Stakeholder and community involvement for site-specific decision-making in EPA's Superfund program

Site-specific risk assessments (i.e., a population around a Superfund site or Brownfield) are more robust when community stakeholders are involved in the conversation. Community stakeholders can provide important information for characterizing the site, identifying exposure pathways, and developing cleanup solutions. Additionally, experience has shown that greater public involvement leads to a better relationship between the community members and the Agency, including a better understanding of the stakeholders' perception of risk which leads to an enhanced ability to alert communities to ways to protect themselves against hazards. Open and transparent dialogue reduces unwarranted tension between communities and government agencies leading to greater input from citizens in government decision-making. The resulting cooperation amongst all stakeholders increases the credibility of the entire endeavor, the accuracy of the risk assessment and the remedy decision. This presentation will discuss the processes for Superfund human health risk assessment and remedy selection, identify decision points in the process for public participation, and give examples of success.