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WHAT ARE TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE GRANTS?
Background of the Program,..
In 1980, the Comprehensive Envi-
ronmental Response, Compensation
and Liability Act (CERCLA)other-
wise known as "Superfund" estab-
lished a trust fund for the cleanup of
hazardous waste sites in the United
States. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
working together with the states, is responsible for ad-
ministering the Superfund Program.
EPA believes it is important for communities to be
involved in decisions related to nearby Superfund sites.
For this reason, community outreach activities are
underway at each of the 1,200 sites on the National
Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is EPA's published list
of the most serious hazardous waste sites that have
been identified as potential threats to the environment.
Decisions about a site cleanup usually are based on a
range of technical information such as:
Studies of site conditions.
The kinds of wastes present at the site.
The kinds of technology available for performing
necessary cleanup actions.
Congress established the Technical Assistance Grant
(TAG) Program in 1986 to help affected communities
understand and comment on site-related information,
and thus participate in cleanup decisions.
Basic Provisions of the TAG Program...
Grants of up to $50,000 are available to commu-
nity groups for hiring technical advisors to help
the community understand site-related technical
information. Additional funding may be available
for unusually large or complex sites.
The group must contribute 20 percent of the total
project costs to be supported by TAG funds. This
requirement can be met with cash, donated
supplies, and volunteered services.
The group must prepare a plan for using the
funds.
There may be only one TAG award per NPL site.
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USES OF TAGS
if your group is awarded a TAG, you
may hire a technical advisor to:
Review site-related documents.
Meet with your group to explain
technical information.
Provide assistance in communicating your
concerns about the site.
Interpret technical information for the community.
Participate in site visits, when possible, to gain a
better understanding of cleanup activities.
You may also use TAG funds to hire a person to
handle the administrative tasks related to the grant.
You may not use TAG funds to develop new informa-
tion (for example, to conduct additional sampling) or to
underwrite legal actions.
WHO MAY APPLY
Groups eligible to receive grants
under the TAG Program are those
whose members may be affected by a
release or threatened release of toxic
wastes at any facility listed or proposed for
listing on the NPL, and where preliminary
site work has begun. In general, eligible
groups are groups of individuals who live near the site
and whose health, economic well-being, or enjoyment
of the environment are directly threatened. A group
applying for a TAG must be nonprofit and incorporated
or working toward incorporation.
Groups not eligible for TAG awards are:
Potentially responsible parties (people or compa-
nies potentially responsible for or contributing to
the contamination problems at a site).
Academic institutions.
Political subdivisions.
Groups, such as counties or cities, established
or supported by government.
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HOW TO APPLY
When applying for a TAG, you
must provide information to EPA (or
to your state, if it is administering the
TAG Program), in order to determine if
your group meets specific administra-
tive and management requirements.
In general, you must demonstrate that you are aware
of the time commitment, resources, and dedication
needed to successfully manage a TAG.
If more than one group applies for the same TAG, they
are encouraged to form a coalition to apply for the
grant. This helps ensure that the largest number of
people from your community are represented by the
group in the event that a TAG is awarded.
CHOOSING A
TECHNICAL ADVISOR
When choosing a technical advi-
sor, your group should consider the
kind of technical advice required and
whether a prospective advisor has the
variety of skills necessary to provide that
advice. A technical advisor must have:
Knowledge of hazardous or toxic waste issues
and experience working on hazardous waste or
toxic waste problems.
Academic training in relevant scientific fields.
Experience in making technical presentations
and working with community groups.
Good communication skills.
You may hire more than one technical advisor to obtain
the combination of skills that you need, or hire a firm
that has experience in all of the required areas.
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HIRING A TECHNICAL
ADVISOR
After evaluating its needs and estimat-
ing the costs of the services required,
your group should seek candidates for
the technical advisor position and evalu-
ate any bids that are received.
Once a group selects an advisor, it develops a contract
for signature by both parties. The contract should out-
line the work and cost involved, project time frame, and
payment provisions. The Superfund Technical Assis-
tance Grant (TAG) Handbook: ProcurementUsing
TAG Funds provides guidelines for selecting and hir-
ing technical advisors.
MANAGING YOUR TAG
Groups must routinely record
expenditures of grant money.
In general, groups must:
Establish an accounting
system and keep appro-
priate records.
Submit reimbursement forms to EPA for the
money to pay the technical advisor.
Prepare quarterly progress reports.
Your group may decide to hire a grant administrator to
handle some or all of the administrative tasks. To
ensure that TAG funds are used primarily for the inter-
pretation and communication of site-related technical
data, administrative costs may not exceed 20 percent
of the total project costs.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Your EPA Regional Office is ready to answer any
questions that you may have on the application pro-
cess or any aspect of the TAG Program. A copy of the
Superfund TAG Handbook: The Application Forms with
Instructions is available free of charge by contacting
the Superfund Office for your state.
EPA Superfund Offices
EPA Headquarters
Office of Emergency and
Remedial Response
(5203G) :
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(703) 603-8840
EPA Region 1 (HPC-CAN7)
John F. Kennedy Federal
Building
Boston, MA 02203
(617)223-5534
Connecticut, Maine, Massa-
chusetts, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island, Vermont
EPA Region 2 (2-EPD)
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
(212)264-7054
New Jersey, New York,
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
EPA Region 3 (3-EA-21)
841 Chestnut Building
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215)597-9817
Delaware, District of
Columbia, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, West
Virginia
EPA Region 4 (4WD-SSRB)
345 Courtland Street, NE
Atlanta, GA 30365
(404) 347-2234
Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Mississippi,
North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee
EPA Region 5 (P-19-J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604
1-800-621-8431
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
EPA Region 6 (6H-MC)
1445 Ross Avenue, Suite
1200
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
(214)655-6617
Arkansas, Louisiana, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
EPA Region 7 (PBAF)
726 Minnesota Avenue
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913)551-7003
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,
Nebraska
EPA Region 8 (8 HWM-SM)
999 18th Street, Suite 500
Denver, CO 80202-2405
(303)293-1870
Colorado, Montana, North
Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
Wyoming
EPA Region 9 (H-1-1)
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415)744-2175
Arizona, California, Guam,
Hawaii, Nevada, American
Samoa
EPA Region 10(HW-117)
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 553-6901
Alaska, Idaho, Oregon,
Washington
Superfund/RCRA
Information Hotline
(800) 424-9346, or (703) 920-
9810 in Washington, DC
National Response Center
(800) 424-8802 (to report
releases of oil and hazardous
substances)
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