EPA collaborates with the polluting source with citizens on the outside

[Linda <Baker>]

Again, after 15 years as an activist, primarily dealing with Region VII & VIII, citizens rarely are given the opportunity to sit down in the early stages of any process and give input that will formulate future decisions.  The entities that are given that opportunity are the companies that cause the pollution, and city representatives that directly benefit by the companies existance.  How ironic that because citizens assume that EPA, etal, are actually enforcing the law, citizens are penalized by being kept out of the process because they simply do not know that they have to be involved for the process to work.

I have been involved with what is called a "Collaborative Process" with British Petroleum in Wyoming, and another much less staged collaboration regarding the same company in Missouri.  The process only occurred because citizens sued the company for polluting their environment, not because EPA was doing anything on the site.  After a great deal of political maneuvering the lawsuit was settled with the citizens recieving minimal damage awards, the city/county made a deal with BP for $60M, and the supposed public process began with no citizens at the table.  Citizens have tried to participate in the process, and slowly but surely they have been cut out of giving only gratuitous input.  The company got a great deal.  New laws have been passed to let them get out of cleaning up the water to a safe level (Brownfields), and it is all paid for by the taxpayers.  In short, an alien corporation is writing their own ticket.  Citizens are not happy nor do they trust government officials.  This kind of Collaboration stinks.