Industrial site remediation is complex and challenging. Teams assess environmental conditions, develop and implement technical solutions and coordinate with regulators. The process can take years and sometimes decades to complete.
Remediation teams also need to engage a wide array of stakeholders – federal, state and local regulators, regional governments, community groups, residents, media and employees to name a few. Each stakeholder approaches the situation from a different perspective, and each has different questions, information needs and expectations.
For companies investing significant time, resources and dollars to responsibly remediate a site, stakeholder engagement is an important part of the remediation strategy. A coordinated communications approach can help organizations maintain the freedom to operate and move remediation work forward, build trust with key stakeholders and, over time, strengthen reputation in the communities where they operate. These four principles form the foundation of successful stakeholder engagement.
1. Start by understanding your stakeholders
Develop a clear picture of the people and organizations that may be affected by and/or influence the remediation process. The list can be extensive: federal and state regulators, local elected officials, emergency responders, nearby residents and businesses, community organizations, environmental groups, employees, former employees and media, among others. If appropriate, consider prioritizing stakeholders into primary, secondary and tertiary groups.
Then consider each stakeholder individually. What does each stakeholder already know about the site? What questions or concerns are they likely to have? Who do they trust for information? How frequently do they want to hear from the company? And what is the best way to reach them? What hurdles could be encountered as the process moves forward?
A state regulator may need detailed technical information. A mayor or council member may primarily want to understand the timeline and potential community impact. A nearby resident may simply want someone to explain — in plain English — what work is happening across the street and whether it affects their family.
Taking time to understand those differences allows companies to engage stakeholders more thoughtfully and effectively.
2. Make a complicated story understandable
Environmental remediation is inherently technical. When stakeholders don’t understand what is happening, they often fill information gaps themselves or assume an organization is hiding something. And when environmental or health concerns are involved, this can create fear, frustration or distrust.
Companies need a clear, accessible narrative. That doesn’t mean oversimplifying the science or minimizing legitimate concerns. It means translating complex information into language people can understand while being candid about what is known, what is still being evaluated and how the company is addressing the situation.
Consistency matters as well. Key messages, FAQs, fact sheets, presentations, public comments and media responses should reinforce the same core story while providing the level of detail appropriate for each audience.
3. Build relationships before you need them
Companies should proactively establish relationships with priority stakeholders early in the process. The conversations are opportunities to both provide information as well as listen to the unique needs of each stakeholder. What is the community concerned about? What history does the company need to understand? Which organizations have credibility locally? What other issues are competing for residents’ attention?
These conversations can provide important perspective, flag emerging issues and help companies better understand how their actions are being perceived so that communications strategies and messaging can be refined.
If a difficult issue does emerge, stakeholders are far more likely to engage constructively with an organization they already know than one they are hearing from for the first time.
4. Communicate throughout the process; not just at milestones
Remediation timelines can be long, and there may be extended periods when there is little visible activity. Some organization may only communicate only when there is a major regulatory decision, public meeting or construction milestone. However, the silence in between these milestones can create its own narrative.
A thoughtful communications strategy considers what stakeholders need to know throughout the lifecycle of a site. In some situations, that may mean regular community updates. In others, it may mean periodic briefings with elected officials, maintaining current online information or simply ensuring company representatives remain accessible when questions arise.
It also means preparing before an issue develops: monitoring regulatory and community developments, maintaining updated holding statements and FAQs, preparing company representatives for public meetings and anticipating the questions stakeholders are likely to ask.
Proactive communications won’t eliminate every challenge. It can, however, reduce surprises and give companies greater ability to respond quickly and credibly when circumstances change.
Communications can support the freedom to remediate
At Dix & Eaton, we work with organizations managing remediation sites, helping them identify emerging issues, communicate complex information clearly and strengthen relationships with regulators, government officials, residents, community organizations and other stakeholders.
Companies that understand their stakeholders, establish a clear narrative, build relationships early and communicate consistently are better positioned to navigate the inevitable challenges that come with long-term remediation.
Most importantly, they create the conditions needed to keep the work moving forward while building trust and demonstrating their commitment to the communities where they operate.
