ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the major considerations for implementing a successful public participation program, including the objectives and value of a public participation, the design and timing of a program, and topics generally of public concern regarding the land application of Sewage sludge. A public participation plan should focus generally on moving people from the typical reactive response to Sewage sludge issues to an informed response about sludge management. A program for soliciting public participation in the siting of a Sewage sludge land application site should be tailored to fit the scale and costs of the particular project. At a public meeting it is important to present general information about the land application project and to encourage the community to take an active interest in the project’s development. A community’s specific concerns, particularly about protecting public health and safeguarding the environment, can be enough to undermine a technically strong plan for establishing a land application operation.
