Model Guidelines for Public Participation: An Update to the 1996 NEJAC Model Plan for Public Participation

In 1996, the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC or the Council), through its Public Participation and Accountability Subcommittee, worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) to develop the Model Plan for Public Participation (Model Plan). The Model Plan outlined critical elements for conducting public participation and identified core values and guiding principles for the practice of public participation. It was published as a “living document” that would be reviewed and revised as necessary. The original Model Plan can be found at: http://www.greenlink.org/assess/pdfs/modelplan.pdf. In 2012, in light of how public participation has evolved over the years, the NEJAC identified the need to update the 1996 Model Plan. Such revisions were considered necessary to reflect current needs, concerns, and best practices, and in consideration of EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s designation of expanding the conversation on environmentalism and working for environmental justice as a priority. This update to the 1996 Model Plan, herein called the Model Guidelines for Public Participation (Model Guidelines), should complement the implementation of EPA’s Plan EJ 2014, the roadmap intended to help EPA integrate environmental justice into the Agency’s programs, policies, and activities. Plan EJ 2014 is named in recognition of the 20th anniversary of President Clinton’s issuance of Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations. The Agency defines environmental justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. It is expected that this document will serve as a guide for not only federal agencies, but for all stakeholders who are engaged in public participation efforts and who seek to meaningfully engage environmental justice stakeholders in decision-making processes. Agencies should look to this document as a model when engaging communities, while also recognizing that not all communities are the same. The recommendations presented herein are not intended to be universally applied; rather, they should be customized for application based on the priorities and characteristics of each unique community. Furthermore, EPA should continue to seek opportunities to exercise its authority to consider and address environmental justice concerns under existing environmental statutes such as the Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; Safe Drinking Water Act; Toxic Substances Control Act; and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act .