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Helping Californians have a voice in toxic cleanup projects

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) gives Californians the opportunity to comment on proposed toxic substance cleanup projects. They wanted to bring in people who have historically not been part of making decisions. The Office of Data and Innovation (ODI) worked with DTSC to find ways to give these communities a bigger voice in decisions.

We learned that:

  • Current comment opportunities were limited
  • Information was often hard to understand
  • Communities of interest were often defined narrowly

Learn more about the details of lifting Californians’ voices in toxic substance cleanup project decisions.

This project was part of the Data and Innovation Fund (DIF), one way the Office of Data and Innovation (ODI) helps improve state services for all Californians. ODI works in partnership with the California Department of Technology (CDT), which improves state technology infrastructure through its Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) and Technology Stabilization Service (TSF). Together, these three funds ensure California state departments innovate by applying human-centered design, data, and IT investments to yield quick and meaningful results. Email dif@innovation.ca.gov to learn more about DIF or this project.