^1 TECHNICAL SUPPORT CENTERS
[
DRAFT
Michele Pla 1
Program Evaluation Division.
August 20, 1980
DRAFT
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Library, Room 2-1-04 FM-211-A
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20460
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SUMMARY
a ' « '
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As delegation of the Construction Grants Program (CGP)
proceeds the States will be increasing their ataff size and
their ability to manage the program. At the same time the
EPA Regional program staffs will be reduced and their emphasis
* -~
will shift from project management, to oversight of state programs
Even though the Agency is delegating the project management
functions of the CGP it still has concerns about specific
program elements and the quality of the wastewater facilities.
*
However, with the decrease in Regional program staff size and
the shift toward oversight, the Agency's*capability to affect
these specific program elements is decreasing. *
As delegation progresses, the states and grantees are
repeatedly requiring, outside knowledge to solve specific and
complex problems in the CGP. States, grantees and architect/
engineering (A/E) firms have not consistently developed the
knowledge or experience to address many problems either for
lack of resources? or because they have been slow to react to
the demand. Knowledge that is available has not. been applied
» i _
nationally so that those who need that specific help can
obtain it-
As EPA delegates the day-do-day project, management of
the Construction Grants Program, it is relieved of a large
quantity of repetitive, but necessary, work. Many of these
tasks, such as review of proposed engineering contracts and
technical and administrative review of applications, are
extremely resource intensive. As EPA is freed of these tasks
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it caa concentrate all of its efforts or» ^improving the quality
of the program and the facilities that are constructed.
Continuing direct management or duplicating State efforts,
such as reviewing proposed contacts and applications, will not
add value to the program. EPA must approach the program
differently than it has in the past and bring to it different
*
and better skills than the states are providing or can provide.
The Agency now has a unique opportunity to channel the
resources freed up through delegation into building specific
expertise that is normally unavailable to EPA, the States
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and grantees. This expertise could be focused on two things?
studying and advancing knowledge in a specific area, and
applying that knowledge to specific problems.
%.
In order to most effectively develop and apply the
expertise, it should bergathered in "centers of expertise."
A center would contain experts within subareas of a functional
area. The experts would have varying backgrounds (i.e.,
academic, private sector, state, local, and federal experience)
These experts would together, constitute a Technical Support
Center, (TSC). These Technical Support Centers will become a
focal point, for- developing- basic national strategy concepts
that can be focused to particular circumstances. The TSC
will also be the focal point, for technology transfer and
advancement.
The TSCs will use their focused and concentrated nature
to advance the'program by:
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*,o Acting as consultants to the States on complex or
uncommon problems of importance
o Identifying and monitoring innovations or developments
of new knowledge and transfering information on tried
.and proven solutions.
o Identifying knowledge gaps and negotiating through
*
the Research Committees for specific research arid
development to support the program.
o Packaging materials and training Regional Office ^and
State staffs on new initiatives, or innovative
. solutions to problems.
The TSC cannot however, serve all grantees and correct all
problems* The centers' work will be most effective if it is
primarily aimed at the states. The TSCs' main goal will be
to help the states succeed as the direct managers of the CGP.
There are three models for the TSCsr
o Single Center Headquarters Model - One national
center located in Headquarters under the direction
of DAA for Water Program Operations.
o Multiple Centers Dispersed Model One national center
,per functional area located in a Regional Office
i
; under the direction of the DAA for Water Program
i .
Operations.
o Regional Model - One or two experts per Region per
functional area under the direction of the Regional
Administrator. A small staff in Headquarters to
oversee the TSCs.
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TECHNICAL SUPPORT CENTERS
«
The Problem? A Change In Program Emphasis
As delegation of the Construction Grants Program (CGP)
proceeds the States will be increasing their staff size and
their ability to manage the»program. At the same time the
EPA Regional program staffs'will be reduced^and their emphasis
will shift from project management to oversight of state programs
Even though the Agency is delegating the project management
functions of the CGP it is still concerned with the quality-
of sewage treatment facilities.
