Public Participation
For more than 25 years, FMC and the regulatory Agencies have been communicating with and involving the public on each step of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) process and remedial actions.
FMC believes it is important that residents provide input throughout the process and that there be ample public meetings and opportunities to learn about study activities, to ask questions, and to provide feedback.
In particular, FMC has operated a neighborhood house and community office, now at 8 S. Vernon St. in Middleport, for residents to personally visit, have questions answered and obtain information on the environmental remediation program.
In addition to scheduled public meetings, FMC has also communicated to area residents through websites, project updates, neighborhood and coffeehouse meetings, citizen group meetings and door-to-door mail drops and conversations.
Citizen Participation Plan
FMC has developed a Citizen Participation Plan for the FMC Middleport Facility to provide opportunities for public participation in the environmental remediation process. The document prepared in June 2019 can be accessed here.
The Citizen Participation Plan describes the citizen participation activities that will be conducted during the remedial process for the Operable Units (OUs,) and was prepared pursuant to the terms and conditions of the 2019 Order on Consent, including the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (NYSDEC) Division of Environmental Remediation [Citizen Participation Handbook for Remedial Programs].
According to the Citizen Participation Plan:
FMC and NYSDEC involves the public to improve the process for the investigation and cleanup of the affected areas, as well as to enable the public and affected property owners to participate more fully in decisions that affect their health, environment, and social well-being.
FMC and NYSDEC will provide opportunities for citizen involvement, and encourage early two-way communication with citizens before decision makers form and/or adopt final positions. Involving citizens affected and interested in site investigation and cleanup programs is important for many reasons. These include:
- Promoting the development of timely, effective investigation and cleanup programs that protect public health and the environment
- Improving public access to, and understanding of, issues and information related to a particular site and that site’s remedial process
- Providing citizens with early and continuing opportunities to participate in NYSDEC’s site investigation and cleanup process
- Ensuring that NYSDEC makes site investigation and cleanup decisions that benefit from input that reflects the interests and perspectives found within the affected community
- Encouraging dialogue to promote the exchange of information among the affected/interested public, State agencies, and other interested parties that strengthens trust among the parties, increases understanding of site and community issues and concerns, and improves decision making. This Citizen Participation Plan provides information about how FMC and NYSDEC will inform and involve the public during the investigation and cleanup of the OUs identified herein and in the Order on Consent.
Resources for public participation are also available from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). To view its Citizen’s Participation Handbook for Remedial Programs, please click on the following document:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/remediation_hudson_pdf/der23.pdf
For additional information, please click on the following resources:
