Expanding public involvement in the restoration of federal facilities
- ABB Environmental Services, Inc., Arlington, VA (United States)
- SOUTHNA VFACENGCOM, North Charleston, SC (United States)
In February of 1994, the Navy released a guidance document entitled Establishment of Restoration Advisory Boards. This guidance recommends that all Navy facilities with practicing Technical Review Committees (TRCs) transition these committees into Restoration Advisory Boards, or RABS. Subsequently, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in concert with the Department of Defense (DOD), issued similar draft guidance that also strongly recommends this transition to RABs be accomplished. The intent of creating RABs is to increase community participation in the federal facility environmental restoration process. The RAB`s mission is to provide an avenue for early, two-way communication between the affected community and the environmental decision makers. The Navy strongly believes that implementing RABs will accelerate cleanups by ensuring that the affected communities have a voice early in the restoration process. The Navy is implementing this guidance at a number of Navy facilities, including bases that have been targeted for closure. This paper discusses DOD and Navy policy and joint EPA and DOD guidelines for implementing RABs, techniques to recruit additional community members, the process for selecting RAB members, orientation of RAB members, and RAB operational considerations. It also provides insight into what the Navy has learned by establishing RABs.
- OSTI ID:
- 49366
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941189--; ISBN 1-56590-016-2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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