DIRECTOR'S CORNER
Community Involvement Task Force
March 2004, DEQ established a Community Involvement Task Force to help improve DEQ's communication with the public and to enhance the opportunities people have to become involved in environmental decisions. This is an update on the task force's work.
The task force is composed of representatives of major environmental organizations and DEQ staff, and for the past five months we have focused on short-term and long-term efforts that will help revitalize public confidence in DEQ. This is very important to me and to DEQ. If we are successful, I believe it will improve our ability to do our jobs, improve the public's trust and understanding of DEQ, and improve our ability to protect Virginia's environment.
DEQ and the environmental organizations now have a much better understanding of each other's priorities, interests and capabilities. There will continue to be occasions when some organizations disagree with DEQ. But it is important to keep in mind that we all have the common goal of protecting Virginia's environment. Given that DEQ and these groups have different responsibilities toward reaching that goal, however, occasional disagreements are to be expected.
I believe all of us working with the task force have learned a lot. We have identified new ways to interact with the people who are affected by decisions on the environment and to be more responsive to what they need.
To date, we have identified numerous specific actions DEQ can take as an agency. Many of these already have begun. For example, several major permits have been completed recently that included a more substantial level of involvement by the public and environmental organizations than what we have traditionally seen. I expect this trend to continue and to grow. Other actions include identifying potential changes to the citizen boards' public comment policies, strengthening how information is presented on the DEQ web site, and enhancing the tools available to DEQ staff to work more effectively with the public. Conservation organizations also are identifying ways in which they can work better with DEQ.
In October and November, each DEQ regional office will host a community open house. These meetings will be an opportunity for the public - primarily individuals and organizations who do not already have a working relationship with DEQ - to discuss environmental issues important to them with members of the regional staffs. This will be the first step in establishing ongoing communication within communities around the state.
Another responsibility of the task force is to help develop a community involvement policy for DEQ. I expect that policy to address issues such as:
- Involving the public earlier in significant environmental actions, such as major permits.
- Establishing a stronger relationship with environmental and community organizations in every DEQ region.
- Improving public notices and other communication from DEQ, such as information on the web site, to ensure that interested Virginians are aware of impending environmental actions and can offer comments on them.
- Developing active participation in consensus building on significant environmental issues.
Efforts like these will go a long way toward strengthening the confidence that Virginia citizens and independent organizations have in DEQ, and they will help build support throughout Virginia for DEQ's efforts. But we also are doing this because it is the right thing to do - for the environment, for the people of Virginia and for DEQ. It is DEQ's responsibility to improve public understanding of environmental protection, and as a result we will make better environmental decisions.
Many DEQ staff members already have asked what they can do differently to help with these efforts, and I appreciate the value they place on this initiative. We are working on developing specific steps to take. In the meantime, I encourage the public to be open to opportunities for improving understanding of what DEQ does and to find more effective ways of working with us. With your help, I know our community involvement initiative will be a huge success.