Increasing community involvement in DOD`s cleanup program

Hazardous waste sites on Department of Defense (DOD) installations have the potential to affect the health, quality of life, and property values of residents who live nearby. Given this potential impact, communities should have the opportunity to provide input to cleanup decisions, especially at closing bases where property is to be transferred to the community. In the last year, DOD issued new policy that requires installations to increase community involvement in its cleanup program. The major features of the new policy, issued jointly with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the provision of information on cleanup activities and the establishment of Restoration Advisory Boards (RAB). RABs are a forum for discussion among representatives from the installation and regulatory agencies and members of the community. They are an opportunity for stakeholders to participate in the cleanup process through an active input to decision making. This paper describes DOD initiatives to increase community involvement in its cleanup program.