Public Education and Participation 12/25/20151 Public Education and Participation.

Public Education and Participation

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• Phase I regulations contain public education requirements for:

Illicit discharge elimination

Construction site operators

Pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer application

• Phase II regulations contain two minimum control measures which require small MS4s to address public education and public participation


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Phase II Minimum Control MeasuresPublic Education and Outreach

• Distribute educational materials to the community, or

• Conduct equivalent outreach activities about the impacts of storm water discharges on water bodies and the steps that the public can take to reduce pollutants in storm water runoff

Public Involvement /Participation

• Comply with State, Tribal and local public notice requirements



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EPA’s Getting In Step Program

Two documents developed:

• A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns

• Engaging and Involving Stakeholders in Your Watershed

http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/outreach/documents/


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Auditing/Inspecting a Public Education/Participation Program

• An MS4’s annual report or SWMP are likely to describe most public education and participation activities

• When reviewing annual report/SWMP, look for:Does the MS4 document the distribution of

materials (how many, to whom?) Are they just sitting at City Hall?

Do the educational materials match the MS4’s priorities? (e.g., if sediment/construction is the biggest issue, are materials geared toward that?)

What is the frequency of distribution?


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Audit/Inspection Key Questions

• Does the public education address specific pollutants, behaviors, land uses, or watershed issues?

• What are the MS4’s goals for public education? How are these measured?

• How has the MS4 modified its activities based on findings from other program areas (e.g., targeting audiences, developing more specific outreach, etc.)?


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Common Program Components

• Public Education

Public education strategy

Message development

Target audiences

• Public participation


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Public Education Strategy

• Ideally, MS4s should have a public education strategy that includes:

Goals and objectives

Clear messages

Defined target audience(s)

Appropriate message “packaging”

Effective distribution mechanisms


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Public Education Strategy

• Is the strategy formalized in a planning document?

• Does the MS4 regularly assess the effectiveness of the public education strategy?

• Are the goals based on the specific pollutants or behaviors of concern in the community?

• Does the MS4 enlist the aid/coordinate with other “environmentally interested” associations ?


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Public Education Strategy: Goals

• Goals can be quantitative

Numbers of classroom presentations per year

Number of volunteers per event

• Goals can also be qualitative

Increased stormwater awareness among residents that use English as a second language

Greater awareness among school-aged kids

• Surveys of target audiences can be used to determine qualitative changes


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Message Development

• Are stormwater outreach messages clear, specific, and tied directly to elements that each audience values?

• Do messages encourage participation in stormwater-related activities?

• Do messages educate audiences about behavior changes that can improve stormwater quality?


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Target Audiences

• Does the MS4 have different messages for different target audiences (children, homeowners, industrial facility operators, etc.)?

• Are target audiences selected based on specific behaviors of concern, land use types, watershed concerns, etc.?

• Does the MS4 use broad stormwater messages that are aimed at improving general public awareness?


Example


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Example: Public Awareness Survey in North San Diego County


59% 59%

70%67% 66%

71%69%

74%

42%

51%

43%45% 45% 45%

55%

25%

16%

24% 25%

33%

28%

40%

9%12%

15%

10%

14% 13%

20% 20%23%

41%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003

Q: Have you ever seen, read, or heard of… (Tracking)% Yes

Storm drain stencil --"Dump No Waste --Goes to Ocean"

Adopt-a-streamprogram

Water Quality contest

Slogan -- "Helpprotect our waters…for life"

Example: Honolulu Tracking Awareness


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Public Participation

• Is the MS4 providing the public with opportunities to:

Review and comment on SWMP updates and changes?

Participate in stormwater-related activities organized or sponsored by the MS4, such as:

• Storm drain stenciling?

• Stream clean-ups?


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Common Compliance Problems

• Inappropriate or immeasurable goals

• Not addressing key target audiences

• Not customizing materials for target audiences

• Not developing materials for commonly spoken foreign languages

• Not distributing materials appropriately for target audiences

• Not soliciting public feedback about program development, implementation, and improvement

• Not coordinating or promoting stormwater-related public involvement events or activities


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EPA’s Nonpoint Source Digital Toolbox

• http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/toolbox/

• Includes many examples of public outreach products for MS4s

Public Education and Participation 12/25/20151 Public Education and Participation.

Documents

Transcript of Public Education and Participation 12/25/20151 Public Education and Participation.