The next meeting of the Community Involvement Advisory Council (CIAC) will be held 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 13 at the Smyrna Rest Area Conference Room, 5500 Dupont Parkway (U.S. Rt. 13), Smyrna.

The agenda will include:

    * Meeting Protocol Review

    * Community Environmental Project Fund (CEPF)
      -Grant Workshops
      -Application Process
      
    * Community Ombudsman Report
    * EPA Collaborative Partnership “Train the Trainer”  Workshop
    * Claymont Air Monitoring Update
    * Open Forum/Public Comments

The CIAC and the Community Ombudsman work to increase the flow of information between communities and the department, increase community participation and facilitate dialogue among all stakeholders during the decision-making process.

The CIAC was established by Senate Bill 33 and signed into law by Governor Ruth Ann Minner in July 2001 as a permanent council serving in an advisory capacity to the Secretary of DNREC. The legislation charged the CIAC to deal with interactions between the Department and local communities. The Community Ombudsman position was also authorized by the same legislation.