| Fact Sheet 2000-06 July 2000 Responsiveness Summary for the Installation Restoration Program Community Involvement Plan Update This fact sheet answers questions about
Words in italics appear in the glossary at the end of this fact sheet. Introduction The purpose of this Responsiveness Summary is to provide written responses to the comments received during the public comment period on the draft Community Involvement Plan (CIP) Update. Overview The draft CIP Update details the major areas of public concern and describes opportunities for community involvement in the Installation Restoration Program (IRP). The CIP goals are to:
Overview of Written Comments A total of 27 comments were received during the public comment period (April 3 May 2, 2000). Comments were received from: Government organizations
Advisory Groups
Community Groups
The comments and responses that appear on this fact sheet have been grouped into four comment categories:
Community Involvement Plan Update Description and History The first version of the CIP was released in May of 1991. Since then, it has been revised to continue identifying and addressing communication needs between the Upper Cape community and the IRP cleanup program at the MMR. The plan is intended to further enhance coordination and information exchanges among the community, the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) as the cleanup proceeds at MMR. The CIP provides an overall reference tool and plan for the public and government staff and meets the requirements for public involvement under state and federal regulations. The CIP Update is based on previous plans, ongoing community involvement activities, and information gathered from recent personal interviews with community members interested in and/or involved with the IRP (e.g. public, media, elected officials, local business and industry, and government representatives). The most recent interviews were conducted during the fall of 1999. The comments received during the interviews have been analyzed and incorporated into the text of the draft CIP update. Also community involvement and public information activities will continue to be tailored to meet the needs identified by the community and the technical program. A number of thoughtful ideas and suggestions about improving communications and outreach were received during the process of revising the CIP. The agencies along with the PIT, will continue to talk about ways to implement these ideas as well as how to improve community involvement generally. Community Involvement A public comment period on the CIP Update was held from April 3 to May 2, 2000. Several methods were used to make people aware of the opportunity to comment on the document:
Comments and Responses Comments Specific to the Structure of IRP Teams Several comments were received specific to the structure of
the IRP teams. They were: Response: Working with all the IRP advisory teams and taking into consideration
public comments, a revised team chart has been developed for the final CIP. The team information has been modified to reflect the most recent changes within the
IRP, and indicates teams that have retired and those that are active. Team co-chairs have been indicated where applicable. Comments Specific to Sites and Plume Depictions Comments were received on the IRP maps. Specifically those who commented were interested in:
Response: It has been determined by consensus between IRP, EPA and MADEP that CS-19 is considered an IRP plume, a map will be added to the CIP illustrating it. In addition, throughout the CIP, the overall number of plumes will be modified from 14 to 15 to reflect this new information. The northern "source area" sites also will be included on the map. The definition of a plume was reviewed and it was determined that an additional description would be included in the final CIP update. Comments Specific to Community Outreach Concerns Community members expressed concerns on the potential risks associated with recreational use and subsistence fishing, hunting, and harvesting in communities around MMR. Also, it was noted that more emphasis needs to be given to how those groups receive information. Response: Section 2.4 "Key Community Concerns" has been modified to note these issues. In addition, these comments will be further addressed in the communication and dialogue activities in the IRP. Editorial Comments During the public comment period, 14 "editorial" comments were received. Response: Editorial comments were reviewed. Those comments did not change the substantive content of the document and were incorporated into the final CIP update. Documents Available Locally The final CIP Update and Responsiveness Summary have been added to the Administrative Record (AR) and are part of the Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) (also part of the AR). The public is invited to review the AR at the Installation Restoration Program (IRP) Office, located on the base at 322 East Inner Road. The office is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM 4:30 PM. The AR also is available for review at the Falmouth Public Library, located at 123 Katharine Lee Bates Road. Call (508) 457-2555 for library hours. Information and technical documents also are available at the main libraries in Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich; at the USCG library on base; and on the MMR web site at http://www.mmr.org. The MMR web site also contains the administrative record online. Locations of the Administrative Record: IRP Office Falmouth Public Library MMR web site Locations of the Information Repositories:
For additional information, please contact: Doug Karson Jim Murphy Ellie Grillo Administrative Record (AR): a collection of documents generated during the investigation of the site which form the basis for selection of a remedial action and are placed in a central location for public review. Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA): an agreement between USEPA and individual federal facilities that establishes a procedural and legal framework for investigating and remediating Superfund sites. Installation Restoration Program (IRP): the U.S. Department of Defense program implemented at U.S. military bases to identify, investigate, and clean up contamination resulting from past operations. Responsiveness Summary (RS): a document presenting formal comments received during the public comment period and responses to the comments. |