DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council recently sent letters to the chairs of each DEP advisory committee asking for their input into revising the agency’s Advisory Committee Technical Guidance.

Last revised in 1998, the Technical Guidance outlines the procedures DEP uses to solicit advice from advisory committees, when public notice of their meetings are held and information about those meetings are posted on DEP’s website.

The CAC is asking for their input by September 19.  The text of the letter follows--

Dear DEP Advisory Committee Chairperson:

As the Chairperson of your respective advisory committee to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), I am contacting you to request your input and evaluation of DEP’s use of your advisory committee to assist the agency in the development of regulations, policies, procedures and standards.  

The Public Participation Committee of DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) is reviewing the agency’s policy  #012-1920-002:  Advisory Committee Guidelines, which was finalized in 1998.  As part of that review, the CAC would like to receive your comments on how the existing policy is working and how you would change the policy to make DEP advisory committees work better and more efficiently. 

Specifically, the CAC would appreciate learning your responses to the following questions:

— How could DEP make better use of the expertise on your advisory committee?

— Does your advisory committee receive feedback from DEP when it provides comments to the agency?

— How well is your advisory committee being supported by DEP, including timely notice of meetings, distribution and posting of meeting handouts, reimbursement for expenses?

— What comments do you or your advisory committee have on DEP’s Advisory Committee Guidelines policy (1998)?

— What does your advisory committee believe are its most significant accomplishments or where does your advisory committee believe it has made its most significant impact?

The CAC’s Public Participation Committee would like to receive your responses by September 19, 2014.  Please send your responses and other relevant comments concerning DEP’s advisory committee and public participation process to Michele Tate, Executive Director of the CAC, at mtate@pa.gov.  Michele can also be contacted at 717-787-8171.

After the responses are received and reviewed, the CAC’s Public Participation Committee will invite advisory committee chairs to a roundtable discussion in October 2014 to discuss the responses and further develop recommendations with the goal of providing a report to the CAC in November 2014.

I  thank you for your participation and leadership on one of DEP’s advisory committees.  Your participation serves a critical role in helping the agency develop effective and efficient policies and regulations. 

I look forward to your comments and suggestions on how DEP’s advisory committees can be used more effectively and how the Advisory Committee Guidelines policy can be improved.

Sincerely,

Terry Dayton

Chair

DEP Citizens Advisory Council

9/8/2014