Community Involvement at Federal Facilities is a two-hour webinar course that focuses on community involvement requirements, resources, and techniques available for Federal Facilities being cleaned up at National Priorities List (NPL) sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). By taking the course, participants will achieve the following objectives:

• Learn about community involvement requirements under CERCLA;
• Understand the roles of the lead federal agency and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in public involvement at Federal Facilities;
• Discover resources and tools available for community involvement activities;
• Explore community involvement techniques and approaches that can be used at Superfund sites; and,
• Identify community involvement opportunities throughout the Superfund process at Federal Facilities.

The instructional methodology for this course includes lecture, case studies, and group discussions. There will also be an opportunity for participants to ask questions. The target audience for this course is federal, state, and tribal representatives who work on Federal Facility cleanups. Ideally, students should have a basic understanding of the CERCLA process. This course is part of the Federal Facilities Academy training program. Please consider registering for other Federal Facility Academy courses and obtain a certificate upon completion of the entire Federal Facility Academy series (12 courses total).

Presenters:

Emy Laija, EPA Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (Laija.emerald@Epa.gov or 202-845-3198)
Emy Laija is an Environmental Scientist who works on Superfund cleanups of hazardous waste sites through the EPA Federal Facility Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO) in Washington, DC. Her position includes implementing national policy, promoting consistency in cleanups, developing training, and developing relationships with other federal agencies and stakeholders. Before working in FFRRO, Emerald worked as a Remedial Project Manager for 8 years in EPA's Hanford Project Office in Richland, WA and continues to serve as a Hanford subject matter expert. She earned a Master's Degree focused in Environmental Studies from University of Nevada-Las Vegas and a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Dianna Young, EPA Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (Young.Dianna@epa.gov or 202-564-0542)
Dianna Young is a program analyst in EPA's Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office and has served in this capacity for 22 years. Her primary areas of responsibility are communications, community involvement, stakeholder engagement and Region 9 coordinator. From 1990-97, Dianna was the Community Involvement section chief in Region 9. Prior to joining EPA, she was the Public Information Officer for the WV Department of Natural Resources. She is a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, WV, where she earned a teaching degree, and majored in journalism and Spanish.

Lisa Bradford Cunningham, EPA Region 3 (cunningham.Lisa@epa.gov or 215-814-3363)

Moderator:

Jean Balent, U.S. EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division (balent.jean@epa.gov or 202-566-0832)
Ms Balent is on the staff of the EPA's Technology Innovation and Field Services Division where she has worked to collect and disseminate hazardous waste remediation and characterization information since 2003. Ms Balent manages the Clean Up Information Network website and actively supports online communication and collaboration resources available to EPA. She formerly worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Engineering Division in the Buffalo District. Ms Balent was also a member of the SUNY-Buffalo Groundwater Research Group where she constructed and tested large scale models of groundwater flow. Ms Balent has also conducted research relating to the Great Lakes, environmental remediation, and brownfields re-development. She holds a Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from SUNY-Buffalo and a Master's degree in Information Technology from AIU.

Webinar Slides and References:

• Slide Presentation and Participant Manual for Emerald Laija, Dianna Young, and Lisa Bradford Cunningham (7.27MB/PDF)

Webinar Slides and References:

• Slide Presentation and Participant Manual for Emerald Laija, Dianna Young, and Lisa Bradford Cunningham (7.27MB/PDF)

Additional Resources:

• Federal Facilities Academy Training Tracker (54KB/XLS)
• Environmental Protection Agency, Superfund Community Involvement Handbook, January 2016
• DOD and EPA, RAB Implementation Guidelines,1994
• RAB Rule Handbook, 2007
• Environmental Protection Agency, Cleanups at Federal Facilities, Previous Federal Agency Hazardous Waste Compliance Dockets; accessed November 14, 2017
• Environmental Protection Agency, Cleanups in My Community; accessed November 13, 2017
• Environmental Protection Agency, Close Out Procedures for National Priority List Sites, OSWER Directive 9320.2-22, dated May 2011, pages 5-7 and 5-8; accessed November 13, 2017
• Environmental Protection Agency, Superfund Community Involvement Tools and Resources; accessed November 13, 2017
• Environmental Protection Agency, EJSCREEN Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool; accessed November 13, 2017
• Federal Register, May 4, 2015, National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP); Amending the NCP for Public Notices for Specific Superfund Activities; accessed November 13, 2017
• Environmental Protection Agency, Superfund Site Assessment Process; accessed November 13, 2017
• Environmental Protection Agency, Technical Assistance Grants (TAG) Program; accessed November 13, 2017
• Environmental Protection Agency, Technical Assistance Needs Assessments (TANA); accessed November 13, 2017