This is especially critical now because the Agency's
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past record of positively affecting the quality of facility
plans is dismal. Since January 1979, quality review of
facility plans has been performed by a contractor. Of the
128 plana reviewed in calendar year 1979, over 40 percent had
weakness and omissions. The weakness of or omissions in the
facility plans included, but were not limited to:
o excessive reserve capacity which can lead to
expensive inappropriate facilities;
o incomplete social economic and environmental
impact: assessments, and
o incomplete financing, of the local share of
capital costs and the O&M costs.1
Dearth, K."Quality Assurance for Facility Planning",
July 14, 1980.
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*
Prior to delegation of the CPG we had . developed in the
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Regional Office a technically competent engineering staff.
This staff reviewed Facility Plans and technical and engineering
specifications. They occasionally did on-site visits and if
needed they were experienced and competent enough to signifi-
ft
cantly revise facility plans and plant specifications.
However, as project managers they have been'overburdened with
administrative duties. The result has been that, the staff
has had little time to apply their engineering knowledge to
solving common and complex flaws in facility plans. Instead
the program staff in the Regions have to*resolve audits,
ensure that procurements and negotiations with contractors
are consistent with federal regulations and: respond to public,
Congressional and internal Agency requests for time and
information among other things. Prior to delegation, and now,
the Agency haa not concentrated these engineering or technical
resources so as to improve the quality of wastewater treatment
facilities.
Additionally, we were unable to develop experienced,
competent staff for some' areas of the program because of
resource^ constraints or because we were unaware of the need.
The financial side of this grants program has been underde-
veloped*.- There is considerable insurance work, bonding,
record keeping and local finance work to be done within the
program.. Since in the past we have emphasized the environ-
mental and engineering aspects of the program we have been
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unable to fully develop expertise in the area of municipal
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finance. Areas such as energy efficiency, water conservation
and other new .initiatives have been similarly underdeveloped.
As delegation progresses, the states and grantees have
repeatedly required outside knowledge to solve specific and
complex problems in the CGP%. * Many problems are encountered
in attempting to implement new intiatives such as water or
energy conservation. Other problems are related to managing
the grant, such as financing the local share, maintaining
proper records, setting up an affordable and effective user"
charge system or locating a minority contractor* Still other
problem are site-specific and technically oriented. In an area
*
that has a shallow water table that serves as a source of drinking
water what kind of effluent conveyance and sludge management
systems should be adopted? Many States, grantees and
architect/engineering (A/E) firms have not consistently
developed the knowledge to address many problems because
of a lack of access to a broad range of experience. EPA,
on the other hand, does have staff which have a broader range
of experience. As the states accept delegation of the program
there is a threat of losing this staff to the states. It is
imperative that we retain experience and knowledge within the
Agency. Only if it is kept within EPA can it be disseminated
nationally so that those who need specific help can obtain it.
The knowledge and experience required to address complex
problems and implement new initatives will not be rapidly
developed in the states. The states are just beginning to
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take over the large task of day-to-day project management
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Most of the States efforts will be directed towards this
day-to-day management. There are several ways to increase
the level of knowledge and experience for the states, grantees
and A/E firms, so that they are able to solve complex problems
t *
and improve the quality of the program. One alternative is
to fund separate state staffs of experienced and knowledgeable
personnel for each state. This staff would represent an
addition to the project management staff funded by 205(g).
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Such an alternative would be an expensive duplication of
resources from state to state. Nor would.this alternative
allow EPA to retain involvement in the improvement and-quality
of specific program elements.
Another alternative which would allowing for continuing
EPA involvement would be to increase the Agency's resources
in research and development (R&D). The E&D effort would
concentrate on solutions to complex problem and transfer all
new information and technologies to the A/E firms and states.
This solution does hot address the problems of managing a
grant. Nor does the solution take into account the historic
and continuing gap between federal R&D efforts and private
industry application.
