Engaging and sustaining partnerships

Healthy Air for Northeast Denver (HAND) was a collaborative partnership borne out of the Northeast Denver Environmental Initiative initiated by EPA Region 8. The HAND project area covered 6 neighborhoods, and its stakeholders include non-profit, government, industry, community and academic representatives with broad experience fostering community based participation in environmental issues important in Denver. HAND partners built consensus on priorities to reduce exposure to and emissions of toxics with a focus on three areas: diesel and stationary sources, indoor air and education, and land use. To create a sustained program HAND applied the following principles: Focus on action; Focus on all sources of air toxics: stationary, mobile and indoor air; Funding to leverage participation and support; and Decision making at the stakeholder level, not by EPA or other government entities. Today we will examine the following: Building Structure for engaging all partners in Decision Making; Keeping Community Residents engaged; Collaborative process with Businesses; What have we learned - How to get it right the first time.