Gayle Fisher
Carlsbad Area Office
Technical Assistance Contractor

Dennis Hurtt
U.S. Department of Energy's
Carlsbad Area Office

Chris West
Westinghouse Waste Isolation Division

The Carlsbad Area Office is committed to providing information and involving its stakeholders in the decision-making process. Stakeholders for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant are diverse, and their interests and preferences for involvement vary from person to person. For this reason, the Carlsbad Area Office has developed a layered public involvement program involving several techniques, both old and new, which provide information at a variety of levels and in a number of ways. To ensure the information is both understood and valued, the public affairs staff conducts evaluations and sets up feedback avenues. If the program doesn't work, it is discarded. Programs that do work are continually improved as appropriate. All this effort takes teamwork and planning. The Carlsbad Area Office and its contractors work together, company blind, to strategize and then implement outreach programs to achieve success.

 Over the years, Carlsbad Area Office officials have learned a few things about public outreach. Some elements work well and others don't. But just as a person who is getting dressed for the cold weather needs several items of clothing such as a hat, gloves, coat and scarf to be really warm, a public outreach program needs several elements to be really effective. When you go outside on a cold day, you'll see people dressed according to their personal preferences. Some need a wool coat while others barely require a sweater. It just depends. It's the same with stakeholders. They might want a few facts, or they might want to read an entire document and provide feedback. A one-size-fits-all approach may work well for some people, but is not considered an effective use of resources at the Carlsbad Area Office. A tailored outreach program has been designed to meet the information and involvement needs of diverse stakeholders.

An outreach program isn't worth much unless it's geared toward those persons interested in or affected by the program. In this case, the program is the Waste Isolation Project Plant (WIPP), a repository designed for the disposal of transuranic waste in southeastern New Mexico. Stakeholders are as diverse as the science teacher in Carlsbad to the international researcher in Vienna, Austria. Anti-nuclear activists, affected Indian tribes, government officials at all levels, and many others are also stakeholders. In fact, for planning purposes, the Carlsbad Area Office has divided stakeholder groups into four broad categories: neighboring communities and New Mexico, nationwide stakeholders, institutional and governmental representatives, and international stakeholders. Some 3,000 persons receive regular information about the WIPP.

So how do you develop an outreach program that reaches everyone interested or involved? First, you listen to your stakeholders, try new outreach layers, and then learn from your mistakes. At least that has been the WIPP way. Here are some of the lessons, or steps, we've learned. They are called the "ten steps to building a successful mix-and-match public outreach program based on stakeholder wants and needs."

Any good clothes shopper will tell you that the best way to stretch your clothing dollars is to mix and match, creating a layering effect. The same is true with an outreach program. Stakeholders as diverse as a local businessmen to an active environmentalist will want to know different levels of information for different subjects. How do you keep everyone satisfied, particularly if everyone goes to the same places for information? Mixing and matching is essential.

A fact sheet may provide all the information one stakeholder needs to know about a subject. Another person may want to scrutinize the entire document, ask questions, and provide feedback in a timely manner. Others just want to get a one-time question answered while others want continued updates. CAO officials have responded with a layered approach.

Programs like the WIPP Information Center, with its toll-free telephone number, provide quick information to specific questions. The WIPP Home Page provides instant information on a variety of topics. Fact sheets and brochures also are available on a variety of topics, and exhibits, tours, and presentations provide visual and audio information.

The CAO Monthly Calendar, the TRU Progress newsletter, stakeholder letters, and media releases are available for those who want updated information on a continual basis, such as almost 3,000 persons currently listed on a WIPP stakeholder database. Of course, newspapers carry regular stories about the WIPP, and media specialists regularly interact with journalists nationwide. They have an extensive media list which sends out information via fax machine almost instantly.

Other stakeholders want to be more involved than just receiving information. They want to provide their opinions and comments about the progress of the WIPP. The Carlsbad Area Office has developed programs to fit those needs.

The Envoy Program, for example, provides one-on-one communication between the Carlsbad Area Office and opinion leaders and groups with an interest in the WIPP and the National Transuranic Waste Program. The Envoy Program provides opportunities for development of mutual trust as it matches key groups or individual stakeholders with CAO participants who act as a direct liaison.

The Carlsbad Area Office also holds meetings, both for the general public and invited participants, to solicit comments from stakeholders. Queries and comments from stakeholders are sought in a variety of ways. The Carlsbad Area Office has been holding regular meetings with regulators, oversight groups, and other stakeholders through the WIPP Quarterly Meetings and the EPA Technical Exchanges. Through these meetings, the Carlsbad Area Office is able to immediately respond to technical concerns and comments about the WIPP. Staffers at the WIPP Information Center log summaries of comments from stakeholders on a call sheet, and concerns and questions are addressed within a reasonable time period. The Internet E-mail system and fax machine also are used along with letters and phone calls to solicit and respond to stakeholder comments.