A Proposed Solution; Develop Expertise Within EPA
EPA is ultimately responsible for the success of the
C6P. In order to retain involvment in the development and
improvement of specific program elements, advance the program
and help the states solve- complex problems that would otherwise
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« result, in costly delays it is vital that* .the Agency retain
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the knowledge and experience it now has and develop it into
specific expertise.
Expertise,developed in EPA would allow the Agency to
contribute to, and affect the quality of the program and the
facilities constructed.
*
Developing Expertise
It is important to define how the Agency can develop
"expertise". The first step is to bring together a staff af
talented people. They could have some prior experience in
m
the CGP, either as private engineer/consultants, or as local,
state or federal employees; but simply renaming an existing
group of regional staff the experts will not provide a credible
expertise that is able to approach problems with the states.
We are specifically interested in experts. They must be
able to readily analyze problems, do research and explain
findings and resolutions to those with less time or detailed
knowledge.
The second step to developing expertise is to require
that the staff of experts devote full time to a functional
area. This requirement will promise the development of a set
of skills to complement those of the traditional Regional
Officer, a generalist who must normally divide his time
among a number of distinct jobs. The experts must not be
involved in the day-to-day oversight of the CGP~ Bather,
they must focus on two things, studying and advancing knowledge
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in the^specific area and applying that knowledge to solve
problems. In addition, the duties of the expert must be
structured so that time is available to raise the level of
expertise. Thia is accomplished through research; attending
conferences, seminars, and symposiums; maintaining professional
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relationships, and, most importantly pursuing resolutions
to particularly difficult problems in the functional area*
in response to issues or problems raised by a State or RO.
Implementing the Solutionr Technical Support Centers (TSC) *
In order to most effectively develop and apply the expertise,
it should be gathered in "centers of expertise."
A center would contain experts within subareas of a functional
^^ area. For example a center of municipal finance experts
ay have some expertise in public finance and taxation and
others with expertise in bond market and ratings. The experts
would have varying backgrounds (i.e., academic, private
sector, state, local, federal) and experience. These
Technical Support: Centers will become a focal point for
developing basic national stragegy concepts that can be
focused to particular circumstances. The TSC will also be
the focal point: for technology (anything from I/A to
financial management) transfer and advancement~ Technology
transfer will be especially important for resolving small
community problems across Regions. A TSC will be a vehicle
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for transferring a tried and proven solution from one community
functional Areas - Designed or adapted to a particular need or
activity. Functional areas include: Municipal finance, waste
management, A/1, I/I analysis, SSES, or facility sizing.
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across the nation to another.
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The TSCs will have several responsibilities:
o They will act as consultanta to the States on complex
or uncommon problems of great importance.
o They will identify and monitor innovations or the
%
development of new knowledge and transfer information
on tried and proven techniques. .-
o They will identify knowledge gaps and negotiate
/
through the Research Committees for specific
research and development to support the program.'
o They will package materials and train Regional
Office and state staffs on new initiatives or
innovative solutions to complex problems.
The TSCs will be able to aid the statea if they are
haying problems in a specific functional area. The TSC will
be especially%useful if consistent deficiencies in a state
program are discovered through an evaluation or audit. They
can effectively get the state back on the track with
training and technology transfer.
TSC Will Work With the States
The TSC' cannot serve all grantees, and correct all
problems. The center's work:, will be most effective if it is
primarily aimed at the states. The TSCs, mala goal will, be
to help the states succeed as the direct managers of the CGP.
Suggested TSCst Functional Areas and Required Expertise
The following functional areas are listed as potential
TSCs. These functional areas have repeatedly come up as
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problem areas in which the Agency, the States and A/E firms
have not consistently developed or applied knowledge. It
may appear that the expertise listed below is not different
from what has always been available. However, the TSC will
need experts who can apply specific knowledge and analytic
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capabilities that the general chemists or biologist do not
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have. The TSCs will provide expertise that is not available
elsewhere. Over time the functional areas and or the type
of expertise needed may shift or be refined. .
