vvEPA Technical Assistance Grants (TAG):
How to Find and Select a Technical
Advisor
The Superfund Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) Program provides
funds to eligible community groups living near Superfund sites so they
can help the affected public become better-informed participants in the
Superfund process. TAG funds are available to pay for independent
technical advisors who analyze and explain information about the site.
The TAG recipient uses the technical advisor's explanations to keep the
entire community informed about developments at the site.
This fact sheet answers the questions groups often ask about how to
find and select a technical advisor, but does not provide all the informa-
tion you need to meet the requirements of your TAG. Contact your EPA
proj ect officer/regional TAG coordinator for additional information.
What Can a Technical Advisor Do for my TAG Group?
Your group determines the role of the technical advisor based on your
community's needs and concerns. Possible requirements include:
• Reviewing and interpreting site-related documents and data
regarding the cleanup of your site.
Interpreting the health aspects associated with information found
in site-related documents.
Analyzing community plans and preferences regarding future
land use and interpreting redevelopment information developed
as part of the Superfund cleanup.
• Interpreting information about relocation at sites where there is a
reasonable possibility that relocation will be selected as a remedy.
• Meeting with your group to explain technical information about the site.
• Participating in public meetings to help clarify site information.
• Helping your group communicate your concerns and preferences to
EPA, state agencies, and polluting parties.
1
-------
Office of Emergency and
Remedial Response
(5204G)
EPA540-F-05-010
August 2005
www.epa.gov/superfund
• Participating in site visits to gain a better understanding of cleanup activities.
• Attending meetings and hearings directly related to site conditions.
• Participating in health and safety training.
You cannot use TAG funds to pay a technical advisor to generate new primary data, includ-
ing well drilling and testing, or to generate new health data through biomedical testing, clinical
evaluations, health studies, surveillance, registries, or public health interventions.
Who Are Potential Technical Advisors?
Your group should choose a technical advisor who will provide you with an unbiased,
independent review of site-related information. You may need to contract with more
than one technical advisor. Advisors should be qualified in areas related to the type of
contamination and specific issues relevant to your site. For example, at a site with water
contamination, atechnical advisor with experience in hydrology or hydrogeology would
be appropriate. An expert in land-use planning, economic development, or environmen-
tal planning would be appropriate where redevelopment issues related to the site are a
concern.
Where Can I Find a Good Technical Advisor?
Hospitals
Universities
Professional and technical societies
Environmental groups
Trade magazines and journals
State and local health departments
Chambers of Commerce
The Yellow Pages
Consulting firms
Public libraries
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Other TAG recipients
-------
What Qualifications Should I Look for in a Technical Advisor?
The technical advisor should have the following qualifications:
• Demonstrated knowledge, training, and experience working with hazardous or toxic
waste issues, or redevelopment, public health, or federal relocation policies and
relocation-related issues.
• Academic training in a relevant discipline (for example, biochemistry, toxicology,
environmental engineering, hydrology, public health, etc.).
- Public health technical advisors must have received training from an accredited
school of public health, medicine, or a related discipline.
- Relocation technical advisors should have demonstrated knowledge, training,
and experience in relocations, including knowledge of the Uniform Relocation
Act of 1970, and working with developers, brokers, and lenders; and demon-
strated knowledge of appraisals, title searches, and state and local tax laws.
• The ability to translate technical information into language your community can understand.
• Not debarred or suspended as a federal contractor.
What is the Process for Hiring a Technical Advisor?
Recipients of federal grants are required to compete when selecting contractors, includ-
ing technical advisors or a grant administrator, or when purchasing goods and services.
If only one qualified bidder can be located, that bidder can be selected
noncompetitively.
You also must take steps to ensure that minority-owned, woman-owned, and small
businesses have an opportunity to compete. These "positive steps" are outlined on page 5.
Contact your EPAproj ect officer/regional TAG coordinator for additional information.
-------
THE COMPETITIVE SELECTION METHOD
TAG recipient groups must use a competitive process when selecting contractors, including technical advisors, or
when purchasing goods and services. The specific steps required vary depending on the dollar value of the
contract or purchase, described below. The only time you can award a contract without competition is after
you have solicited proposals or bids from several sources and found only one qualified candidate or one
adequate bidder.
For each purchase or contract valued at $1,000 or less:
• You must determine only that the price is reasonable, by "comparison shopping."
• Keep a list in your files of the prices found at various sources to demonstrate that the price you are paying is
reasonable.
Example: Your group has prepared a newsletter and needs a print shop to design and reproduce copies of it. You
call two or three vendors and ask each what it would cost to complete your print order. You j ot down the date of
your phone calls, the names of the vendors, and the prices they quote. Keep your notes in your permanent files.
For each purchase or contract valued at more than $1,000 but less than $25,000:
• You must obtain oral or written proposals or bids from two or more qualified sources.
• Document this process in detail in your files. For example, write a short memo for your files listing the name of
each bidder and his/her bid, and/or file copies of individual written proposals or bids received.
Example: You contracted with one technical advisor for the hydrogeology and engineering work that you need
at your site. This contract does not include the health sciences or toxicology work included in your approved
TAG work plan, and you now need to have the risk assessment from the site reviewed. Because you estimate a
contract for this single task will cost $3,000, you ask two toxicologists to submit resumes describing their qualifi-
cations and a bid specifying what he or she will charge for the work. Keep the written submissions in your files,
and prepare a memo to the file describing your reason(s) for selecting the particular bid or proposal for award. If
you ask for oral quotations, make a written record of the prices the competitors propose and prepare a short
memo describing your reason(s) for the final selection.
