§9617 Public Participation

Summary

Before a cleanup plan is adopted by the President or a State under the cleanup laws, they must publish a notice and a short, easy-to-understand explanation of the proposed plan and any alternatives. They must let people send written comments, speak at a public meeting near the site, and must keep and share a transcript of that meeting. After a final plan is chosen, they must publish the final plan before work starts and explain any big changes and respond to major comments or new information. If the actual cleanup, an enforcement action, or a settlement differs significantly from the final plan, the President or State must publish why it changed. Publication means at least putting the notice in a major local newspaper and making all documents available for inspection and copying at or near the site. The President may also, subject to available funding and rules, give one technical-assistance grant per site to affected community groups (normally up to $50,000). Grant recipients must usually pay at least 20% of costs unless that requirement is waived for financial need; a grant can be renewed to help the public at later stages.