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It is vital that these experts be senior level people
who are oriented toward the development, growth and application
of their expertise* The TSCs will not provide career tadders
for the experts. The Centers- are envisoned as up and out ^
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organizations. The expertise can be obtained through IPA ** sp
programs with universities, and other government agencies,
through contracts and direct hiring. Outstanding State
staff may serve as IPA's for a specific center.
o Sludge Managment *
ff
Expertise in the management of material ^
generated by a facility .
* chemistry
biology (aquatic)
- Expertise in the impact of substances.
(effluent or pollutants) on streams and/
or rivers.
* hydrologists
* aquatic biologists
* wildlife management experts
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»
Municipal finance
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- Financial experts
* bond market, rating and insurance experts
0 accountants
* economists
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* public finance (taxation) experts
- User Charge/ICR experts
* economists
* public finance experts-
* accountants
.- Grant Management
9 accountants «
Pretreatraent
Design and siting expertise
* mechanical and civil engineering
Physical Plant Operation
* electrical engineers
0 chemists
' biologists
Water Conservation/Energy Efficiency
- Design and Siting
0 mechanical and civil engineers
' hydrologists
Physical. Plant Operation
* chemists
' biologists
* electrical engineers
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q Alternative Treatment ,
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- Design and Siting
* mechanical and civil engineers
0 chemists
0 biologists .
4
0 hydrologists
* geologists
Other functional areas are:
o combined sewer overflow,
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o environmental assessment, and
o inflow and infiltration/sewer system
evaluation survey , '
Following are some examples of how experts in a TSC could
support the construction grants program after delegation»
Design specificationst There is a constant inflow of
new equipment and improvement of existing equipment for use
in POTW's. This creates a need for the process design Engineer
to be kept aware of any advances in equipment performance.
Typically the process design Engineer accomplishes this thru
use of technical literature. However, this is not sufficient
because it is usually manufacturers literature and provides
no true empirical reliability data. Second, in situation
where a somewhat innovative approach ia desired in for instance
"Aeriation" equipment the design engineer may want to know
what (1) the latest advances are (2) what should the design
specs be (3) is there really only one manufacturer that can
meet section needs- therefore should a sole source design spec
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be written? State personnel are no better equiped than EPA
4 *
Regional Office staff to answer these questions. However an
expert on process equipment could probably easily answer
these and a myrid of other questions posed by a grantees
design engineer or State review staff. After a simple phone
call by a Regional staffer a'Service Center expert could be
. -
on hi» way and in a matter of a few days could be in to review
the problem, suggest ways of solving it and return to the
Center for the next problem*
Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation in a POTW is"
extremely important as a large part of the operating expense
is for electricity, fuel, oil or gas. New technology in this
area is, constantly evolving. It is extremely important to be
aware of the methods for energy reduction* The typical design
engineer, State or: EPA reviewer can't keep up with the latest
information other than to be able to anticiapte when a particular
process seems to be very energy intensive. If this happens
Technical Service Experts could be called in to review the
design and suggest changes to the directors or inceneration
process for example.
Alternatives for Small: Communities: New technology has
made available a great number of alternatives to conventional
POTWs. Ebr on lot disposal this may include> dry toilets,
septic systems and for conventional sewer systems included are
vaccum or presurized sewers. Experts in these systems are
needed to help head off major problems due to the many
system designs and types of equipment available and because
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there^is limited emperical experience for the design engineers,
.
grantees and States to draw upon.
The TSCs can provide seminars and workshops for the States
and Regional liaisons. Through seminars and workshops the
experts can instruct the officials on troubleshooting, utilizing
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checklists to review plans and specifications and other newly
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developed methods of meeting certain objectives.
In addition to solving specific problems the TSCs will
develop checklists and criteria that should be considered by
A/E firms in preparing plans and designs for specific facili-
*
ties. Checklist and criteria are one means of advancing the
State of the art and ensuring that grantees, states and"A/E
firms consider all available options*
Incentives to Use the TSCs
The TSCs will offer the highest quality technical
resources in the Construction. Grants Program. This service
will be essentially free to the states. The major incentive
the states have to use the TSC is that the grantees are
demanding specific aid and the States cannot meet the demand.
