Summary of Communication and Outreach

Work Group Conference Call

March 19, 1997

I. PURPOSE

A teleconference meeting of the Communication & Outreach Work Group took place on March 19, 1997 to discuss the status of the brochure, distribution lists, development of the Plain English Guide to Implementation, and the template for issue paper summaries. Following is a summary of the discussion and proposed action items.

II. PARTICIPANTS

Work Group members in attendance:

Tom Curran, Co-chair, OAQPS/ITPID

Ron White, Co-chair, ALA

Jan Kleeman, OAQPS/ITG

Bill Baker, EPA Region II

Alice Collingwood, PSAPCA

Stephanie Cooper for Bruce Carhart, OTC

Kathy Ellis, DoD

Caryl Pfeiffer, Kentucky Utilities Co.

Quin Shea, NMA

Scott Thomas, Oklahoma DEQ

Work Group members not in Attendance:

Tad Aburn, MDE

Susan Bullard, OMS

Margaret Cook, Intertribal Council of Arizona

Mike Kenyon, EPA Region I

Nancy Kruger, STAPPA/ALAPCO

Jayne Mardock, Clean Air Network

Nancy Seidman, Massachusetts DEP

Richard Paul, AAMA

Others: Kathy Brockett, EPA Region II

Deborah Amaral, EC/R Incorporated (EPA Contractor support)

III.	MEETING SUMMARY

Action items

1)	EPA will check on whether the distribution of the brochure to local officials will be through the Regional offices. Contact Jan Kleeman to obtain additional copies after the initial distribution.

2)	Each Region needs to make it known that it has copies of the brochure to distribute. EPA will put a message on the TTN and the Website to let people know the brochure is available and how it may be obtained.

3)	The Phase 1 Report should be distributed to the states, to CAAAC, and to the EPA libraries. It should also be uploaded onto the TTN and the Website.

4)	The plain English summaries will mainly be distributed with the brochure and to the Subcommittee. EPA will wait to see what additional interest exists.

5)	Work group members should get comments on the existing EPA Fact Sheet to Jan Kleeman by Wednesday, March 26, 1997. She will consolidate the comments for the group to use in developing the draft Plain English Guide to Implementation.

6)	The draft Plain English Guide to Implementation will be created and circulated to the Work Group for discussion at the next face-to-face meeting, April 7, 1997.

7)	Volunteers from the Work Group have already been identified for each issue paper. Each Work Group member should work with the respective issue paper author to make sure the plain English summaries get done.

8)	The process and who has responsibility for contacting whom to coordinate on the plain English summaries are topics that the co-chairs should bring to the Coordination Group at the April 7, 1997 meeting in Falls Church, VA.

Other items to note:

1)	Schedule for upcoming meetings:

4/7	1:00 - 4:00 p.m. EDT	Fairview Park Marriott

3111 Fairview Park Drive

Falls Church, Virginia 22042

Telephone: 703-849-9400

IV.	SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION

Status of Brochure

The brochure has been approved by EPA. The last modifications are being made by the contractor, and the brochure should be camera-ready and go to the printer the week of March 24, 1997. EPA expects the turnaround time to be 4 to 6 weeks, and is having 10,000 copies printed.

Distribution Lists

Distribution Plan for the Brochure

The distribution plan indicates 200 copies of the brochure will be distributed to members of the Communication and Outreach Work Group. Members needing additional copies after the initial distribution should contact Jan Kleeman.

EPA will check on whether the distribution of the brochure to local officials will be through the Regional offices.

Each Region needs to make it known that it has copies of the brochure to distribute. EPA will put a message on the TTN and the Website to let people know the brochure is available and how it may be obtained.

Distribution Plan for the Phase 1 Report

It is difficult to know who is the audience for the Phase 1 Report, as the FACA participants are already following the process. The Phase 1 Report should be distributed to the States, to the CAAAC, and to the EPA Regional Offices and libraries. It will also be available in an electronic format. EPA will try to place the Phase 1 report on the TTN and the Website.

Distribution Plan for the Plain English Summaries

The summaries can be placed in the brochure as inserts and can also be available electronically. Ideally they would all be ready in six weeks, but not all of them will be.

The summaries will mainly be distributed with the brochure and to the Subcommittee. Affected interests may request multiple copies. The summaries will be easier to duplicate than the brochure. Work Group members think the summaries will be extremely useful, and want copies to distribute. EPA will wait to see what additional interest exists.

Development of Plain English Guide to Implementation

EPA received comments from Ron White and Richard Paul on the combination of the existing EPA Fact Sheet (about how the new standards will affect "my city or county") and the timeline, to be used in creating a draft Plain English Guide to Implementation. Work Group members should get comments on the existing EPA Fact Sheet to Jan Kleeman by Wednesday, March 26, 1997. She will consolidate the comments for the group.

EPA questioned whether it would be feasible to get consensus across the Work Group, and the FACA Subcommittee on the Plain English Guide to Implementation. The different viewpoints on implementation within FACA are worth discussing. It may be that the existing Fact Sheet just needs to be updated. It will be less controversial if the draft Plain English Guide to Implementation sticks to process and timing, and avoids "what if" scenarios.

The piece will need to be reviewed by the whole FACA Subcommittee. Will it be produced by the EPA or the FACA? Is it appropriate to put EPA material on the FACA Website?

Members expressed concerns about FACA putting the Guide out on its own. It needs to have a disclaimer on it about not necessarily reflecting the views of the individuals within the FACA process.

The FACA Subcommitte has enough other issues that it does not need to use its time trying to reach consensus on the Guide. The updated Guide will be circulated to the Work Group for discussion at the next face-to-face meeting, April 7, 1997.

Template for Plain English Issue Paper Summaries

A template and two samples of the Plain English Issue Paper Summaries were distributed to Work Group members with the material for the teleconference. The samples are not final, but were put together to start discussion on the format. More work is needed on the content. Volunteers from the Work Group have already been identified for each issue paper. Each volunteer should work with the respective issue paper author to make sure the plain English summaries get done.

The contractor will do the first drafts of the plain English summaries. The process and who has responsibility for contacting whom to coordinate on the summaries are topics that the co-chairs should bring to the Coordination Group at the April 7, 1997 meeting in Falls Church, VA.

The current layout has value, but start with what is being recommended. Put the first sentence of the last paragraph first on the sample summary of the AOI paper. It tells people why they should read this: something is changing.

How will they be distributed, alone or together? Is there a need to explain the "national advisory panel?" Do a cover sheet naming the set of sheets and explaining the FACA. Also, refer people to the Website. Name all the issue papers, but check off which ones are enclosed in the bundle.

Not everything can be simplified, but avoid jargon. People have different associations with the term "air quality control regions."