Chapter 6: Section C – Fact Sheets

Table of Contents

Overview
Responsibilities
Timing
Writing the Fact Sheet
Design Elements
Design Considerations
Production and Distribution
Exhibits

Overview

Fact sheets summarize the current status of a site cleanup, permit application/ closure plan, or corrective action, and announce pending fieldwork, public meetings, or proposed decisions. Additionally they encourage interested individuals to seek more complete and detailed information through specialized resources and forums, including community information repositories, open houses, public meetings, etc. Fact sheets present technical and/or procedural information in a format that uses clear and understandable language. They vary in complexity and length, but strive to be four pages or less. Fact sheets often employ graphs, illustrations and other visual aids to convey information.

Fact sheets are useful for informing all interested parties about the basis for the agency’s proposed decision regarding a site/facility or corrective action activities.

They ensure that information is distributed in a consistent fashion so that citizens may understand the issues associated with a project.

Fact sheets with the DTSC logo must be placed on DTSC’s web site.

Timing

Fact sheets should be developed at those points during a project when DTSC has significant findings or other information to convey to the community. Factors that influence the need for a fact sheet for both site mitigation and permitting include:

• The nature of the information that is being imparted;
• The commencement of field activities that might create interest and/or concern in the community because of equipment or personal protective gear that will be used;
• Whether the information has caused this particular community (or any other community) to express interest or concern in the past; and
• Whether the affected audience would perceive a fact sheet as the appropriate medium by which the information should be imparted.

Site Mitigation

Fact sheets should be developed at points in the remedial process when DTSC has significant findings or other information to convey to the community. Fact sheets may be needed during:

• Site Discovery;
• Preliminary Endangerment Assessment (PEA);
• An emergency incident; and, during the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study, as technical milestones are reached;
• Announcing public comment periods;
• When there are Interim Remedial Measures (IRM) / or Removal Actions to inform the community of scheduled technical activities;
• Prior to the start of Remedial Investigation (RI) field activities;
• Upon completion of RI activities, or when significant sample results are available;
• Upon completion of the draft RAP;
• Upon selection of a cleanup alternative, particularly if the proposed alternative differs greatly from the alternative presented in the draft RAP; and,
• Final remediation or certification of a site;
• Prior to the start of cleanup activities.

HWM

Fact sheets should be developed at points in the project when DTSC has significant information to present to the community:

• To announce a public comment period;
• During review of the permit application or closure plan;
• Once a draft permit or closure plan is released for comment;
• Prior to any public meetings or hearings that are part of the permitting, closure or CEQA processes;
• Once a final permit or closure plan is issued, incorporating public comments;
• During facility construction, modification or closure; and,
• During the corrective action process as specified in the Public Participation Plan, or at a minimum, at the completion of the RCRA Facility Investigation and when proposing remedy selection.

Topics

There are several general categories of information that are included in fact sheets. While a fact sheet may be used to address a specific topic during a particular phase of an investigation or a project, the following basic information should also be included in the fact sheet. Refer to Exhibit 6-11, “Elements to consider for a Standard Fact Sheet”.

Site Mitigation

Site Mitigation fact sheets should include, as appropriate:

• Site background/project history;
• Structure/duties of regulatory agencies;
• Relevant hazardous waste laws/regulations;
• Site location and surrounding environs (including sensitive receptors, generally within one mile radius);
• Site cleanup process;
• Sampling results;
• Ongoing/proposed technical activities at the site;
• Community involvement opportunities, announcements of public meetings, information repositories, and DTSC or other agency contact persons; and,
• Glossary defining acronyms or technical terms; graphs indicating project calendar and milestones.
• Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) announcement;
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) information;
• E-mail address;
• A reference to information on DTSC’s web site.

HWM

Hazardous Waste Management Permitting fact sheets should include, as appropriate:

• Proposed facility location and environs (including sensitive receptors, generally within one mile radius);
• Permit application summary and process;
• Proposed closure plan summary and process;
• Structure/duties of regulatory agencies;
• Relevant hazardous waste laws/regulations;
• Facility health and safety measures;
• Hazardous material spill response measures;
• Proposed measures to control potential contamination of environs;
• Opportunities for community involvement, announcements of public meetings, information repositories, and DTSC or other agency contact persons; and,
• Glossary defining acronyms and technical terms; and graphs indicating project calendar and milestones (including sensitive receptors, generally within one mile radius).

Writing the Fact Sheet

Initial considerations when developing a fact sheet are:

Purpose

• Determine the reason for preparing the fact sheet at a given time and the primary message to be communicated.
• The introductory paragraphs of the fact sheet should provide a short explanation of who is releasing the fact sheet, why it is being released at this time, and what will be found in the remainder of the fact sheet.

