United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
2007-2009 Annual Report
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Welcome
The TASC Program: An Overview
Increasing Community Understanding: Information Assistance
Enhancing Skills: Community Education
Assessing Community Needs: Technical Assistance Plan Development
Providing Assistance and Consultation: Independent Technical Expertise
TASC and the CARE Program: Addressing Pollution Risks, Together
Environmental Justice: Ensuring Access to a Safe and Healthy Environment
The Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI):
Training and Employment for Underserved Citizens
Looking to the Future
TASC Community Profiles: Making a Difference
TASC Assistance Where You Live
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ra 111 frufn i In n if a \
to EPA's Technical Assistance Services for Communities
(TASC) program. The past two years have been an exciting, engaging and productive
time. Since its inception in late 2007, the program has put a powerful idea - providing
educational and technical assistance to communities affected by environmental challenges
- into practice, meaningfully engaging with more than 50 communities nationwide. TASC is
making a difference, one community at a time.
EPA's Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI), working
in partnership with EPA's Federal Facilities, Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO) and
EPA's Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR), is committed to ensuring
that communities facing environmental challenges have the high-quality, independent
educational and technical assistance needed to empower them to meaningfully participate
in addressing these issues.
This is the TASC program's first report on its activities to date. The pages of this report
share some of the program's compelling stories and projects. We hope that these stories
illustrate how the program is making a difference in people's lives and benefiting
communities across the country.
As we look to the future, we look forward to building new relationships and identifying
new ways in which EPA can meaningfully engage with communities through the TASC
program.
James E. Woolford
OSRTI Director
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TASC is a national EPA program that provides educational and technical
assistance to communities affected by hazardous waste sites regulated by the Superfund
and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) programs. The program also helps
communities address other environmental problems, like air and water issues.
The TASC program is designed to be flexible and responsive, moving rapidly to meet community needs.
Recognizing that each community is unique, the program works with diverse stakeholders to provide a
wide range of services, including:
needed information materials.
Offering educational workshops and trainings.
EndDi ing access to independent technical expertise.
n§ effective technical assistance plans and approaches.
Providing job training through the Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI).
Supporting community partnerships that reduce environmental risks
through supplemental services for communities in EPA's CARE program.
® New Projects
• Existing Projects
O Completed Projects
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The TASC Program:
By the Numbers
Communities Served:
Through 2009:
First Quarter, 2010:
EPA Regions Represented:
States Represented:
Projects with Environmental Justice Communities:
Superfund Job Training Initiative Projects:
National Meetings Serving Multiple Community Organizations:
Technical Assistance Needs Assessments Conducted:
Agency Documents Reviewed:
Meetings Facilitated:
Why TASC?
Addressing Community Challenges...
Communities can face challenges when seeking to participate in decision-making to address
environmental problems. There may be limited information available. Available information may
be overly technical. Communities may be unfamiliar with decision-making stages and timeframes.
And unfortunately, expertise to address environmental issues can often be too narrowly defined,
excluding communities, even though community members will be among the parties most affected
by any proposed plan.
Recognizing Community Expertise...
TASC recognizes that community members have unparalleled expertise to bring to the table. For
years, they have worked at or lived near contaminated sites. After challenges have been addressed,
they will be among the long-term stewards ensuring that human health is protected and even
guiding some sites back into reuse. TASC provides tools and resources, like technical advisor
services, to ensure that communities are well-informed and able to share their expertise as part of
the decision-making process.
Providing Technical Resources...
TASC technical advisor services are provided through a national EPA contract with E2 Inc., an EPA
contractor based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Technical assistance is provided by a dedicated team
of Technical Assistance Specialists located nationwide. E2 Inc. also maintains an online database
of public health, outreach, engineering and scientific experts to address highly specialized
technical assistance needs.
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Increasing Community Understanding:
Information Assistance
Communities contact TASC with important information needs regarding pressing environmental issues.
TASC works with these communities to create accessible information materials like fact sheets and maps
that increase community members' understanding and help them participate actively and effectively in
addressing these issues. TASC also translates documents into other languages to ensure that they are
widely accessible.
Bilingual Fact Sheets for Community Organizations'
Healthy Housing Initiative in Cleveland, Ohio
Two community organizations in northeastern Ohio approached EPA's
Office of Environmental Justice, EPA Region 5 and the TASC program.
