Public Education and Participation 12/25/20151 Public Education and Participation

12/25/20152 Public Education and Participation Phase I regulations contain public education requirements for:  Illicit discharge elimination  Construction site operators  Pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer application Phase II regulations contain two minimum control measures which require small MS4s to address public education and public participation

Public Education and Participation 12/25/20153 Phase II Minimum Control Measures Public Education and Outreach Distribute educational materials to the community, or Conduct equivalent outreach activities about the impacts of storm water discharges on water bodies and the steps that the public can take to reduce pollutants in storm water runoff Public Involvement /Participation Comply with State, Tribal and local public notice requirements Public Education and Participation

12/25/20154 EPA’s Getting In Step Program Two documents developed: A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns Engaging and Involving Stakeholders in Your Watershed

Public Education and Participation 12/25/20155 Auditing/Inspecting a Public Education/Participation Program An MS4’s annual report or SWMP are likely to describe most public education and participation activities When reviewing annual report/SWMP, look for:  Does the MS4 document the distribution of materials (how many, to whom?) Are they just sitting at City Hall?  Do the educational materials match the MS4’s priorities? (e.g., if sediment/construction is the biggest issue, are materials geared toward that?)  What is the frequency of distribution?

Public Education and Participation 12/25/20156 Audit/Inspection Key Questions Does the public education address specific pollutants, behaviors, land uses, or watershed issues? What are the MS4’s goals for public education? How are these measured? How has the MS4 modified its activities based on findings from other program areas (e.g., targeting audiences, developing more specific outreach, etc.)?

Public Education and Participation 12/25/20157 Common Program Components Public Education  Public education strategy  Message development  Target audiences Public participation

Public Education and Participation 12/25/20158 Public Education Strategy Ideally, MS4s should have a public education strategy that includes:  Goals and objectives  Clear messages  Defined target audience(s)  Appropriate message “packaging”  Effective distribution mechanisms

Public Education and Participation 12/25/20159 Public Education Strategy Is the strategy formalized in a planning document? Does the MS4 regularly assess the effectiveness of the public education strategy? Are the goals based on the specific pollutants or behaviors of concern in the community? Does the MS4 enlist the aid/coordinate with other “environmentally interested” associations ?

Public Education and Participation 12/25/ Public Education Strategy: Goals Goals can be quantitative  Numbers of classroom presentations per year  Number of volunteers per event Goals can also be qualitative  Increased stormwater awareness among residents that use English as a second language  Greater awareness among school-aged kids Surveys of target audiences can be used to determine qualitative changes

Public Education and Participation 12/25/ Message Development Are stormwater outreach messages clear, specific, and tied directly to elements that each audience values? Do messages encourage participation in stormwater-related activities? Do messages educate audiences about behavior changes that can improve stormwater quality?

Public Education and Participation 12/25/ Target Audiences Does the MS4 have different messages for different target audiences (children, homeowners, industrial facility operators, etc.)? Are target audiences selected based on specific behaviors of concern, land use types, watershed concerns, etc.? Does the MS4 use broad stormwater messages that are aimed at improving general public awareness?

Public Education and Participation Example

Public Education and Participation 12/25/ Example: Public Awareness Survey in North San Diego County

Public Education and Participation Example: Honolulu Tracking Awareness

Public Education and Participation 12/25/ Public Participation Is the MS4 providing the public with opportunities to:  Review and comment on SWMP updates and changes?  Participate in stormwater-related activities organized or sponsored by the MS4, such as: Storm drain stenciling? Stream clean-ups?

Public Education and Participation 12/25/ Common Compliance Problems Inappropriate or immeasurable goals Not addressing key target audiences Not customizing materials for target audiences Not developing materials for commonly spoken foreign languages Not distributing materials appropriately for target audiences Not soliciting public feedback about program development, implementation, and improvement Not coordinating or promoting stormwater-related public involvement events or activities

Public Education and Participation 12/25/ EPA’s Nonpoint Source Digital Toolbox Includes many examples of public outreach products for MS4s