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To the Public Hearings and Back
November 2010
Over the past two months, we’ve travelled across the country to hold eight public hearings on the proposed Coal Combustion Residuals rule. We’ve heard compelling stories from people of all walks of life; stories about their families, their communities, and their businesses. Some brought notes scribbled on index cards; others had typed letters, poster boards, and props. Many took off from work, driving hours away from their homes. Some groups organized rallies and bussed members from several states away; we saw more than one person who attended and testified at every public hearing. National and local media came to the public hearings and conducted interviews throughout, bringing individual stories into the public light. Students from nearby colleges and universities came out in throngs, eager to participate, and even more so to learn about citizen participation and the rule-making process.
Our team went from hearing to hearing, covering seven cities in four weeks, plus a final public hearing in Tennessee last month, to hear the public’s concerns, comments, and experiences. The team started early in the morning at every public meeting, and stayed until they heard from every single person who wanted to speak, often until late in the evening. To accommodate the large number of people giving testimonies, we asked attendees to register online, and often worked through scheduled breaks to accommodate as many as possible, with more than 200 speakers in some cities. While each person only had three minutes to speak at the hearing, written comments were accepted at the hearing and through mail or online.
In total, more than 2,600 people attended the hearings, including more than 1,400 individuals who provided oral testimony. Transcripts of the oral testimonies will be made available on this site. To date we’ve received about 200,000 public comments online or in the mail. Once the comment period closes on November 19th, 2010, we will review and analyze each of the comments. Find out how to submit comments here. Our response to the comments will be in the Preamble to the final rule, and a detailed “Response to Comments Document” will also be prepared and posted in the final rulemaking docket. The EPA Administrator will make the decision on the elements of the final rule, often after consulting with other Agency managers and legal counsel. The decisions will be made after all the comments have been reviewed and analyzed.
