The members of the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO) work every day to provide equal environmental protection to everyone in their States and Territories (States).
The history of community involvement in the environmental field has been one of staggered improvement across the nation. The process, priority, and status of community involvement differs significantly not only from each of the 50 States and six Territories (States), but also from program to program, and site to site. Community involvement is dependent upon program priorities, agency lead (State, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], or other federal agency, such as the Department of Defense [DoD]), program statutory and regulatory requirements, resources, community economic levels, community interest, and project manager focus.
Community involvement is a requirement of most federal and/or State environmental regulations and should be adhered to by all parties. It is important that the State agencies collaborate with the responsible parties to provide uniformity of program implementation. A consistent commitment to community involvement as a programmatic priority will minimize commonly identified challenges. While the commitment needs to be consistent, the approaches should recognize that communities and concerned citizen groups are unique and have specific needs that vary.