Communicating clearly, early and often can be just as important as technical work on Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) projects.
Earlier this month, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel from across the agency took part in a three-day course called FUDS 102 Effective Communication for the FUDS Program, focused on strengthening how project teams engage with communities, regulators and stakeholders throughout environmental cleanup efforts.
Instructors emphasized that communication in the FUDS program is not a single milestone or public meeting, but an ongoing responsibility that evolves as projects move forward.
“Like many other programs, the FUDS program places emphasis on communication throughout the entire project,” said Dave Nelson, one of the course instructors and FUDS Program Manager for USACE Northwestern Division.
“It helps build trust and understanding of why actions are being taken and what’s coming next. Communication is critical so stakeholders and regulators are prepared to engage as part of the process.”
FUDS projects often involve landowners who may not be familiar with the military history of a property or the potential for contamination, particularly in areas where exposure risks were previously unknown or limited.
“For new landowners or those unaware of the history, it can take time to build trust and explain both why response actions are needed and why access to their land is important,” Nelson said.
For some participants, the course directly connected to real-world challenges they are currently facing on active projects.
“I’m currently working on a high-profile project that recently came out of a formal dispute, and public involvement was a key part of the resolution,” said Katie Crane, environmental engineering technical lead in USACE’s Utah Resident Office.
“Looking back, communication challenges played a role in how we got there. This course helped reinforce how important it is to understand your community and be intentional about how and when you engage.”
The course also addressed the challenges of communicating risk on projects involving munitions and chemical hazards, where public concern can be high and expectations can be difficult to manage.
“People want absolute certainty that everything will be removed,” said instructor Stacy Langsdale, training lead for the Collaboration and Public Participation Center of Expertise. “But these projects take a long time, and public interest can change quickly. Often they fly under the radar for years but something can trigger high public interest and concern, and suddenly the project team is working in a completely different volatile context.”
Participants were encouraged to involve public affairs professionals early and treat communication planning as part of project delivery, not an afterthought.
“Across the enterprise, we rely on expertise from many disciplines, and communication should be one of them,” said instructor Jenn Miller, environmental division public affairs specialist at USACE Headquarters. “Bringing public affairs into project delivery teams early supports better outcomes.”
Crane said the training also helped build confidence in navigating difficult conversations.
“As someone fairly new to USACE, learning internal processes is important to me,” she said. “Public speaking and engaging on controversial projects can be intimidating, but the more training I have, the better prepared I am to represent USACE and clearly communicate our process and site risks to stakeholders.”
Instructors stressed that meaningful engagement goes beyond information sharing and relies on two-way dialogue over the course of years-long evaluation and cleanup efforts.
“Meaningful engagement is a two-way exchange,” Nelson said. “Over time, it helps build trust and ensures decisions are informed by the people affected by the work.”
By pairing technical expertise with deliberate communication planning, the course aimed to better prepare teams to deliver FUDS projects while maintaining transparency and public confidence.
| Date Taken: |
02.04.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
02.04.2026 18:41 |
| Story ID: |
557470 |
| Location: |
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: |
25 |
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