Introduction to the Community Involvement Section- Good
Communication Is Critical to the Process
Each community near a hazardous waste site has different needs. At some
sites, community members have many health concerns and want to be active
in the public health assessment process. At other sites, community members
are not as concerned about the site's effect on their health.
Open communication between the public health assessment team and community
members is critical to the process. Without good communication, the public
health assessment team might miss important information to help evaluate
health issues, and some community concerns could go unanswered.
This section explains how a health assessor, as leader of the public
health assessment team, involves the community from the beginning of a
site investigation to the end of the investigation. In developing community
involvement activities, the health assessor might focus on the following
topics.
Topic 2.1
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Defining the community and identifying initial
contacts.
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Topic 2.2
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Developing ways to communicate with community
members.
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Topic 2.3
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Ensuring clear presentation of information
between the community and the team.
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Why is community involvement important?
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What are some questions frequently asked by community members?
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