EPA mulling decision on community outreach approach

Although interest and public participation has waned heavily during the last year and a half, government officials say a rumor to limit Environmental Protection Agency meetings in Lincoln County is patently untrue.

Rather, those officials are looking for more effective ways to draw community participation regarding EPA cleanup, a complete risk assessment and institutional controls. The community turnout has been noticeably sparse at Community Advisory Group (CAG) and Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meetings, sources have said.

At the last meeting between EPA representatives and Lincoln County Commissioners, there was a concern about the limited showing at meetings.

Community members have claimed it isn’t due to apathy, but rather impotence that attendance has dropped.

Gordon Sullivan, community activist, said Presiding Commissioner Tony Berget referred to them as “puppet” meetings, with large numbers of government employees and activists, but few residents who would be affected by decisions. 

“It rolls forward without any input from the property owners,” Sullivan said. “It’s a lousy situation. Advocates in this process for well over 12 years are just sick of it.”

Sullivan didn’t place the blame on the property owners, but on the lack of outreach to the community by the EPA. 

Michelle Hartly, a community advocate, said some comments at public meetings had her fearing less transparency from the agency. 

An email exchange between her and Region 8 Superfund Remedial Program Director Bill Murray seemed to muddle the situation, and a contentious meeting brought about rumors after an EPA representative, perhaps in exasperation, allegedly said “they wouldn’t have meetings in Libby anymore.”

Mike Cirian, local EPA representative, said there was some talk of reconfiguring how the government agency would reach local residents, but the above outburst wasn’t in consideration.

“We hold these things and there’d be 25 people there,” Cirian said. “Mostly that consists of EPA, DEQ staffers and representatives from state senators’ offices. Attendance from the public was very slight.”

Although Cirian had heard rumblings about changes, he deferred to Rebecca Thomas, Libby remedial project manager, who flatly denied such claims.

“That’s false,” Thomas said of claims that meetings might become limited. “We are continuing to have public meetings. We have one scheduled for May.”

The agency is planning on cleaning 80 more properties this year, although construction crews are down. Thomas and Murray were out of the office until April 1 when called for follow-up comments. 

Stan Christensen, Unit B remedial program manager, relatively new to the Libby Superfund site, said any rumors of change or lack of transparency hadn’t made their way to his door yet.

“As far as I know, we’re going to continue what we’re doing,” he said. “A few years ago we changed the way things were done, but we are going with those.”

The limited public participation is not a new development, said Nick Raines, Asbestos Resource Program manager. But a March meeting had a surprisingly high turnout.

“I do know from personal experience that public participation has been limited until this month,” Raines said. “My only guess would be that CAG/TAG did a good job advertising.” 

Leroy Thom, a CAG member and TAG vice president, attributed the low attendance that there were thoughts to cut backon meetings.

“Definitely not on the TAG portion of things,” Thom said. “But cutting back on CAG to every other month is something we’re looking at. For the past year and a half the participation has been slight.”

Berget said the same few faces were showing up to every meeting, and the EPA was looking for ways to expand its message to those most affected.

“They are trying to work on other avenues,” he said. “Is there any other way to get the word out? They just haven’t had the turnout.”

Eureka Commissioner Mike Cole said the EPA had even offered to come up to Eureka if it meant getting more people involved.

Some community members are drawing issues with the lack of transparency put forward by the agency, Libby Faulk, the community involvement coordinator for the EPA, says the agency is doing the best it can to be available. This includes going to city council meetings, commissioner meetings and the CAG/TAG sessions.

Faulk does admit not every step is of equal worth.

“The large public meeting format is not as effective,” she said. “There is more of an interest in smaller meetings with a more personal touch.”

While the agency ponders what exactly to do with its meetings, Sullivan warns that the worst thing to do would be to limit chances for reaching out to the EPA.

“It would be absolutely tragic for this community, for the EPA and for the state of Montana,” he said. “This is the worst time if communications were to stop.”