The Cleveland Tenants Organization (CTO) and Environmental Health
Watch (EHW) were working in partnership on the Tenants for Healthy
Housing initiative, designed to provide residents with environmental
health education and tenants' rights information. The organizations were
looking to reach an expanded audience with information materials on
topics including asthma triggers, carbon monoxide and childhood lead
poisoning.
TASC created eight accessible, visually compelling fact sheets in
English and Spanish, which were distributed to community members
and posted online. In 2010, TASC is providing additional assistance for
training and community outreach, and an EPA CARE program grant
has been provided to help several Cleveland neighborhoods address
environmental health concerns.
Fact Sheet and Biannual Newsletter for Community
Advisory Group in Leon Valley, Texas
The Bandera Road Community Advisory Group (CAG) was formed in 2007 to provide a community forum to learn about,
discuss and provide input on the cleanup of the Bandera Road Ground Water Plume Superfund site near San Antonio in
Leon Valley, Texas.
Information assistance was a primary CAG goal; TASC
responded rapidly, developing a site history fact sheet
that introduced the site and summarized response
actions completed to date. In 2009, TASC prepared
biannual newsletters for the CAG in English and
Spanish, updating the community on the site's status.
TASC staff also attended the CAG's quarterly meetings,
serving as a technical resource for the community. In
2010, TASC is continuing to provide these services,
as well as reviewing and summarizing upcoming site
documents and providing educational presentations for
the community, as needed.
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Enhancing Skills: Community Education
TASC's trainings and workshops bring community members together for shared learning
experiences. In some cases, trainings raise community knowledge about an environmental
issue. In other communities, TASC's focused workshops ensure that community leaders have
the information needed to address a high-priority concern. In eastern Pennsylvania, TASC's
community education efforts have led to strengthened community relationships and improved
coordination between the community and EPA.
Reuse Assessment and Communication
Training in Ambler, Pennsylvania
At the BoRit Asbestos Superfund site, the community
has been very engaged in the site's planned cleanup.
EPA works closely with the site's Community Advisory
Group (CAG) to provide a public forum for community
members to discuss their site-related priorities and
concerns and better understand the Superfund cleanup
process. The CAG has 25 members, representing
community stakeholders, environmental organizations,
local governments, local businesses, medical and
academic interests, and state and federal agencies.
TASC conducted a detailed needs assessment with the community and
EPA Region 3 in 2009. TASC then worked with the community on a reuse
assessment to inform
the remedial process and
' local planning efforts.
The CAG recommended
future use scenarios that
I preserve parks and open
space and compliment
projected development near the site. TASC also provided
a one-day training for CAG members. Through exercises
focused on effective communication, active listening,
conflict styles and effective problem-solving, the training
enhanced CAG members' communication and conflict
resolution skills, and also helped build relationships and
trust. The training provided a way for the CAG to better
recognize diverse viewpoints and incorporate conflict as a
positive force for innovation.
k
UDp e f
Did Yoi
EPA also has technical assistance resources specifically available for communities affected
by Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites. For more information about EPA's Technical
Assistance Grant (TAG) program, please visit www.epa.gov/superfund/community/tag.
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Assessing Community Needs:
Technical Assistance Plan Development
For communities requiring technical assistance, TASC works closely with them to evaluate their needs
and develops detailed plans to guide the program's services and address the communities' needs as
rapidly and comprehensively as possible.
Evaluation and Planning Assistance in
Washington State Leads to EPA TAP Program
Funding
Beginning in July 2008, TASC provided assistance
to Citizens for a Clean Columbia (CCC), a volunteer
organization involved in the Upper Columbia River
site cleanup in northwest Washington State. TASC's
needs assessment identified several priorities, including
identifying technical issues and developing a community
outreach plan. TASC helped CCC develop a technical
assistance work plan, which enabled CCC to apply
to EPA's Technical Assistance Plan (TAP) program
for funding for a technical advisor. Following CCC's
successful application, TASC also helped the organization
identify and select a technical advisor.
ey Technical and Redevelopment Issues Identified at
ormer U.S. Navy Facility in Massachusetts
Working with EPA Region 1, TASC conducted a needs assessment at the
South Weymouth Naval Air Station site. Located in three towns in eastern
Massachusetts, the 1,450-acre site has been the subject of significant
redevelopment interest since the closure of the U.S. Navy facility in 1997.
