?



Gather information about specific site
issues, including past uses, practices, or
other history about the site that the Site
Team would like to ask community
members about. Specify:

What is your understanding of the
operations, history, and environmental
issues at the XX site?

Are you aware of any events, incidents,
or activities at the site such as vandalism,
trespassing, or emergency responses
from local authorities? If so, please give
details. What needs our immediate
attention going forward?







Gain insights about perceptions and
experiences of community members with
EPA, state, or other government agencies.

What is your opinion of the government's
commitment to cleaning up hazardous
waste at the XX site?

What has your experience been with
government agencies at the site?

Have you had any site-related experi-
ences with EPA, the state, or any other
government agencies or officials? If so,
how would you describe your experience?



' Sample questions are from interview protocols for the following sites: Iron King Mine (submitted by David Cooper, Region 9); Motorola-52d Street site CIP
Update interviews (submitted by Leanna Rosetti, Region 9); Mountain View site Five-Year Review interviews (submitted by David Cooper); and Safety
Light Corporation (submitted by Trish Taylor, Region 3).

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Community Interviews

12 	

Recommended Objective (cont.)

Recommended Questions to Ask (cont.)

Who to Ask (cont.)



What contacts have you had with govern-





ment officials about the site? Do you feel that





these officials have been responsive to





your concerns? Why or why not?





In your opinion, what do people in this





community think about the presence of





federal (or state) regulatory agencies in the





area?





Who do you consider to be site officials?





How trusted or credible do you think they





are in the community?





Have you contacted the state or EPAin the





past to inquire about the site? (If so, were





your questions or concerns answered to





your satisfaction?)





Have you shared site concerns with





anyone from the project? Are you aware of





anything that has been done to address





these concerns?



Determine the ways in which individuals

How did you first become aware of



currently seek or receive news and

contamination associated with the site?



information about the site and site-related





issues.

How did you get information about the site?





How are you currently receiving information





about the site?





How effective has EPA or the state's





communication been in the past?





Is the information from EPA or the state clear





and easy to understand?





Do you currently receive site information? If





so, how are you currently receiving





information about the site? How frequently?





Is the information clear and easy to





understand?





Whom would you contact with questions





about the site?





Do you feel you have been kept adequately





informed? If not, what can be done to





change this?

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Community Interviews



Recommended Objective (cont.) Recommended Questions to Ask (cont.)	Who to Ask (cont.)

Determine the ways in which individuals
would like to be kept informed about site
issues and news, the frequency of
communications or notifications, and the
types of "triggering events" or circum-
stances to be used to determine that they
want notification of site news.

Identify existing communications outlets
(newspapers, websites, blogs, etc.) most
frequently used by community members
and the trusted organizations that could be
used to help disseminate site-related
information or news.

How do you feel about the level of
community involvement and outreach from
the project to the residences and busi-
nesses affected by the site?

What would enable you to feel fully
engaged in the cleanup of XX Superfund
site? How can we support each other in
making this happen?

How can we provide you with information
about site cleanup? Fact sheets? Internet?
News media? Workshops? Public notices?
Community meetings? Other?

¦	How often?

What is the best way to provide information
to you? (Newsletters, fact sheets,
community meetings, CAGs, other)

In what ways would you like to be informed
about upcoming orfuture site-related
activities?

How often do you want to get information
about what is going on at the XX site?
(Weekly? Monthly? Quarterly? Only when
something significant happens?)

What kind of information about the site do
you want or need?

Are you interested in being on the mailing
list to receive information updates on
environmental cleanup activities at the XX
Superfund site?	Yes	No

¦	If so, can we confirm your address (and
email address)?

What newspapers, newsletters, church
bulletins, local websites, or blogs do you
read regularly?

Do you know where to find information on
the XX site?

Are you aware of the information
repositories for the site? Have you ever
used them to find i nformation for the site?

Are you aware of EPA's website?

— 13

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Community Interviews

Recommended Objective (cont.) Recommended Questions to Ask (cont.)

Who to Ask (cont.)

14 	

Identify the places in the community, regular
events, or situations in which community
members often gather (These could be
good places or opportunities for public
meetings, availability sessions, orfor
posting site information, etc.)

