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About the Community Involvement Office
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The Community Involvement Office is located within the Superfund Division at EPA Region 9. Currently, there are seven Community Involvement Coordinators (CICs) who work on both Superfund and RCRA projects. All CICs are located in the San Francisco office except for one, who is based in Los Angeles.
CICs work with many different types of communities on a variety of projects throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. These projects include:
- Site Assessments - Investigating sites to see if further efforts by EPA are warranted;
- Sites on the National Priorities List (NPL or Superfund sites) - Long-term cleanup projects that go through distinct phases;
- Sites that are not on the NPL but are of NPL caliber - Includes sites proposed for the NPL or addressed through collaboration with states, tribes or other agencies;
- Emergency Response and Removals - Immediate threats to human health and the environment that warrant quick action;
- Federal Facilities - NPL sites located on land owned by the Department of Defense (DOD);
- Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) - Land formerly used by DOD that contains leftover hazards, including explosives and/or contamination;
- RCRA sites - Operating facilities that manage hazardous waste and are issued permits to do so.
Communities EPA works with vary widely and include:
- Indian tribes
- Environmental Justice communities
- Communities with primary language other than English
- Pacific Islanders
- All socio-economic levels
In order to work effectively with such varied communities, the Community Involvement Office uses many communications tools, including fact sheets written in multiple languages and interpreters who translate orally at public meetings. Several of our CICs are fluent in Spanish. Additionally, CICs train continuously to improve their communications and listening skills and to better understand other cultures and their needs.