Eight Stages of DOE Public Participation - 1997
Where we are

Updated: March 1999

It has become increasingly apparent the the DOE/ORO/EM program is far out in front of the other programs in public participation. The following remarks refer to progress in the EM program.

The following is the progression of developmental stages of the DOE public participation and the approximate times when they were reached or where we are now. Some comments on the problem areas follow.

  1. Ignore - Ended in 1982
  2. Talk To - The Required CERCLA Procedure
  3. Talk With - About 1992
  4. Talk With, Listen To - We are past here in the EM program
  5. Talk With, Listen To, Explain Lack of Response - We are here and beyond
  6. Talk With, Listen To, Accept the Advice Of, Explain Exceptions - Most Projects are now here - Mar 99
  7. Public participates in the DOE, EPA, TDEC Alternative Selection Dialogue - This is good  with DOE and TDEC; EPA still distant, they need an Oak Ridge Office
  8. Stage 7 becomes automatic without public reminders - A great deal is here.
  9. This is a new stage, added March 1999 - DOE/ORO shares EM electronic data with the public

    10. This change is viewed as a remarkable advance in DOE trust of the public.
Oak Ridge is making very good and rapid progress toward stage 8 even at stage 7.

Current Problem Areas:

  1. Starting Early Enough - getting better and better, time will remedy
  2. Single Channel Access - getting better,  but needs work in DOE
  3. Limited DOE Calendar - This has been solved - Thanks to Jim Hall
  4. Encourage more public participation in this process - still needs help

    5. The public bears some responsibility in this component.
  5. Form public overview panels for Specific Programs, e.g., TSCA - Still needs attention
These problems are now freely discussed which is very good. Progress has been good.

DOE/ORO/EM Announces Public Access to OREIS

Everyone should NOW be able to get READ ONLY access to Oak Ridge
Environmental Information System (OREIS) data including sample analysis
results and maps.  Access is through the following URL.

http://eimdb-web.bechteljacobs.org:8080/oreis/help/oreishome.html

Click on it and browse through the data.  Data can be viewed in summary
tables or the detailed data can be downloaded to your PC.  Downloaded data
can be easily read into EXCEL and other common PC database and spreadsheet
software programs.   There are 7 million data records in OREIS that can be
downloaded and used.   Maps and high resolution aerial photos of Oak Ridge,
Paducah, and Portsmouth are also available for viewing and downloading.

Let me know what you think.
 

THANKS!!!
David Carden
phone: 576-9262