,'
However, practically speaking, the grantees may not always
be aware that: they need assistance, and the state may be
unfamilar with the grantees problems as well as the need for
assistance. Even if the grantee perceives the need for
assistance it may not communicate this need to the state or
to a TSC.
Clearly the states must be aware that the TSCs exist, what
c.he mission of the centers are and. that the services provided
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are free. The States and grantees must be assured that EPA
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will not be making their decisions for them, rather the TSCs
are offered to- speed up the construction of appropriate,
economical waste treatment facilities.
Models for the Technical Support Centers
Below are three models'for organizing the TSCs; the
«
Single Center Headquarters Model, the Multiple Centers
Dispersed Model and the Regional Model.
The Single Center Headquarters Model and the Multiple
Centers Dispersed Model are similar, both are designed
in three tiers and have similar duties. . ,
A. Single Center Headquarters Model
9
Under this model the TSC is one national center of
experts located at Headquarters. The center would report .to
the DAA for Water Program Operations.
The National Center will:
o Arrange for applied research; to advance the- state of
the art;
o Work with the Research Committee in ORD to identify
technology or health effects research areas;
o Go-onsite to learn about specific innovations or
experiments that are underway so that the methods,
and outcomes? can be transferred to other-localities;
o Train regional program staff;
o Most importantly consult with Regional Program staff
on specific problems related to the TSC functional
area;
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*
o Occasionally go on-site with State and Regional
Program support staff to work with a grantee
(such occasions would be chosen because they would
be genuine learning opportunities for the TSC
center expert (s)) .
»
o . Serve as an information clearinghouse
o Review a series of grants to identify common
problems or trends.
o Develop improved ways to deal with common
<
problems.
The second tier of the model is the*Regional liaison.
The program staff in each Regional Office would have at
least one knowledgeable, person who would be the liaison
between the state/grantee and the TSC. The Regional liaison
would not have the in-depth knowledge, training or expertise
of the TSC experts but he would be able to recognize problems
and to work with the TSC and states.. If a particular problem
required on-site visits the Regional liaison would normally
make the visit. He would have regular training sessions
with the TSCs.
The states are the third tier* They are the clients of
the TSCs and: the Regional liaisons. If a State require aid
or advice from a TSC it would contact, the Regional liaison.
PROS
The major advantage of the Headquarters model ares
o All the national experts would be centrally located
with access to the policy and broader program expertise
in Headquarters.
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9^ The TSC experts would be able* ^to consult with each
other should they need to;
o By locating the one national TSC in Washington it
will have immediate access to the DAA and to the
other EPA program officers.
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This may not always prove to be advantageous. The TSC experts
may be diverted from their mission to serve on committees or
lend their expertise to non-CGP work.
CONS
o One national TSC, located in Washington, for all the
*
national, experts would result in. the TSC experts
being removed from program implementation* This
real and psychological separation between Headquarters
and the program in the- field could be detrimental
to the success of the TSC. The Headquarters
policy perspective could conflict with the
necessarily more practical problem solving
orientation of the TSCs, whose purpose would be to
find specific ways to help.or "steer" communities
to at better evaluation of their options.
o The states* who are the clients of the TSC, may
perceive the centers as* enforcers or watchdogs if
they are located in headquarters. If the states.
think of the centers as watchdogs their ability
to serve the states will be greatly hampered.
o By creating one centrally located TSC at Headquarters
we lose the ability to locate the expertise of the
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center with problems that are -geographically
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concentrated. For example, we would lose the
opportunity to locate a TSC concerned with water
conservation in Denver to serve Western States
which have severe water supply problems.
t *
B. Multiple Centers Dispersed Model
«
This model consists of multiple separate national centers
of experts. It is also developed in three tiers.
For each functional area there will be one national
center that is located away from Headquarters, perhaps
in a Regional Office. Each TSC will be staffed with six to
ten experts. This number of experts is necessary to coVer
the range of subareas in functional area and to serve the
entire country in a timely manner. The1 centers will report
to the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water Program
Operations. The TSC experts will have the same duties as
the experts in the Headquarter model* This is the first
tier of the model.