Reading rooms, at locations across the country, provide technical documents and information materials for stakeholders. Some documents also are available via the Internet. In the past three years, stakeholders have had more than 125 separate public opportunities to voice concerns and offer input to the program. These opportunities have included scoping meetings on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Disposal Phase Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, regular quarterly meetings with oversight groups such as the New Mexico Environmental Evaluation Group, meetings with leaders of communities impacted by the WIPP site, meetings with tribal governments, and hearings conducted by regulators.

Just as there is special clothing designed for certain occasions, the Carlsbad Area Office also custom fits some outreach activities for some groups of stakeholders. For example, the Carlsbad Area Office works with state and local governments, and government consortia, such as the Western Governors' Association and the Southern States Energy Board, to carry out cooperative agreements, including those related to emergency response and public information. In 1997, the Carlsbad Area Office obtained a resolution from the Western Governors Association recognizing the importance of WIPP shipments for the second consecutive year. In addition, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the Southern States Energy Board and the Department of Energy adopting the WIPP transportation safety protocols developed by the southern states.

The Carlsbad Area Office also has entered into cooperative agreements with New Mexico and four Native American governments in a continuing effort to ensure that the emergency response community in affected areas is well trained and equipped in the unlikely event of a WIPP-related transportation incident. Two of the four tribal agreements were signed in 1997.

Other examples of tailored outreach techniques include the translation of several key public information materials into Spanish for Hispanic populations. Also, bilingual presentations are provided upon request. Additionally, a special telephone service will provide opportunities for non-English-speaking stakeholders to receive information if the Joint Information Center is activated due to an incident involving the transportation or disposal of transuranic waste. This service is also available to a caller seeking information from the WIPP Information Center.

A good wool sweater is always a winter staple, one you can wear for years and years. Fads, such as a clothing item with an outrageous color or design, usually don't endure one season. It's the same with outreach programs. The WIPP project has some outstanding outreach staples: a WIPP tour program, speakers bureau, media outreach and exhibits program, as examples. They've been around for a long time and are usually part of a basic outreach program for many different types of projects. At the WIPP, these outreach programs are effective because they're timely, visual, flexible, and responsive.

Most of the time, requests for one of these outreach tools is made by the stakeholders themselves. From that point, however, WIPP officials tailor the information materials to fit the request. Everyone is treated the same way but differently. That is, all requests are handled promptly and appropriately, but the requests vary. A 20-minute standard WIPP presentation wouldn't work for a group of renowned geologists who are only interested in salt rock mechanics.

The statistics speak for themselves. In fiscal year 1997, CAO representatives gave 82 presentations around the world, spoke to 84 educational groups, set up 39 exhibits, had 652 individual media interactions, wrote 115 media releases and advisories, and took 220 groups on WIPP tours. These tour groups included U.S. senators, international visitors, college students, citizens, and many others.

A good seamstress can often make a piece of clothing last several years longer. It's the same with an outreach program. At the WIPP, evaluations are performed to see whether some adjustments are needed to make the product or program more effective. These take time, however, and evaluations are being done at the WIPP program-by-program to enhance the outcome. A stakeholder evaluation of TRU Progress, the quarterly WIPP newsletter, resulted in the following: the publication of a special transportation edition based on stakeholder's interest in the issue, and a regular update feature in each edition on the various transuranic waste sites. Additionally, articles on regulatory compliance requirements and status also have been added more frequently. Overall, most readers found the newsletter meets their information needs.

An informal survey of WIPP tours during Community Appreciation Day revealed that most participants were satisfied with what they saw, and the information they received. These tours of the underground repository and support facilities have been fine-tuned over the years, and the specially-trained tour guides field diverse, often complex questions from stakeholders from all walks of life.

Currently, a new program is being developed to enhance the CAO outreach team's capabilities. This new program is designed to train and test those persons who speak on behalf of the WIPP. The objective is to ensure that these persons speak effectively and appropriately. Communicators must pass a certain number of modules to be qualified and will receive additional training if needed.

A few years ago, when a fabric called Gortex was introduced, it changed the rainwear industry. Computers have done the same for communications. To keep up with the times, the Carlsbad Area Office now maintains an information-packed home page. Now, any individual with a modem and a personal computer can access WIPP information on the World Wide Web. The home page includes all the latest public information (such as newsletters, calendars, and news releases), plus key technical documents such as the CAO's Compliance Certification Application and Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Disposal Phase Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.

Those who don't have a computer can get information by calling a toll-free hotline where on-line staff provide general information to callers, while more complex questions are forwarded to the appropriate subject matter experts. Staffers at the information center maintain a large stock of informational pieces that can be forwarded to callers on request.

Again, the statistics speak for themselves. In fiscal year 1997, there were 256,946 hits on the Internet/Home Page compared to 40,756 the year before. More than 1,300 computer users requested information about the WIPP over the Internet. In an average week, there are several thousand hits. The toll-free hotline received 1,248 phone calls requesting information in fiscal year 1997. In addition, on-line staff sent out 1,852 pieces of information. All requests for information are tracked, and replies are usually sent out within 10 working days if the information is readily available.