For each purchase or contract over $25,000 but less than $100,000:
• You must obtain written proposals or bids from three or more qualified sources. Your file documentation must
include copies of all ads placed, the names and addresses of the individuals/firms who received solicitations,
copies of all proposals or bids, and your written evaluation of the competing offers and the reason(s) for your
final selection.
Example: You need the services of a technical advisor or environmental consulting firm whose services will cost
more than $25,000. (NOTE: The total amount of this contract must not exceed the amount included for a
technical advisor in your approved TAG budget.)
For each contract valued at over $100,000:
You must follow the procurement rules outlined in 40 CFR Part 30, EPAs general grant regulations for
nonprofit organizations. It is rare that TAGs will issue contracts of this size. Contact your EPAproj ect officer/
regional TAG coordinator if you need information about these requirements.
-------
THE NON-COMPETITIVE SELECTION METHOD
First, follow the appropriate competitive procedures for the dollar value of the
proposed contract or purchase.
If you receive only one responsive bid or proposal in response to your solicitation,
promptly notify your EPA project officer/regional TAG coordinator. You may be
asked to send a letter to your EPA regional office documenting that the one respon-
sive bid or proposal you received was from a qualified source who proposed a
reasonable cost or price. After you get EPAs written approval, you may award a
contract to the one responsive bidder/offerer.
Taking Positive Steps to Hire Minority or Woman-Owned Businesses
Recipients of federal grants must take steps to encourage small, minority, and woman-owned businesses to
compete for their contracts and purchases. Taking the "positive steps" outlined here will show that your TAG
group has done its best to find minority-owned, woman-owned, and small businesses.
1. Place minority-owned, woman-owned, and small businesses on your mailing list.
2. Send your requests for bids or proposals and advertisements for a technical advisor to historically black
colleges and universities and historically minority schools and universities within a reasonable distance from
your site.
3. Advertise in newspapers and media that reach minorities or that are read by people who live within a reason-
able distance from your community. When working with a large firm, ask whether the firm intends to work
with small, minority, and woman-owned businesses.
4. Contact local government offices within your area to identify qualified minority-owned, woman-owned, and
small businesses.
5. Divide tasks in large contracts so that minority-owned, woman-owned, and small businesses can participate.
6. Contact the Small Business Administration and the Department of Commerce's Minority Business Develop-
ment Agency (MBDA) for help.
7. Require your technical advisor to also take positive steps if he or she subcontracts with other professionals to
provide services to your TAG group.
As a TAG recipient, you must submit an annual report to EPA about the "positive steps" you have taken to
procure services or goods from minority-owned and woman-owned businesses. In this report, you also can
include the "positive steps" you have taken to procure from small businesses, but this is not required. This report
can include records of where you sent j ob announcements for technical advisors and records of where you
placed advertisements for technical advisors.
-------
Regional TAG Contacts
Region 1 [CT, MA, NH, VT, RI, ME]
Margaret Leshen
U.S.EPARegionl(HBS)
One Congress Street, Suite 1100
Boston, MA 02114-2023
Phone:617-918-1421
Region 2 [NY, NJ, PR, VI]
Carol Remington
U.S. EPARegion 2 (2OPM-GCMB)
290 Broadway
New York, NY 10007-1866
Phone:212-637-3420
Region 3 [DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV]
Amelia Libertz
U.S. EPARegion 3 (3HS43)
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
Phone:215-814-5522
Region 4 [AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN]
Rhonda Foucher, Denise Bland,
Jackie Dendy, Paula Walraven
U.S. EPARegion 4 (WDCSB)
Atlanta Federal Center
6IForsyth Street, S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30303-8960
Phone: 404-562-8867 (Rhonda)
Phone: 404-562-8880 (Denise)
Phone: 404-562-8876 (Jackie)
Phone: 404-562-8858 (Paula)
Region 5 [IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI]
Susan Pastor, Suzanne Coll
U.S. EPARegion 5
(P-19J-Susan)
(SM-5J-Suzanne)
77 W. Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604-3 507
Phone: 312-353-1325 (Susan)
Phone: 312-886-6044 (Suzanne)
6 or 800-621-8431
Region 6 [AR, LA, NM, OK, TX]
Beverly Negri
U.S. EPARegion 6 (6SF-PO)
Tower at Fountain Place
1445 Ross Ave., Suite 1200
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
Phone:214-665-8157
Region 7 [IA, KS, MO, NE]
Hattie Thomas
U.S. EPARegion 7 (RAOEP)
90 IN. Fifth Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
Phone:913-551-7762
Region 8 [CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY]
Linda Aimer
U.S. EPARegion 8 (EPR-PS)
999 18th Street, Suite 3 00
Denver, CO 80202-2466
Phone:303-312-6696
Region 9 [AZ, CA, HI, NV]
David Cooper
U.S. EPARegion 9 (SFD-3)
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-972-3237 or 800-231-3075 (msg)
Region 10 [AK, ID, OR, WA]
Sally Hanft
U.S. EPARegion 10 (ECO-081)
1200 6th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone:206-553-1207
Headquarters
Freya Margand, National TAG Coordinator
U.S.EPA(5204G)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue N. W.
Washington, DC 20460
Phone:703-603-8889
------- |