The second (regional liasion) and third tier (state
role) of this model are the same as the Single Center Head-
quarters Model.
PROS
The advantages of locating the TSCs in the Regional Offices
under the direction of the DAA are as follows:
o Each TSC would have responsibility for a separate
functional area. The specific expertise would
not be scattered throughout the country, rather
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it would be concentrated and directed.
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* -..»..
o Locating the TSC in the Regional Offices would
allow for interaction and cross fertilization with
the Regional program staff. The centers will be
closer to first hand acquaintance with the incidence
o The dispersion of TSCs among the Regional Offices*
or away from Headquarters, allows »them to be matched
with problems that are Regionally or geographically
concentrated.
o The TSC can use the regions as "labs" for develop-
ing and testing solutions before they are applied
nationally.
o Locating the TSCs away from Headquarters will
establish a presence of national experts that.
merge policy, theory and practical application in
the Regions.
o Allows for more frequent state interaction than
the Headquarters Model.
CONS
o The TSC under the dispersed model are not centrally
located within close proximity to the DAA.
Management and reporting problems may occur.
o Locating the centers in separate Regional Offices
under the direction of the DAA may cause tension
between the RA and DAA.
o If there are not ten TSCs, each specializing in a
separate, functional area, some Regional Offices
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may not have a TSC. The result may be that TSCs
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become a political football in negotiations between
RAs and the DAA concerning the location of the centers.
One way to avoid tension between the DAA and the RA is to
make the TSCs- a regional resource under the direction of the RA
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However, if the TSCs become.a regional resource they would lose
their national focus, and perhaps not effecively serve as national
centers of expertise.
C. Regional Centers Model
The regional TSC model consists of one or two experts, per
region per functional area. These experts are regional resources
and are under the direction of the R.A. In Headquarter* there
would be a small staff to oversee the TSC.
PRO '
The advantages of this model ares
o There would be an expert for each functional area
in each region.
o The expert could concentrate on the specific environ-
mental, social, political and economic realities of
the region.
o The TSC would be under the direction of the R.A.,
thus assuring that there would be no tension between
the R.A- and the DAA.
CONS .
o The Regional TSC model does not fit the concept of a
center of expertise that:
- allows for information collection and transfer.
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f.
- advances the state of the art,
c
* - maintains contact with the research components of
Agency, and -
- is up-to-date onthe current theory and research
in the academic and industrial community.
The Regional TSC proposal would require much more
personnel and would not be delivering a better or
comparable product.
It is unrealistic to expect that one or two people
can be experts on every aspect of sludge management or
know all about bonding, public,finances, and economics.
It is not likely that one or two'persons would contain
*
the proper mix of theoretical and practical knowledge
required' to create a TSC.
The Regional centers do not have an economy of scale
which would allow every Regional TSC to collect nationr-
wide information from all over the country on the
different methods of solving a particular problem;
this would be a massive duplication of effort and
mi sue of resources. The point of having one national
center per. functional area is to not duplicate effort
or misuse resources, rather to concentrate them
and direct, them: in. the most effective ways.
o As regional resources the centers will lose the national
focus.
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The major goal of the TSC is tq entire that the most
efficient, economical and. appropriate treatment facilities
are designed and constructed. In order to meet this goal the
TSCs will develop and concentrate expertise that is unavailable
elsewhere. The expertise w;Lll be used to advance the
Construction Grants Program! and to help the states solve
*
complex problems.
'.-i.'-*e-r.:'~v
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MULTIPLE- CENTERS
DISPERSED MODEL
(MICRO)
DAA
WATER
PROGRAMS
OPERATION
R.L.=
-Regional Liaison
(MACRO)
DAA FOR
WATER PROGRAMS
OPERATIONS
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EEMJOJOARTERS MODEL
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MUNICIPAL
; . CONSTRUCTION
i DIVISION
DAA FOR
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WaiER PROGRAMS
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OPERATIONS
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1
, . FACILITIES
REQUIREMENTS
DIVISION
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OIL & SPEC. 1 /NAT'L
MATERIAL | 1 TSC
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L. . R.L. R.L.
