A disinterested public

[Chuck Raymond <chuck.raymond@mmr.brooks.af.mil>]

Good morning,

While I certainly applaud the EPA's efforts, as well as AFCEE and other groups that I work with at the MMR on Cape Cod, it continuously amazes me how little most of the public cares about what goes on here at a relatively high-profile military Superfund site at one of the country's most popular vacation spots. I was recently involved in arranging an informal public information and posterboard seesion at a local school having to do with potential health issues associated with various contaminants being discovered near, around and under a very highly-used recreational pond just outside the base boundaries. We placed an ad in the local newspaper, sent 1500 flyers home with the kids at the school, and did a neighborhood flyer "drop" We got 15 attendees!! While we certainly have a very vocal and influential cadre of activists on both sides here (whose efforts should be applauded), there are very few of them, and it seems that the prevailing attitude among the public in general is "well, the government is taking care of it and I don't need to concern myself". Is this a common attitude at other sites around the country? This being my first such project, I am curious how common it may or may not be.