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DTSC unveils 'Community Considerate Cleanups' to add plain-language summaries and feedback reports
Summary
DTSC introduced a Community Considerate Cleanups (C3) framework that adds a plain‑language C3 summary to cleanup plans, recommends early pre‑engagement and community feedback reports, and emphasizes minimizing disruption during remediation while documenting how public input shaped decisions.
Natasha DPro, a senior geologist at DTSC, and Jen Stackhouse, a toxicologist in DTSC’s Human and Ecological Risk Office, described a new Community Considerate Cleanups (C3) framework aimed at centering communities in the cleanup design and communication.
Under C3, consultants would include a plain‑language "C3 summary" at the start of cleanup plans that answers common questions: why the cleanup is necessary; how people will be protected during the work; what will happen in the neighborhood during and after cleanup; how the public can stay informed; and who to contact with concerns. The agencies said the section should be updated as community engagement yields new information.
DTSC also proposed a structured pre‑engagement phase—audience‑driven outreach, sitewalks, one‑to‑one meetings for sensitive sites and coordination with local groups (PTAs, churches, HOAs). A novel element is the "community feedback report," which documents how public comments or questions were received and how the agency or consultant incorporated or addressed them in the cleanup plan.
DTSC presenters emphasized practical protections during cleanup (minimizing dust, noise and traffic) and noted that vapor intrusion work often requires access to occupied buildings, making early and respectful engagement essential.
Community participants and workshop questions reinforced persistent barriers: landlords denying access to indoor testing, parcels treated independently rather than areawide, and the need for coordinated interagency data-sharing. Lenny Seagull and community representatives urged agencies to fund or facilitate independent technical review for impacted residents.
Why it matters: C3 spells out expectations for clear communications and accountability in cleanup planning and may improve trust where access and long‑term operation of mitigation systems are concerns. DTSC characterized the C3 elements as best practices rather than binding requirements and invited stakeholders to adopt and refine them.