TASC assisted a community organization, Advocates of Rockland, Abington,
Weymouth and Hingham (ARAWH), in evaluating potential impacts related
to the site's cleanup and redevelopment. The needs assessment addressed
the site's cleanup, community goals and concerns, and redevelopment
considerations. It also provided recommendations to guide future site
interactions between EPA, other agencies and local communities.
"I don't think I could
have asked for a
better representative.
TASC's Technical
Assistance Specialist is
professional, quick with
her responses to the
community, has a very
good connection with
Citizens for a Clean
Columbia, and is a
pleasure to work with."
~ Region 10 TASC
Project Participant
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Providing Assistance and Consultation:
Independent Technical Expertise
Once communities have worked with TASC to determine their technical assistance needs, the program's
Technical Assistance Specialists move into action. These specialists review reports and information,
attend meetings and identify potential issues of community interest. The specialists meet regularly with
communities to explain their findings, facilitate meetings and help communities identify strategies for
addressing environmental problems.
Wyoming Utility Requests Technical Assistance Services
for Review of Proposed Response Action
Trichloroethene (TCE) has been detected at the former F.E. Warren AFB Nuclear
Atlas Missile Site 4 in Laramie County, near Cheyenne, Wyoming, resulting in a
contaminated ground water plume. The contamination is being addressed by the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE). In October 2009, the City of Cheyenne's
Board of Public Utilities (BOPU) contacted EPA Region 8 with a request for
technical assistance, seeking opportunities for the community to become more
engaged in efforts to address the TCE contamination.
TASC responded quickly, meeting with local stakeholders, and Technical
Assistance Specialists are now working with the community to review reports and information prepared by USAGE. To
date, the specialists have provided a summary of potential technical issues related to a proposed TCE treatment facility.
In 2010, the specialists will continue to review technical information and provide the community with understandable
summaries and presentations, enabling informed community members to interact effectively with USAGE.
Technical Reviews in Tennessee
and Michigan
Roane County, Tennessee:
In 2009, TASC Technical Assistance
Specialists provided the community
with technical reviews of EPA's draft
Community Involvement Plan and the
Agency's work plan for an upcoming
response action at the TVA Kingston Fly
Ash site in eastern Tennessee.
Tittabawassee River/Saginaw River
and Bay, Michigan:
In September 2009, negotiators agreed on
a proposed settlement to proceed with a
Superfund evaluation for the site. TASC
Technical Assistance Specialists provided
community groups with a technical review
of the settlement and shared their findings
at a December 2009 public meeting. Following review of community
comments, EPA and Michigan DEQ approved the AOC in January 2010.
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TASC and the CARE Program:
Addressing Pollution Risks, Together
CARE is an EPA grant program that offers an innovative way for communities to organize and take
action to reduce toxic pollution in their environments. TASC provides supplemental services to CARE
grant communities, working closely with the CARE program. Through CARE, communities create
partnerships that determine local environmental priorities and implement solutions that address those
priority concerns. By providing financial and technical assistance, EPA empowers CARE communities
to improve their environment.
Environmental Education and Technical Assistance for Hawaii's Wai'anae Coast
Oahu's Wai'anae Coast, home to the largest
population of Native Hawaiians in the state, is
also home to some of Hawaii's most significant
environmental resources. The community was
the recipient of a CARE cooperative agreement
in 2008. The Ka Wai Ola O Wai'anae Moku
(Water for Life in Wai' anae District) project has
assessed the impact of humans and pollutants on
the Wai' anae Coast.
Beginning in June 2009, TASC worked with CARE, EPA Region
9, the Pacific American Foundation and the community to provide
educational materials focused on water quality, land and air issues.
A TASC Technical Assistance Specialist presented this information
at meetings in August and September 2009 and served as a technical
resource for the community. The information provided by TASC has
helped the community analyze and prioritize environmental issues.
Facilitation Services, Partnership Development
and Outreach for Georgia's SAFE Coalition
Neighborhood Planning Unit V, located in southern Atlanta, is
a low-income, predominantly African-American community
facing high unemployment and low educational attainment. The
community is also impacted by negative health outcomes and
multiple environmental stressors. To help the community, two local
organizations and Georgia State University's Institute of Public
Health formed the South Atlanta for the Environment (SAFE)
coalition. SAFE was awarded a CARE cooperative agreement in
2008 to identify, assess, publicize, reduce and prevent environmental
health hazards. Since November 2009, TASC has provided SAFE
with facilitation services, provided strategic planning assistance
and developed a fact sheet summary of SAFE'S Environmental
Assessment Report to communicate project findings to community
residents.
