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Community Involvement Plan (CIP)
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Downloadable Reports
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- Provide the public with accurate, timely, and understandable information and/or access to the information needed to understand the project as it moves forward;
- Provide the public with the opportunity to give informed and meaningful input;
- Ensure adequate time and opportunity for the public to provide input and for that input to be considered;
- Respect and give full consideration to community input; and
- Assist the public in understanding the project decision making process during project design and cleanup and the community’s role in that process
The Community Involvement Plan (CIP) is the foundation for EPA’s Superfund Community Involvement Program for the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site. The CIP specifies the outreach activities that EPA will use to address community concerns and expectations. It will help the Community Involvement Coordinators, who serve as liaisons between community members and Hudson River site team members and other agency officials, to advise them on effective and appropriate ways to inform and engage the public. The CIP is a public document, readily available to the community, that community members can use to make sure that EPA is responsive to their needs and concerns.
A draft version of the plan was released to
the public for review and comment on April 24, 2003. It proposed that
a Community Advisory Group, or CAG, be formed
to create a forum through which members of community and stakeholder groups
along the entire site can discuss their viewpoints as design and cleanup
work progresses. In response to public comments, EPA has modified the
proposed CIP in a number of areas, foremost among them being the increasing
of membership of the Community Advisory Group (CAG) from 17 to 25.
EPA's Community Involvement Plan (CIP) for the Hudson River PCBs Superfund site identifies 35 tools and activities that will be used to address community concerns. Together they serve as a toolkit for EPA’s public participation program at the site and provide the public with myriad opportunities for involvement in the project. The CIP provides detailed descriptions of these tools and identifies how they will be used to address community concerns and promote public involvement in the project. The CIP also contains a glossary, references, and a series of appendices designed to serve as resources for both EPA and the community. Specific sections include the EPA and project team, local government, and media contacts, and directions on how to obtain additional Superfund and EPA information.
Public Participation
With the signing of the Record of Decision in February 2002, the Reassessment RI/FS Community Interaction Program ended and the implementation of a new community involvement program began, which included the development of a new draft Community Involvement Plan (CIP). In the February 2002, EPA committed to involving the public in activities relating to the implementation of the dredging project.
During project design, EPA will focus efforts on getting public input and providing information on those decisions and activities that have the greatest potential impact on the community and on the big-picture issues that are most important to the public.
EPA has established the following goals for the overall community involvement program.
- Provide the public with accurate, timely, and understandable information and/or access to the information needed to understand the project as it moves forward,
- Provide the public with the opportunity to give informed and meaningful input,
- Ensure adequate time and opportunity to provide input and for that input to be considered before final decisions on major issues are made,
- Respect and give full consideration to community input, and
- Assist the public in understanding the project decision-making process during project design and cleanup and the community’s role in that process
EPA Conducts Review of Community Involvement Efforts 
At the September meeting of the Hudson
River Community Advisory Group (CAG), EPA presented on its community
involvement activities from August 2003 through August 2004. EPA requested
input and feedback from CAG members on its community involvement efforts
in terms of overall strategy and approach, as well as specific tools that
have been used. Priorities for the coming year also were presented by
EPA and input obtained from the CAG.