Public Participation

Citizen Participation is a critical component of the NYC VCP. OER's Citizen Participation Plan consists of:

Document Repositories which allow the public to view the principal remedial documents of each VCP project. Among Repository documents is a project's Remedial Action Work Plan (RAWP), a description of a site's proposed remedy, which the public has 30 days to comment on. The RAWP also includes a Community Protection Statement which describes the good housekeeping requirements VCP projects must follow to shield the community during construction.

OER develops a Site Contact List for each VCP project to inform the public of important project information and inform the public of a 30-day Public Comment Period for each RAWP. The Site Contact List includes owners of property adjacent to a remedial site, as well as administrators of nearby schools, hospitals and day care centers, the local Community Board, and elected officials.

OER distributes three Fact Sheets to parties on the Site Contact List as a project navigates the VCP.  The first, at the start of a project, announces the availability of its RAWP for public comment; a second, at the start of construction; and a third, when remediation is complete. OER will not approve a project's RAWP and enroll a project in the VCP until the 30-day public comment period closes, and it has reviewed all comments received.