Determine whether there are potential
environmental justice issues or perceptions
of environmental injustice among community
members.

Identify additional community groups,
organizations, and leaders who should be
involved in community involvement efforts.

Ensure that all segments of the community
are identified and reached with information
about the site. Explore whether there are
members of the community who may be
forgotten, under-represented or not
represented at all in community groups,
due to cultural, language, racial, economic,
or social factors.

Are there community or church bulletin
boards, storefronts, or other places where
people post notices or signs about local
events or activities?

Are there particular community newsletters,
websites, local newspapers, church
bulletins, or other places that community
members often consult to learn of local
activities and events?

Where are the best places to post signs or
notices about activities and events?

What days and location would be best for
public or community meetings?

Do you think that there are stakeholders in
the community who are not having their
concerns addressed?

Who should we speak with to learn of these
stakeholders needs?

Do you participate in any civic or
community organizations? If so, which
ones?

What organizations or individuals do you
consider to be the most credible on
environmental issues in your community?

Who do you consider to be leaders in the
community?

Are there local entities in the community that
you trust to receive environmental
information from (e.g. local college or
university?)

Is English widely understood in this
community? What other languages do
people speak in the area?

What other individuals might we contact
about the site?

Who are or would be the firstfive people
you would share project information with?

Can you suggest other individuals or groups
that should be contacted for additional
information or added to the mailing list?

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Community Interviews



Recommended Objective (cont.) Recommended Questions to Ask (cont.)	Who to Ask (cont.)



Is there anyone else that you think might be
useful for us to talk with about the site?

Do you know of any individuals or groups
that may have special needs or need special
considerations? (deaf, blind, disabled,
homebound, etc.)



Determine whether there is a need for
technical assistance services for the
community.

*lf there appears to be a need for additional
technical assistance services in the commu-
nity, plan to conduct a Technical Assistance
Needs Assessment concurrently, if possible. If
community members cannot yet articulate or
define specific technical assistance needs at
this time, the TANA can be conducted later.)

SEE ATTACHMENT 3.



Identify and explore community perceptions
or opinions toward specific issues or site
concerns that the Site Team wants to
understand more about, including the
following:

Do you think there may be any opportunities
for future reuse? Do you have any
comments, suggestions or recommendations?

Questions regarding vapor intrusion
sampling issues, etc.?



Other

Is there anything else you would like to
share about the site?

Is there anyone in particular whom you
think we should be sure to include in our
community interviews?



— 15

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Attachment 2: Recommended Guide to Identifying Interviewees

Site Name	 Date

CERCLIS #		CIC	

You should consider using the recommendations in this tool to help define the segments of the
community and community groups that should be represented in interviews and to identity the
individuals who should be contacted for interviews.

1. Recommended Ways to Identify Segments of the Community and
Community Groups

¦	All residents who live contiguous to the site;

¦	All residents who live within known paths of migration;

¦	Local and state officials—mayor, supervisors/council members, police chief, fire chief, and state
officials/staff, if appropriate;

¦	Civic leaders—presidents of service and civic clubs (e.g., Kiwanis, Rotary), Chamber of Commerce,
Parent-Teacher-Student Association officers, principals, teachers, clergy;

¦	Representatives of environmental and public interest groups;

¦	Representatives of community-based, grassroots organizations, including neighborhood associations and
informal community groups;

¦	PRPs, as appropriate;

¦	Persons identified by the question: "Who else should we be talking to?"

¦	If interviews are being conducted for a CIP revision, persons interviewed previously for the CIP
process.

¦	If interviews are being conducted for a second five-year review, persons interviewed for the previous
five-year review.

Additional groups to consider including:

Other individuals and groups that are likely to be affected, feel they are affected by, or who are interested
in news about the site:

Individuals and groups who are likely to be concerned about site issues:

Individuals and groups who may be disadvantaged, under-represented, or not represented at all (due to
social, economic, or cultural factors):

2. Identify Individuals Who Should be Interviewed

You should consider using the information above when you begin identifying specific individuals
to interview who represent each group or segment of the community.

