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|
| Title: |
Good Neighbor Agreements |
| Resource type: |
Resource person |
| Topics: |
Business, Communities
|
| Keywords: |
environmental justice, arbitration, facilitation, third-party, neutral, community, neighbor |
| Audience: |
Business, Citizens, Government, Nonprofit
|
| Region: |
Minnesota Statewide, Outside Minnesota
|
| Summary: |
A "good neighbor agreement," or a "good neighbor dialogue," is a voluntary mediation process by which neighbors to a business and that business work towards improving the environmental performance of the business, typically decreasing air pollution. |
| Content: |
A citizen-based group in the business' neighborhood, working with a mediator and perhaps involving the local municipality, works with a facility manager and staff to see if agreement is possible on improvements in plant performance. In almost all cases in Minnesota, GNAs have achieved results beyond what would have been possible through the traditional regulatory process (contesting a permit application) and legal process (suing the company). Initiating GNAs just before or during permit reviews, however, provides a business and citizens with greatest motivation to achieve a mutually satisfactory solution.
Typically the superior environmental and economic benefits of pollution prevention changes (focusing on eliminating the use of toxic chemicals), instead of pollution control technologies, are pursued during good neighbor dialogues. In Minnesota during the 1990s there were several formal good neighbor processes begun and agreements signed, including:
* Smith Foundry (Minneapolis)
* Crown Cork and Seal (Faribault)
* Crystal Cabinet Works (Princeton)
* American National Can (Minneapolis)
* Flour City Architectural Metals (Minneapolis)
See a copy of the 2004 agreement with Rock-Tenn Corporation in St. Paul at http://secomo.org/drupal/index.php?q=home (click on http://secomo.org/drupal/index.php?q=good-neighbors ).
Current (2008) public-private work at Rock-Tenn is guided by a community advisory panel, which is advising on a study of renewable energy choices to fuel Rock-Tenn's paper recycling operations in St. Paul. This project is important to the environment, public health and air quality, as well as an opportunity to offer safe and efficient energy choices and a boost to St. Paul's economic and job vitality. Agenda topics include: energy conservation, plant sizing, and criteria setting to evaluate fuel and technology options.
For more information see www.rtadvisory.org (meeting minutes, agendas, video, press, blog, technology report from the St. Paul Port Authority).
For more details on these Minnesota case studies and guidance in initiating good neighbor dialogues, contact
Philipp Muessig of the MPCA at 651/215-0204 or philipp.muessig@state.mn.us
or
Justin Eibenholzl (pronounced "i-been-holts"), Environmental Coordinator, Southeast Como Improvement Assocation (in Minneapolis), 612/676-1731, e-mail: ec@secomo.org
For more information on GNAs see: http://www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/success/good_neighbor_project.shtml Current contact information for Sanford Lewis, national expert on Good Neighbor Agreements, can be found at http://www.strategiccounsel.net/ (click on "About Us").
|
| Suggested by: |
Philipp Muessig
|
| Added: |
11/9/01 |
| Updated: |
10/16/09 |
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