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R.L. " R.L.
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Appendix
Example of How a TSC Would Address
A Particular Problem
A small community in a rural state has a seriously
failing septic system. The community is located next to a
Class I stream. Sport fishing, especially trout, has made
the stream an important recreational and wildlife resource.
«
The B*/f*mc failings have become so serious that the community
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has decided to build a sewage treatment.plant» The outfall
will be 'in the trout stream. "
The small community has never had to work with an A/E
firm before on such a large, costly, federally-financed
project. The community is too small for housing grants, and
the highway grants are handled by the county or state. This
is the"community's first.experience with financing, and
directing the planning, design and construction of a publicly
owned facility. The project is so overwhelming for the
community Aldermen, that they are totally dependent on the
A/E firm.
As the A/E firm puts together the facility plan and
during the first phases of the design the community operates
on a pay-as-you-go basis. It isn't until, well into the design
on the facility (Step 2) that the Board of Aldermen finally
realize the tremendous financial and technical burden they
are imposing on themselves. They halt the project immediately,
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' The community seeks out technical aid and advice from
the state. . The community and the state decide that the best
course of action is to redesign the plant to reduce costs.
It becomes clear to the state that some expertise in municipal
finance is needed in order to help the community finance even
a redesigned, less costly.facility. The community has always
»
operated on a pay-as-you-go basis it has no experience with
municipal bonding or financing. (The state environmental
program does not have the level of expertise in municipal
finance or the time to offer the community.) »
*
- The Regional Office program staff-have little experience
in AWT. However, there is a TSC for AWT. The Regional
Office program staff calls the TSC, and outlines the problem
*
for the TSC experts. The TSC experts request that specific
information be. sent to them (via telex). This includes infor-
mation about the community/, the size of the sewage problem,
the environmental state of the stream, and other data necessary
to develop a resolution to the problem. ,
Concurrently, the Regional program staff get in touch
with the TSC tha,t specializes in municipal financing. The
Regional program staff agree with the state that the community
will heed some expert aid and advice on municipal bonding,
and financial management*
The- two TSC must work together because not only does
the community need a treatment facility that will protect the
Class I trout stream, it must be able to finance the construction
and pay for the operation of the facility.
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' . . *
The TSCa approach their specific problem in a similar
fashion, if there are any similar problems in another part
of the country they search out the problem and resolution to
see if it is applicable. They are aware of the literature,
the theory and the current research that is being done that
relates to AWT and municipal finance. The experts are able
to select the relevant information, analyze the data they
receive and produce option(s).
When the AWT experts come up with an option(s), they
inform the municipal finance TSC so that the possible, options
for financing the facility can be examined. The TS£a keep in.
close contact with the Regional 'liaison who communicates
regularly with the state and grantee. *
When an option that is acceptable to all parties is:
decided onr two things occur. The TSC expert, meet with a
state representative, the A/E firm representing the grantee,
the grantee and the regional liaison. The TSC experts on AWT
present a skelt'on design and explain to the A/E firm how the
design should be finished according to the communities special
circumstances.
The TSC experts on municipal finance will do some video
*
tape training: with the grantee and state-on how to finance
the facility. The training need not be extensive. In fact
the TSC experts need only to explain how the financing should
be carried out and then recommend a private firm which will
do all the work for the community.
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. *
When the facility design is completed and a municipal
financing program is designed by an investment firm the TSC
experts may review them for the state and grantee, if so
requested. All the comments will go to the state.
The TSC will keep in*contact with the regional liaison
to make sure that the project's implementation is smooth.
There will not be any need for the TSCs experts to make any
on-site visits. The particular problem will become part of
the experience and information that the TSC.can transfer and
apply elsewhere in the country.
Protection Agency
401 M Street .v^
Library Ro°m
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