How can EPA provide feedback?

[Peter Schlesinger <pschles@starband.net>]

First of all, it only takes a little time when writing a document to note how the public input affected a decision; EPA could note what it learned from the public when applying its decision-making. In many documents, our letter of comment appear at the rear, but even upon reading them, one cannot figure out how they figured in decision-making. If EPA staff are required to tell the public how input affects a decision, then they should do exactly that, summarizing public input and showing how that public input supported the decision-making that was made. 

EPA should have a section of all decisions requiring public involvement policy implementation which literally says how the public input affected that decision, even if the Agency's decision and the public input to the issue oppose each other. The public ought to be told whether its information is being used and how. Feedback should also take the form of added speech in oral decision announcements; speakers should tell us whether and how our feedback/input has been useful.