The purpose of this research is to determine how environmental engineers can design a proposed waste facility to address residents' concerns and make the facility more acceptable to them. The study facility is the Umatilla Chemieal Demilitarization Incineration Facility in northeastern Oregon. Local residents were surveyed during the ongoing siting process. Residents are more likely to find the facility acceptable if they believe that:​ the facility is needed. the site and design are the best possible, the risk perceptions and net effect from the facility are positive, and existing regulations are sufficient. It appears that residents have a cause-effect hierarchy in their preference of measures to address effects to residents health. Residents attitude toward the facility improved with the implementation of their preferred measures. From the results. principles are developed for environmental engineers to design and site waste facilities which are more acceptable to residents in host communities.