A brownfield project may have the approvals it needs to proceed while nearby residents are still asking what the cleanup will mean for their health, how the work will affect daily life and what the planned reuse will mean for their neighborhood.
Those questions can outlast any single approval or public meeting. How the project team answers them, and what residents see the team do in response, can shape confidence in the project from cleanup through redevelopment.
What Is a Social License to Redevelop?
The term “social license to operate” describes the ongoing acceptance of a project or operation by the people and communities it affects. In brownfield redevelopment, a social license to redevelop reflects the confidence residents have in how a project team handles cleanup and reuse.
Regulatory review asks whether the proposed cleanup meets applicable requirements and addresses the risks identified at the site. Residents may have questions of their own. Were their concerns considered? If conditions change, who will tell them and who will act?
Residents can disagree with a particular decision and still trust how the project is being handled. That trust can grow or erode as they see how the team responds to concerns and follows through on commitments.
Engage While Community Input Can Still Shape Decisions
Engage residents early enough to understand their experience with the site and give them a chance to influence decisions that affect them. Ask what would make it easier to participate. Depending on what residents say, that might mean translated materials, meetings at different times of day or a way to comment without attending a meeting.
Explain which decisions are open, who will make them and what limits the options. If the intended reuse has already been identified, residents may still be able to help shape how cleanup work is scheduled or how the team reduces disruption in the neighborhood.
When a Public Agency Leads the Cleanup
A county or other public agency may lead the cleanup of a property contaminated by a former operator. It may hire an environmental engineering firm to manage or conduct the cleanup, with a contractor carrying out fieldwork where needed. The team may be new to the site, while neighbors may have lived with questions about it for years. Before work starts, find out what residents have already been told, what commitments were made and which questions remain open.
For a cleanup funded through the EPA Brownfields program, the grant recipient is responsible for meeting the grant’s public participation requirements. At the outset, designate a public participation lead and agree on how agency staff, the environmental consultant and any communications partner will share the work. A communications partner can help develop the community relations plan, prepare clear notices and materials, and explain how residents can comment and how their input was considered. The project team should agree on who verifies technical information, who shares updates and who follows up with residents
Build Credibility Through Transparency
Even after the site assessment is complete and the intended reuse has been identified, cleanup can uncover unexpected conditions. A crew might encounter potentially contaminated soil outside the area scheduled for excavation. While the engineering firm evaluates the finding, the communications partner can work with the firm and the county to prepare a clear update for residents. The update should explain what the crew found, what remains uncertain, what precautions are in place and when residents can expect to hear more.
Once the team knows more, follow up with residents about any changes to the cleanup plan or schedule. If the finding has implications for the planned reuse, explain who will address them and when residents can expect an update.
Show How Community Input Informs Decisions
Listening helps project teams understand when residents need clearer information and when a concern may warrant a change to the work. Neighbors might point out that cleanup trucks would pass a school during morning drop-off. With that information, the team can look at whether trucks could take another route or travel at a different time.
Follow up with residents about what the team considered, what it decided and what happens next. If the team shifts truck trips outside drop-off hours, tell residents when the change will take effect. If the route and schedule stay in place, explain why and describe any steps the team will take to reduce disruption.
People should be able to see how their input was considered, even when the decision stays the same.
Maintain Trust as the Work Changes Hands
Brownfield projects can span years. At each transition, tell residents what the latest milestone means, which commitments still need attention and who will follow up. If another organization will lead redevelopment, tell residents who will take over, where they can get updates and whom to contact with questions about the planned reuse.
Regulatory Approval Opens the Door
Regulatory approval can allow a project to proceed. Community trust depends on what residents experience as the work moves forward. They should know which decisions they can still influence, how the team considered their input and who will follow through on commitments.
Visit Hummingbird Communications’ website to learn how we can help your brownfield project team lead public participation, keep residents informed and build community trust during cleanup and the transition to the site’s planned reuse.
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