Issues: Green Living

YOU CAN BEAT CITY HALL!   Introduction   Know What's Happening   Get Organized   Do Your Research   Determine a Goal   Build a Coalition   Target the Decision-Makers » Get Involved in the Process   Build Support   Further Resources

Selecting locations for certain facilities, especially those with significant environmental impacts, often involves public participation. Take advantage of these opportunities to make your voice heard.

• Testify at public hearings and meetings. Be prepared to speak at city council, zoning, planning or any other regular meetings where land use in your community is discussed. But also be aware of special public meetings or hearings held to discuss particular projects. The local newspaper will contain notices of these meetings. Hearings on state facilities or those requiring state permits are usually listed in a state bulletin or register, usually available online or at a public library. In New York, for example, the weekly Environmental Notice Bulletin is available online. It notifies the public on environmental assessments and public hearings.



• Submit written comments. The environmental assessment process that occurs before the approval of many federal and state projects, projects completed with federal and state funding or projects needing federal or state permits, provides for written comments from the public. Take advantage of the chance for people in your community to influence the project through written testimony.

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