MEEKER AVENUE PLUME CAG MISSION AND OPERATING PROCEDURES
This is a living document and may be revised, in writing, by the CAG Steering Committee and Voting Members, by 60% vote
Purpose of the CAG (or Mission Statement)
The Meeker Avenue Plume Community Advisory Group (MAPCAG) is a group of people impacted or potentially impacted by the Meeker Avenue Plume Superfund site (Site), proximate surrounding neighbors, local business representatives, community service providers, and activists who live in or near the Site, who strive to represent the diverse fabric of the community, future residents, and the environment.
The goals of the MAPCAG are:
To advocate for the most stringent, thorough, protective, and timely cleanup of the Site that respects the environment of all communities;
To understand the contamination, the actual and perceived risks it poses to health and the environment, and the technologies available to address it;
To share knowledge in lay terms, in a manner that empowers, rather than frightens the community;
To be an available, present, trusted resource to the community, including for non-English speaking community members;
To educate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the community, community’s concerns about the Site, and preferences regarding cleanup.
In pursuit of its goals, the CAG will:
Hold open public meetings to receive and discuss information about the Site, and to share community concerns, questions, and priorities with EPA for consideration and response;
Conduct outreach in the community to educate those who may be unaware of Site contamination and its potential impacts, and to learn about community members’ questions and concerns regarding the Site;
Create and maintain communication tools and resources to keep the community informed (including both online and a physical, visual tool to place in the community);
Provide feedback to EPA on documents and plans leading to and including proposed cleanup actions;
Help coordinate indoor air testing for all affected properties and businesses;
Implement best practices from other CAGs and strive to be a resource for future CAGs; and
Will strive to establish a diverse voting body reflective of the community and with a variety of skills.
Structure/Roles
The Meeker Avenue CAG will establish the following roles:
Members at large: all individuals or groups with an interest in the Site;
Voting Members: those who meet the criteria set forth below;
Steering Committee: those who meet the below criteria and who will act as the main point of contact between CAG members and EPA, other institutional stakeholders, and the press.
Liaisons: those the CAG will keep informed and may look to for support, including:
EPA
Local elected officials
Cooper Park Houses
Public libraries
Schools located within the investigation area
Area churches
Area universities
Community boards
Local community organizations
Facilitator: So long as supported by EPA, the facilitator, a neutral, outside party, will work with the Steering Committee and EPA to develop agendas, facilitate meetings, draft meeting summaries, follow-up on action items between meetings, and seek to resolve conflicts that may arise.
Selection Process:
Community members– All members of the public are invited to participate as members at large.
Voting members – Interested parties will submit an application for Voting Membership to the CAG Steering Committee, who by at least 60% vote, will determine membership with a goal of achieving inclusion and equitable representation of the community.
Steering Committee – The Interim Steering Committee will continue on as the Steering Committee to start, and in Q1 2025, all voting members interested in being on the Steering Committee can self-nominate for a position. The Voting Members and Steering Committee members will vote for Steering Committee members to serve the next term of 1 year with no term limits.
The steering committee will create task-driven committees to address various needs (e.g. social media expertise, etc). Voting members and members at large can participate in the committees.
Opportunities for Non-Voting Community Members
Hold no formal responsibilities
Are welcome to attend and speak at CAG meetings
May join ad-hoc committees and participate in volunteer opportunities
Responsibilities of Voting Members
Will carry out the mission of the CAG
Have no conflict of interest
Have a connection to the Site
Willing to prepare for and actively participate in CAG functions (e.g., CAG meetings, document reviews, community outreach)
Committed to sharing Site information within the community and to bring community concerns/needs back to the CAG
Committed to participating in accordance with the code of conduct, below; and
Committed to regularly attending CAG meetings, with no more than 4 consecutive absences in a row (with exceptions for extenuating circumstances)
Responsibilities of Steering Committee Members
Must meet all of the Voting Membership responsibilities
Knowledgeable about the Site, the CAG, and the community
Committed to keeping CAG Liaisons informed
Will work with stakeholders to prepare agendas for public CAG meetings
Will utilize expertise of Voting Members and Liaisons to develop well-reasoned CAG comments on EPA documents
Will do their best to ensure that all interested parties have access to information about the Site and cleanup, and an avenue to share their views on the same
CAG Operations
CAG meetings will be held monthly on the second Wednesday, from 6 - 8 p.m. For the foreseeable future, general CAG meetings will be held in-person, but we can revisit this decision once the CAG has more voting members
Meeting agendas, summaries and announcements will be posted on a CAG webpage, through social media, and via email to all who signed up for information;
Agendas will include a standing list of goals (e.g., updated boundaries, comprehensive testing) to check on at each meeting
General CAG meetings will be open to the public
Special meetings of the Steering Committee or other committees appointed by the Steering Committee may not be open to the public
Code of Conduct – all members of the CAG will be expected to act in accordance with the following at CAG meetings:
Listen to learn and understand
Treat others how you’d like to be treated
Be concise so others may be heard
Stay focused on the purpose of the meeting and the purpose of the CAG
Represent your own views as well as the views of your neighbors or whose whom you represent
CAG recommendations to EPA are advisory only, but in accordance with EPA guidance, EPA will listen to and seriously consider them.