Audience

• Translation of fact sheet for a non-English-speaking community.
• General education level of the community.
• Community’s history of involvement at the site or facility (if pre-existing).
• Media coverage of a project.
• Familiarity with hazardous waste issues.
• Community attitude(s) towards DTSC, other agencies, or the responsible parties.
• Diversity of interested individuals and groups, both local and statewide.
• Information that the community specifically requested during the development of the Public Participation Plan.

Fact Sheet Requirements

• All fact sheets should convey our  mission: Protection of Public Health and the Environment.
• Cal/EPA requires all of its departments and boards to use recycled paper.
• Use the current DTSC template for fact sheets (one can be obtained from a Public Participation Specialist);
• Do not forget to use the proper project contacts and return address on fact sheets so readers will know how to reach us if they have any questions. Project contacts are usually the Project Manager, and the Public Participation Specialist. Use phone numbers, and specific street addresses.
• Use the DTSC glossary, which is on the DTSC web site and is attached to this manual, to aid readers in understanding complex words, phrases or government procedures. Staff can either include definitions in the text of the fact sheet, or in a stand-alone fact sheet glossary.
• Include the State,  DTSC and Cal/EPA logos (They do not need to be placed in the same place on the fact sheet.)
• Include page numbers on every page.
• All fact sheets should include the month issued and where applicable, fact sheet numbers.
• List the following information to comply with  the Americans with Disabilities Act:
  • Public Meeting Announcements: MEETING ACCESSIBILITY:  For information on accessibility and to request reasonable accommodation, please call (Public Participation Specialist and phone number) at least one week in advance of the meeting.
  • Information Contacts section: NOTICE TO THE HEARING IMPAIRED: You can obtain additional information by using the California State Relay Service at 1-888-877-5378 (TDD). Ask them to contact the (Public Participation Specialist or Project Manager name and phone number) regarding the (project or site name).
• Include repository information.
• Include e-mail addresses.
• Include DTSC’s web site.

Writing Tips

Start organizing the fact sheet information in an outline format. (See Exhibit 6-14, “Fact Sheet Outline”.)  Key points to remember in outlining the fact sheet include:

• A  journalistic writing style is effective in fact sheets:
  • Present the facts in a concise manner;
  • Avoid complex sentences that tie together many ideas;
  • Consider the “five Ws” of journalism:  who, what, when, where, why and how;
  • Use an active voice:

Example:  “DTSC will conduct the RI.”  (active voice)

not

“The Remedial Investigation will be conducted by DTSC.”  (passive voice)
The active voice conveys to the public that DTSC is taking action to solve contamination problems in their community.

• Use language appropriate to the community’s level of understanding of the issues being discussed and the type of information requested by the community.
• Avoid acronyms, jargon, and technical terms whenever possible. If the use of these words cannot be avoided, include their definitions in a Glossary. Spell out an acronym when first used (i.e., Remedial Action Plan [RAP]) and then define it in the Glossary. Look at each “technical” word and ask whether the average community member will know what it means (e.g., use “water table” instead of “aquifer”).
• Translate where appropriate.

Design Elements

A visually appealing fact sheet is just as important as a well-written fact sheet. The first look at a fact sheet may determine whether a recipient reads it or not. Issues to consider when designing the fact sheet include:

Visual Presentations

• Headlines, page layout and graphics should be designed to catch the reader’s eye.
• When using photos, use only action shots (a person collecting a soil sample or operating some earth-moving equipment, etc.)
• On occasion, you may want to vary typeface (fonts), to break up the monotony of text-heavy fact sheets. However, try to use fonts from the same family, if possible; serif (fonts with tails, or fancier script); or a serif (without tails, or more plain or blocked script). Check with your Public Participation Specialist when selecting fonts.
• There should be enough “white space” on the page so that it appears to the reader to be both interesting and readable.
• A  two or three column format is preferred for inside pages.

Organization of Information

• Place the most important information in the beginning of the fact sheet. Use descriptive headlines to convey the key points of each section (e.g., “DTSC Finds Contamination in Soil”, “Four Alternatives for Cleaning up the Site”).
• Highlight important announcements by boxing text and placing in a prominent location on the first page.
• Draw the reader into the fact sheet by printing on the mailing label section (last page) a brief summary of the fact sheet topic (e.g., “Inside:  DTSC Investigates Contamination at the [site name] Hazardous Waste Site”).

