OUTREACH, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

PORTSfuture Public Outreach Report

The Ohio University PORTSfuture Project signifies efforts of DOE to significantly engage the community about the future of the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant.

PORTSfuture was designed in three phases, using a community-based participatory approach, to ensure a comprehensive public outreach and engagement strategy.

Ohio University (OU) Public Outreach
Project Timeline

Summer 2010-Fall 2011

  • Attend Site Specific Advisory Board (SSAB) Full Board meetings and SSAB subcommittee meetings. Present updates on our progress to SSAB as requested/as appropriate.

Summer-Fall 2010

  • Identify and interview persons involved with Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) to inform OU outreach efforts.
  • Conduct outreach activities at county fairs and other public events in the 4 county area around PORTS

  • To educate the public on OU’s role and outreach process

  • To gather contacts for persons interested in participating in end-state visioning teams that will meet in the fall of 2010. These teams will convene to develop future use/end-state scenarios for PORTS.
  • Conduct focus groups to assist in the development of a public opinion survey related to issues/concerns/hopes for the future use of PORTS.
  • Develop and pilot test the phone survey.

Fall 2010

  • Administer phone survey to residents of the labor market area (4 county region of Pike, Ross, Scioto, and Jackson Counties) about perceptions/ideas/concerns of the future use of the site.
  • Develop and administer a separate survey to administer to current employees at the site.

Winter-Spring 2011

  • Convene visioning teams and hold public meetings to develop possible end-state scenarios to be presented to Department of Energy (DOE).
  • Continue outreach activities.

Spring of 2011

  • Present and discuss end-state scenarios with the general public and submit scenarios to DOE.

Summer-Fall of 2011

  • Submit report of public outreach activities.

Website

  • OU will post information and updates on our outreach project.
  • The site will gather input from the public on the OU outreach process and gather ideas for future use of the PORTS site.
Timeline (Downloadable PDF)