The EPA on
Wednesday, May 19, 2010, launched an initiative to help communities more
effectively participate in government decisions related to land cleanup,
emergency preparedness and response, and the management of hazardous substances
and waste. The agency's Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) plan aims to educate
communities about decisions on environmental cleanups. According to the agency,
the purpose of the plan is to present guiding principles, goals and actions.
Depending on how it's
used, a more educated community could become a benefit or a greater hazard for
businesses with environmental responsibilities. There remains a strong
possibility that interest groups, competitors or the public could misinterpret
information and cause P.R. headaches, but having good, readily accessible information
available to the public – as opposed to having it come directly from interest
groups – could have the opposite effect. The EPA characterized CEI as greater
level of transparency.
Because many of the EPA's
programs are delegated to states, the agency said it will seek a cooperative
effort with state and local governments to better coordinate resources and
efforts on this initiative. The goals of the program are as follows:
- Improve
transparency and upfront collaboration with community stakeholders
- Enhance
technical assistance to communities
- Explain
the hazards of environmental problems to affected communities
- Connect
with communities that have been historically underrepresented in environmental
decision-making
The CEI
implementation plan also details actions the agency is pursuing to more
effectively explain the hazards of environmental problems to affected
communities. According to the agency, the plan is intended to be a working
document and specific actions will be refined with ongoing feedback from
communities and other stakeholders. The ageny is inviting public comment on the
plan, will frequently evaluate the initiative's progress and results, and will
regularly post this information on the agency's website.
For more information
on the CEI and to comment on the plan visit
www.epa.gov/oswer/engagementinitiative
SOURCE: EPA Press release