Did You Know?
EPA has been providing educational
and technical assistance services to
communities for almost two decades. TASC
was preceded by EPA's Technical Outreach
Services for Communities (TOSC) program,
which assisted communities between
1994 and 2006. Services were provided
to Native American communities through
the Technical Outreach Services for Native
American Communities program (TOSNAC).
Brownfield communities continue to receive
assistance through the Technical Assistance
to Brownfields (TAB) Communities program.
Across the TASC and TOSC programs,
EPA's goal has been to provide high-
quality, independent educational
and technical assistance services
to communities. Informed, engaged
communities are vital partners in ensurinp
EPA's mission to protect human health and
the environment.
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Environmental Justice:
Ensuring Access to a Safe and Healthy Environment
All Americans should have access to a safe, healthy environment. Through the TASC program as well
as other programs, EPA seeks to address social equity concerns, working to resolve situations where
historically under-represented lower-income communities and people of color are burdened with
significant environmental challenges. In 2009, the TASC program provided support for a series of
projects as EPA engaged with environmental justice communitr" ~—"" ^" ' l--t—t c14--4—
Environmental Justice Summit in Georgia
TASC facilitated a meeting in Atlanta, Georgia that brought together 15
environmental justice communities from six southeastern states to share
their environmental concerns with EPA Region 4's Acting Regional
Administrator and senior Region 4 staff.
Community Listening Session in
Mississippi
EPA Assistant Administrator
Mathy Stanislaus visited Picayune,
Mississippi for a TASC-hosted
Community Listening Session to
explore ways to address regional
environmental justice issues and
environmental concerns.
Environmental Justice Educational
Network and Action Plan in
Massachusetts
Community members interested in forming
a environmental justice network in New
Bedford, Massachusetts requested TASC's
assistance. TASC is providing a technical
review of site documents and helping New
Bedford establish an educational network
and action plan to address environmental
justice issues.
Facilitation Services in Louisiana
In coordination with the Louisiana Environmental Justice Community
Organizations Coalition, TASC facilitated an October 2009 community
meeting with the owners of a refinery in Shreveport, sustaining the
community's ongoing dialogue regarding local environmental concerns.
Collaborative Approaches and
Environmental Law Workshops
for Tribal Communities
TASC and EPA's Office of Environmental
Justice partnered with Regions 5, 8 and 9
to deliver workshops for tribal communities
on collaborative problem-solving (CPS),
appropriate dispute resolution (ADR) and
environmental law. In November 2009,
TASC Technical Assistance Specialists
worked with EPA staff to develop and
deliver trainings in New Mexico, Wyoming
and at Region 9's Navajo Uranium
Contamination Stakeholder Workshop.
EPA and TASC also delivered training for
representatives from tribal and federal
governments, community organizations,
and tribal citizens (Shoshone and Northern
Arapaho tribes). The meeting focused on
environmental justice concerns, traditional
peacekeeping processes, intercultural
communication and dispute resolution
tools. Participants identified ways to
improve communications on water issues
and reached agreements to enhance
cooperation and communication.
In 2010, TASC expects to support CPS and
ADR trainings in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
"Not only did [EPA Administrator] Lisa Jackson listen to oui
us with some of the best resources EPA has available ... This is the ground work for a lot of
work yet to be done to totally make sure the area is safe for all."
-Region 1 TASC Project Participant
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The Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI)
Training and Employment for Underserved Citizens
SuperJTI is a job readiness program that provides
training and employment opportunities for underserved
citizens living in communities affected by Superfund
sites. Many of these areas are environmental justice
communities. Through SuperJTI, TASC's goal is to help
these communities develop job opportunities that remain
long after a Superfund site is cleaned up.
Pioneering SuperJTI at the Savannah River Site in Aiken,
South Carolina (SRS SuperJTI)
In 2009, the SuperJTI program at the Savannah River Site (SRS)
provided career development opportunities for 20 trainees living
near SRS in south-central South Carolina and eastern Georgia.
Through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE), community organizations like The Imani Group and site
" contractors, SRS SuperJTI provided local job-seekers with new
skills and work experience. From January through May 2009, SRS SuperJTI staff hosted community
meetings and candidate orientations to publicize the training opportunity and attract interested
candidates. These meetings were attended by more than 350 people.