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Community Interviews

Examples of Groups or Segments
of the Community

Individuals/Key Contact

Specific Concerns/Issues

Local officials





State agency staff





Otherfederal agencies (ATSDR, DoD, DOE)





Area residents directly affected by the site





Others who are likely to be affected orfeel
they are affected by the site, or who are
interested in news about the site





Workers and theirfamilies(if applicable)





Civic groups/leaders





Local business representatives





Environmental and public interest groups





— 17

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Examples of Groups or Segments
of the Community

Individuals/Key Contact

Specific Concerns/Issues

Community activists and community-based
and grassroots organizations





TAG/TAP/TASC recipient group or
groups





Community advisory group





Local school principals, etc.





People interviewed in previous community
interviews (if applicable)





Potentially responsible parties





Community Interviews

18 	

	II	 I

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Examples of Subgroups

Community Interviews

Individuals/Key Contact	Specific Concerns/Issues

Non-English speakers and recent
immigrants





Groups and individuals with potential
environmental justice concerns





Interviewees identified by other community
stakeholders





Others





Additional Notes:

— 19

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Attachment 3: Community Interviews—Recommended Questions
for Assessing Community Technical Assistance Needs

Part 1—Screening-level Technical Assistance Questions for All Community
Members Interviewed:

During the Superfimd process, EPA will provide information to keep you informed about and help
you understand the work that is going on at the site. This information sometimes is relatively non-
technical information such as fact sheets.

1.	Have you seen or read any information about the site that EPA sent to you or was published or
posted on a web site? If you saw it but didn't read it, is there a particular reason why you didn't read
it?

2.	If you have read information from EPA, what did you read?

Did you find the information easy to understand?

What do you not understand? How could we make this information easier to understand?

Is there additional information you are interested in receiving?

EPA will produce technical reports and analyses that describe site contamination and how EPA plans
to address the site. These reports include sampling plans and results, the Remedial Investigation/
Feasibility Study (RI/FS), Proposed Plan, Record of Decision (ROD), and construction documents.

3.	Are you, or do you know of others who are, interested in reading site technical documents to better
understand EPA's assessment of site problems and recommendations to address the problems?

4.	Are you interested in reviewing and providing comments on EPA's analyses and recommendations?

5.	Do you feel that you have the background or experience necessary to understand and comment on
the technical documents?

6.	Are you interested in assistance from EPA to help you to understand site issues, technical documents,
and decisions? If so, how can EPA best help you to understand complex technical information about
site problems and cleanup solutions? (If the interviewee does not offer specific suggestions, read
the following list and check all that apply).

a. Easy-to-read summary documents and fact sheets

e. Workshops ortraining sessions on technical topics offered on
the Internet

b. Easy-to-understand information about remediation technolo-
gies and related topics

f. Information translated into another language (Specify:
)

c. Availability sessions where members of the Site Team are
available to talk with you and answer questions

a. AssistanceDrovided bva non-EPAtechnical exoertworkina
with a communitv oraanization. (This can be Drovided onlv to
qualified community groups willing to manage this assistance
and share it with the broader community.)

d. In-person workshops or training sessions on technical topics

h. Other

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Community Interviews

When is technical assistance provided by EPA sufficient?

In many communities, generally where there is a high degree of trust and transparency and where the
community has not requested additional assistance, the information provided by EPA through its commu-
nity involvement process usually is sufficient to meet the technical assistance needs of community mem-
bers affected by a Superfund site.

Sometimes, the Site Team may provide additional resources to the community to help them understand
technical issues. The conditions or situations that can suggest the need for additional informal technical
assistance (assistance that generally is provided by the Site Team, such as fact sheets, workshops,
availability sessions, etc.) include:

¦	Obvious community interest to become involved in the process or to partner with EPA.

¦	Lack of, or limited expertise or understanding within the community about the Superfund process and
cleanup options.

¦	Clear or increased community interest in the site and EPA's role in the cleanup, measured by an in-
crease in the frequency of contacts from the community.

¦	Obvious community interest to understand the Superfund process, remediation options, technical docu-
ments, and EPA's rationale for its decisions.

