Addressing Public Concern

Reccomendations to improve the Community Involvement Plan, proposed by members of the CAG during the April 14th, 2004 meeting. Concerns recognize limitations such as access to the internet, language barriers, and availability for many members of the community to join.

April 2004

As the Community Involvement Plan underwent revisions, both consultants and community members pushed back to ensure that all the community demands and fair representation were met. Following the EPA handbook that outlines how a Community Advisory Group should complete its outreach and representation, members emphasized the importance of reaching as many people as possible through television, the radio, and the internet. However, spreading the word was only part of the challenge. The CAG also needed to overcome significant cultural and logistical barriers to ensure the message reached everyone.

Community members stressed that outreach efforts needed to go beyond simply identifying what percentage of households spoke Spanish. It was equally important to determine where Spanish speaking residents lived within the city. Commenters suggested using the 2000 census along with GIS mapping systems to pinpoint where targeted advertisements would be most effective. This included placing announcements in local newspapers written in Spanish, widely read within these communities, such as El Perico and Nuestro Mundo as well as in other outlets like the Omaha Star that served the African American community.

Many residents across the city lacked access to subscription based news services like the Omaha World-Herald or the Omaha Star and needed alternative methods to receive vital information. The eighth comment in the feedback document noted that, “EPA’s Public Involvement Policy advises taking local communication preferences into consideration, including preferences of locations, such as churches, libraries, and schools.” (CAG, 2). A questionnaire sent to community members revealed that, “most residents would not [be able to] attend a public meeting.” and “that residents prefer mailings, fact sheets,” while also suggesting, “using neighborhood associations and churches to inform the public about the Omaha Lead Site activities.” (CAG,2-3).

Another major concern raised by community members centered on the geographic scope of the superfund site. As the largest residential Superfund cleanup site in the nation, the affected area was vast, and meetings needed to be held throughout the region to best serve the population in different parts of the city. One community member noted that, “one meeting was held in South Omaha (south of Dodge Street) where the Latino population mainly resides” but recalled “only [seeing] 2 people attend the meeting in South Omaha” (Rajaram, 2004). This low turnout highlighted a critical issue. For residents in areas with limited transportation options, those who relied on buses, walking or biking, attending meetings in distant locations was often prohibitive. Ensuring inclusion from across the entire Superfund site, particularly from areas where travel was challenging, became essential to making CAG meetings truly representative..

The email to the EPA regarding modifications to the Community Involvement Plan advocated for reaching out to more community based organizations that were deeply integrated into neighborhoods across Eastern Omaha. These groups already know the residents, understand their needs, and could effectively advocate on their behalf. The feedback document revealed an ongoing challenge, despite extensive outreach efforts, it remained difficult to generate widespread community attendance at meetings. Many CAG members came from organizations assembled by the EPA to help manage the Superfund site, rather than from the affected neighborhoods themselves. This created a gap that threatened the legitimacy and effectiveness of community representation.

Reference:

Omaha Lead Superfund Site Community Advisory Group, “Proposed Plan and Public Comment Questions,” History of Environmental Inequalities, https://steppingintothemap.com/inequalities/admin/items/show/379.

Shireen S. Rajaram, Ph.D., Community Advisory Group (CAG) Member, “Letter from the Community Advisory Group to the Environmental Protection Agency Sector 7,” History of Environmental Inequalities, https://steppingintothemap.com/inequalities/admin/items/show/381.