When traveling, a person plans carefully so that nothing essential is forgotten. This person might watch the weather channel or call ahead to find out the appropriate dress for all occasions. Planning is essential for any outreach program, also. Due to limited resources, the appropriate mix of programs is essential to cover all the bases. In looking ahead, public affairs staff ask what milestones are coming up that require a public participation component? What outreach layers will work, which ones need enhancement, and are new programs needed?

The CAO's Stakeholder Outreach Plan, recently revised, reflects this planning process. The plan is designed to reflect the CAO's overall priorities as well. The mission is to provide an effective two-way communication link between stakeholders and the Carlsbad Area Office to foster greater understanding and meaningful involvement in achieving the Carlsbad Area Office mission and programs. In finalizing this revised plan, the CAO held a retreat in 1997 for all public affairs staff to develop and refine goals and strategies collectively. Key changes were made as a result. Most people said they felt it was beneficial to participate in the planning as well as the implementation of these strategies.

The National Outreach Partnership Program is an example of a new program created after some project forecasting. About two years ago, when CAO public outreach staff looked ahead at what was needed to successfully communicate with a national constituency, particularly those stakeholders living around transuranic waste sites, they developed a partnership program with those DOE sites. They offered speakers, exhibits, information materials, and one-on-one interactions with key government officials and other stakeholders. CAO officials took the approach that they would be more successful if they worked with the individual DOE site public affairs staff and state and local government officials. The approach worked, and is now being expanded to transportation corridor states. CAO staff also work with the states through the Western Governors' Association and the Southern States Energy Board.

Even though it may never rain, many people take an umbrella along on a trip, even to a dry climate. The Joint Information Center is designed to be activated in the event of an incident involving the transportation or disposal of transuranic waste. Training and exercises are scheduled regularly to prepare public affairs staff to handle questions and provide information to stakeholders effectively. Drills are not announced in advance in order to simulate what would happen in the case of a real incident.

Market research is an essential component for clothing manufacturers. Why produce something that won't sell? It's the same with an outreach program. It might be tempting to produce a brochure or a fact sheet that CAO officials think is essential, but what if nobody reads it? Understanding this, CAO officials ask stakeholders what they want to know. Better yet, the toll-free hotline gives a good indication of what information many stakeholders are requesting about the WIPP. The log of their requests and comments is circulated to CAO managers for review and planning purposes.

Using other techniques such as one-on-one interviews, focus groups and stakeholder comments from meetings and other interactions, the CAO public affairs staff design products that are designed to be informative and interesting to the majority of stakeholders. Stakeholder interviews in Santa Fe, for example, showed that transportation issues are important to them. As a result, a special edition of TRU Progress focused on various subjects related to the successful transportation of transuranic waste across highways to the WIPP. Also, a WIPP Information Office was opened in Santa Fe to better communicate with stakeholders in northern New Mexico.

Sometimes, a product is provided to stakeholders to see whether they find it useful. For example, CAO public affairs staff developed a citizens' guide to the voluminous Compliance Certification Application to the Environmental Protection Agency. This guide was then given to several local stakeholders for comment. Based on their input, the guide was adjusted accordingly so that it would be easier to read. Ten thousand copies were printed, and they were distributed in just a few months. Numerous stakeholders called to request this guide because it really helped them understand what was involved in producing a lengthy application for regulatory certification of an underground repository for radioactive waste.

None of these interviews or surveys are scientific studies, nor are they designed to be. They are just ways to find out what WIPP stakeholders really want to know. One thing we have found is that scientific studies can give us an overall view of public opinion, but they are less effective in predicting the activities of small but very active interest groups.

Wearing an undershirt in cold weather can be as important as wearing external layers. Internal stakeholders such as employees and families are as vital to the Carlsbad Area Office as external stakeholders. For that reason, special efforts are made to communicate with them. The TRU Team Edition newsletter provides information to employees about the WIPP, and meetings are held to update staffers. A Community Appreciation Day was recently held at the WIPP site for families, friends, and neighbors of WIPP employees as well as any other member of the public. Several hundred people turned out for this event.

An old adage says to throw away those clothes you haven't worn in a year. The same goes for outreach programs. Evaluations, surveys and information discussions with colleagues should reveal which programs are worth keeping, which ones need to be fixed, and which ones should be thrown away. A good public participation program will always contain layers of information and opportunities to participate. Those pieces, however, can be added, deleted, or mixed and matched to fit any situation depending on the stakeholder's wants and needs.

All this effort takes planning, however, and a good team is essential. The teamwork concept is taken very seriously at the Carlsbad Area Office. Contractors often work together on the same task without worrying about scope of work issues. It's not which company should perform the task, but which person can do the best job. This allows the free flow of information among all team members, so that the important task of meeting the multi-faceted needs of diverse stakeholders is always paramount.

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