Mailing List or Coupons

• “Tear-off” coupons provide the reader with an opportunity to be included on the site mailing list, or indicate their interest in some activity that DTSC is sponsoring;
• Coupons are usually placed on the reverse side of the recipient’s mailing label so that when cut, none of the fact sheet information is destroyed; and
• Be sure site name appears on the coupon.

Design Considerations

• Graphics should be used when they easily depict written information in the fact sheet (e.g., sampling results, or air monitoring data), or can depict locations using area maps (e.g., maps, charts, matrices, well designs, plant configurations, site layout, contaminant plumes, removal areas).
• Use spot color when possible. While much more cost-effective than four-color fact sheets, use of color can also enliven a fact sheet and provide variety. Also, various tints of the same color can be used, creating a more visually attractive format.
• Utilize the graphics library, now on the U: drive of DTSC’s wide area network (WAN). This library will contain previously used graphics (e.g., boxes, maps, charts and illustrations, etc.) on a wide range of subject matter.

Material

• Paper should be 60 or 70 pound weight (regular typing paper is 20 pound weight) to look professional and prevents text from “bleeding through” to the back side of the page;
• Use light-colored paper (i.e., white, cream, grey); and
• Use dark ink (soy-based, if possible) (i.e., black, navy blue, brown).

Size and Selection of Type (fonts)

• Typefaces (or “fonts”) are the styles of letters used to print words and should be selected to enhance document draw and attractiveness. Typeface may vary from Gothic, to computer-simulated, to standard typewriter style;
• Choose a  typeface that is easy to read and does not strain the reader’s eye;
• The height of typeface letters is measured in “points”, and it is suggested that fact sheets use a ten or twelve point type (most newspapers use a six or eight point type); and,
• Headline typeface should be two to four points larger than the text.

Production and Distribution Schedule

Significant last-minute fact sheet revisions will increase costs and delay the schedule. In general, allow four to six weeks to produce and distribute a fact sheet. (See Exhibit 6-12, “Fact Sheet Production Timeline”.)  To keep on schedule, remember:

• Have all appropriate parties review the fact sheet before it is printed.
• Expedite the review process by notifying appropriate individuals that the fact sheet will need to be reviewed by a certain time.
• If the fact sheet is being printed, it may require a minimum of seven working days, even on a rush schedule.
• Fact sheets should be mailed at least three to five working days prior to the target receipt date.
• Make sure you allow time for posting on DTSC web site (See your Public Participation Specialist for details.)
• Use the “Fact Sheet Production Checklist”, Exhibit 6-13.

Exhibit 6-14
Fact Sheet Outline

I.    Introduction

1. Outline of fact sheet
2. General description of actions (draft permit & negative declaration.)
3. Brief description of actions, include modifications.
4. Corrective action
5. List sections of fact sheet

II. Background

1. Facility or site location (include proximity to people, sensitive receptors, etc.)
2. Facility or site history
3. Contamination

III. Facility or Site Description

1. Current activities proposed
   1. Types of units and capacities, if applicable
   2. Description of wastes (chemical & familiar) B. Proposed actions

IV. Enforcement History, if applicable

1. Introduction, to include statewide enforcement
2. Description of incidents, leading to contamination or what happened
3. Summary of other enforcement actions

V. Explanation of Permit Conditions, if applicable

1. Statement of completion, with dates (Part B, Notice of Declarations, etc.)
2. Legal basis for permit
3. Categories of draft permit (list)
   1. Standard conditions
   2. General facility conditions
   3. Other conditions

VI.  Public Participation

1. Public comment period length and date, if applicable
2. Procedures for requesting a hearing meeting and/or reasonable accommodations (American Disabilities Act)
3. Location and hours of repositories
4. Where to send comments, if applicable (include e-mail address)
5. Notice of final decision, if applicable
6. Other opportunity for public involvement

VII. Statement of Basis

DTSC’s shall prepare a “statement of basis” for every draft permit for which the Public Participation Specialist has determined that a fact sheet is not necessary due to the very low community interest at a facility. The statement of basis shall briefly describe the conditions of the draft permit and the reasons for them, or in the case of notices of intent to deny or terminate, reasons for supporting the tentative decision. The “statement of basis” shall be sent to the applicant and, on request, to any other person.

VIII. Information Letters

Information letters are used to update the residents and other interested individuals on the project mailing list. These letters are not as formal as a fact sheet and usually have a short production turn-around timeline.  Writing Tips:

• Use letter format;
• Have focused topics; and
• Include contact person’s name, e-mail address, and phone number.

Refer to the Appendix for a sample of an information letter.