Building Relationships and Trust in Contamination Cleanup Webinar
About the Webinar
Originally presented March 8, 2023
The cleanup of contaminated sites hinges upon relationship building and trust. EPA staff work alongside state, Tribal, territorial, and local responders, environmental and public health agencies. They undertake engagement with affected residents, officials, and businesses. Without relationship building and trust, these essential interactions would be hampered and communities could suffer. Ultimately, these interactions create a complex social landscape that influence cleanup processes and outcomes.
EPA scientists are investigating the social dynamics of remediation, removal, and redevelopment at contaminated sites. They've conducted interviews and surveys with on-scene coordinators, remedial project managers, brownfield managers, and community involvement coordinators. Their findings show the nuanced role that trust and relationships play in cleanups. This webinar shares highlights from this research and takeaways from recent reports: "Building Trust and Relationships in Cleanup Community Engagement, from Theory to Practice," and "How to Get to Know Communities and Cultures."
About the Presenters
Dr. Brittany Kiessling is a cultural anthropologist with expertise in disaster recovery and community resilience research. She specializes in applying cultural perspectives and qualitative data analysis to address environmental problems. She is currently helping to develop a tool that communities can use to measure and build their resilience to disasters or emergency incidents. She is also working on a project to help EPA integrate social considerations in environmental remediation and decontamination work. Her research highlights the importance of public engagement and community trust building in the success of environmental cleanup work.
Dr. Keely Maxwell is a general anthropologist with EPA's Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. An environmental anthropologist and ecologist by training, Keely first came to EPA as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Science & Technology Policy Fellow. Dr. Maxwell leads several research projects, including community resilience to disasters, community engagement in environmental cleanups, and disaster waste decision-making. She served as a chapter lead for the Built Environment, Urban Systems, and Cities chapter of the Fourth National Climate Assessment and is the coordinating lead author for the Social Systems and Justice chapter of the Fifth National Climate Assessment. Dr. Maxwell has a Ph.D. and M.F.S. from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a B.A. from Williams College.