[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR25.3]

[Page 276]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
               CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
 
PART 25_PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAMS UNDER THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION 
 
Sec. 25.3  Policy and objectives.

    (a) EPA, State, interstate, and substate agencies carrying out 
activities described in Sec. 25.2(a) shall provide for, encourage, and 
assist the participation of the public. The term, ``the public'' in the 
broadest sense means the people as a whole, the general populace. There 
are a number of identifiable ``segments of the public'' which may have a 
particular interest in a given program or decision. Interested and 
affected segments of the public may be affected directly by a decision, 
either beneficially or adversely; they may be affected indirectly; or 
they may have some other concern about the decision. In addition to 
private citizens, the public may include, among others, representatives 
of consumer, environmental, and minority associations; trade, 
industrial, agricultural, and labor organizations; public health, 
scientific, and professional societies; civic associations; public 
officials; and governmental and educational associations.
    (b) Public participation is that part of the decision-making process 
through which responsible officials become aware of public attitudes by 
providing ample opportunity for interested and affected parties to 
communicate their views. Public participation includes providing access 
to the decision-making process, seeking input from and conducting 
dialogue with the public, assimilating public viewpoints and 
preferences, and demonstrating that those viewpoints and preferences 
have been considered by the decision-making official. Disagreement on 
significant issues is to be expected among government agencies and the 
diverse groups interested in and affected by public policy decisions. 
Public agencies should encourage full presentation of issues at an early 
stage so that they can be resolved and timely decisions can be made. In 
the course of this process, responsible officials should make special 
efforts to encourage and assist participation by citizens representing 
themselves and by others whose resources and access to decision-making 
may be relatively limited.
    (c) The following are the objectives of EPA, State, interstate, and 
substate agencies in carrying out activities covered by this part:
    (1) To assure that the public has the opportunity to understand 
official programs and proposed actions, and that the government fully 
considers the public's concerns;
    (2) To assure that the government does not make any significant 
decision on any activity covered by this part without consulting 
interested and affected segments of the public;
    (3) To assure that government action is as responsive as possible to 
public concerns;
    (4) To encourage public involvement in implementing environmental 
laws;
    (5) To keep the public informed about significant issues and 
proposed project or program changes as they arise;
    (6) To foster a spirit of openness and mutual trust among EPA, 
States, substate agencies and the public; and
    (7) To use all feasible means to create opportunities for public 
participation, and to stimulate and support participation.