¦	Media coverage of the site and EPA's efforts at the site.

When should a TANA (Technical Assistance Needs Assessment) be conducted?

If one or more of the following conditions become evident during the initial interviews or later during the
Superfund process, a TANA should be completed with selected interviewees to help you determine the
community's potential need for additional technical assistance. This may include additional informal
technical assistance (as described above) or formal technical assistance (assistance that generally is
provided by an outside technical expert or mediator/facilitator working with a community organization,
usually through an EPA program or funding mechanism [Technical Asistance Grant (TAG) program,
Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) program, Conflict Prevention and Resolution Services
(CPRS) contract, etc.] or through an external partner such as a university or non-profit organization):

¦	Existence of a community group—either a formal group or a loosely organized group— interested in the
cleanup of the site and/or its future use.

¦	A specific request for technical assistance, such as inquiring about TAG, requesting training, or asking
for help convening a Community Advisory Group (CAG) or similar group.

¦	Clear concern (both organized and unorganized) regarding the characterization of the site, the risk
assessment, or proposed remedies.

¦	Stated intention by the community or individuals of plans to submit comments to EPA.

¦	The receipt of numerous or significant comments, both formal (as a result of the comment period) and
informal (through phone calls or emails).

¦	Significant media coverage of the site and EPA's efforts at the site.

¦	It becomes evident that some community stakeholders have not been given the chance to fully engage
in the Superfund cleanup process, and the TANA will provide an opportunity to expand the conversation
on environmentalism.

¦	The technical assistance needs of the community are significant and complex.

Part 2—The Formal TANA:

Please see the Technical Assistance Needs Assessment tool at [www.epa. gov/superfund/commu-
nitv/pdfs/toolkit/tana.pdf] for additional questions for community leaders, representatives of
community groups, and others who may be able to help define the community's potential techni-
cal assistance needs.

— 21

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Attachment 4: Sample Scheduling Call (by Contractor or CIC)

Hi, My name is	. [I'm a contractor to the United States Environmental Protection Agency and

am calling on behalf of EPA.] By now you are probably aware of the	Superfund site in your

community. EPA believes that community members like you have valuable insights and can often provide
information that can be helpful in determining how to address a site.

In XX weeks,	, EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator for the	site will

be in your neighborhood. He/She/I will be conducting interviews to learn more about the community and
what it needs from EPA. We would greatly appreciate your participation. The interview should take about
an hour and your participation will be kept confidential. Your participation will help EPA get a better picture
of what is important to you about this site and how EPA can ensure that the community's needs and
concerns are addressed. I would like to arrange a time that will be convenient for you to meet with me/
him/her.

Would you be available (give the choice of 2-3 different days/times)?

(If they agree, give an example; Tuesday between 1-2 PM is taken but...) Great! In addition to me, I
expect [(name) the site RPM to participate, along with our contractor, who will take notes at the inter-
view]. (Identify others, if appropriate.)

Can we meet with you at your home? Or is there another location that you might prefer? Let's plan to
spend about an hour together, but it could be less.

We'll confirm our appointment before that date. If you need to reach me, please don't hesitate to call me
at (give telephone number). If you prefer, I can contact you by email, if you'd like to provide your email
address.(	).

Thank you for your participation. Your input can help shape this cleanup. We look forward to meeting you

on (date, day, and time).

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Attachment 5: Sample Confirming Letter or Email from CIC

Dear X,

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the community interviews for the	site. We look forward to

learning more about your concerns about the site and the impact it has had on your community. We are
interviewing a broad range of people in the community to ensure that all views are heard.

What you tell us will remain confidential. We may talk about what we learned from community interviews,
but we will never attribute specific views or comments to an individual or talk about them in a way that
would allow others to know who talked with us. Combined with what we learn through interviews with
other members of the community, your views will help EPA create a Community Involvement Plan for the
	site that is specifically designed for the members of your community.

I have scheduled our interview for (**insert date and time**). If your schedule changes, I can be reached
at (**insert telephone #**/email address). I look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,

*insertname*

Community Involvement Coordinator

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