After a rigorous screening process, 20 trainees completed the
two-part SRS SuperJTI program, which provides life skills and
technical training. Following graduation in July 2009, the traine
were placed into positions as production operators and material
handlers at SRS. The SRS Citizen's Advisory Board recognized tl
program for its success in late 2009; TASC and EPA Region 4 ar
providing a second SRS SuperJTI program in 2010, working wit!
DOE, The Imani Group and other community partners.
Looking Forward: SuperJTI Projects Under Way Nationwide in 2010
In addition to the second SuperJTI project in South Carolina, the program is
providing job training opportunities at the following sites in 2010:
• Fort Ord (Monterey County, California)
• Jacksonville Ash and Brown's Dump (Jacksonville, Florida)
• Tar Creek (Ottawa County, Oklahoma)
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Looking to the Future
Since the program's inception in late 2007, TASC has worked closely with communities to provide
high-quality services that effectively and comprehensively address their educational and technical
assistance needs.
Building on this strong foundation, the TASC program is also looking forward, recognizing that our
partner agencies and programs and the diverse communities we work with will continue to identify
new needs, opportunities and priorities. In 2010 and beyond, TASC will develop flexible, creative
educational approaches and seek innovative technical assistance solutions that meaningfully engage
communities and truly make a difference, one community at a time.
Some of TASC's 2010 activities are his
jhted below.
R10
Northport, Washington:
Providing technical
assistance to the
community regarding
the cleanup of the
Upper Columbia River.
R8
San Luis Valley, Colorado:
Developing educational
materials for the
community on well water
quality.
R5
Tremont City, Ohio:
Helping the community
understand the proposed
cleanup plan for the
Tremont City Barrel Fill
site.
R1
Somerville, Massachusetts:
Facilitating design charrettes
for the community, which
is an EPA CARE grant
recipient.
Pompton Lakes, New Jersey:
Assisting the community with
the formation of a Community
Advisory Group for the
DuPont Pompton Lakes site.
R9
Kettleman City, California
Addressing community
information needs regarding
environmental health concerns,
including birth defects.
R6
Tar Creek, Oklahoma:
Providing technical
assistance to the
community under the
SuperJTI program.
R7
Kansas City, Missouri:
Supporting the community's
formation of a Community
Advisory Group for the
Bannister Federal Complex
site.
R3
Huntington, West Virginia:
Developing community
visioning meetings for the
Port of Huntington Tri-State
Collaborative Geographic
Initiative.
R4
Jacksonville, Florida:
Identifying public health and
environmental justice concerns
and priorities under the SuperJTI
program.
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TASC Community Profiles: Makings Difference
Shortly after moving into the Pepe'ekeo Point neighborhood on the Hamakua coast
' of Hawaii's Big Island, Bridget Rapoza and her family learned of plans to reopen
a nearby coal-burning power plant, this time using biomass as a fuel source.
^•j Concerned about potential pollution as well as odors, noise and traffic, Rapoza
^f joined the community group Preserve Pepe'ekeo Health & Environment and
CO contacted EPA Region 9 and the TASC program. "The community was seeking
, - -v to learn more about the power plant and its potential environmental and human
™Q health effects," Rapoza recalled.
{ s
*~-^*' TASC researched potential environmental and health impacts of biomass energy
>^fc facilities for the community. Rapoza credits TASC's Technical Assistance
S^ Specialists with doing an excellent job of educating the community as well as
>^ responding promptly and professionally to all questions from different community
residents. "Hopefully the report will be effective in educating all parties planning
\~ for biomass in Hawaii and elsewhere," Rapoza said. "Nobody is against truly clean
renewable energy. But we want to do it in a way that makes long-term, intelligent, logical
sense. We also want a healthy place that's safe for our kids."
As President of New Bedford's C.L.E.A.N. (Citizens Leading Environmenta
Action Network), Eddie Johnson leads local efforts to clean up the Parker
Street Waste site, which encompasses homes, businesses and two schoc
southeastern Massachusetts. Through C.L.E.A.N., Johnson reached out to
TASC program in 2009 for technical assistance.
"I discovered TASC through the program's website," Johnson recalled.
"TASC helped us get the ball rolling, the technical assistance helped us
understand the site and how we could make something happen here. It has
led us to a cleanup plan that includes additional site testing, data analysis,
remediation and legal expertise. We are optimistic for the future." The
community has worked with two Technical Assistance Specialists, whose
assistance Johnson describes as "bevond invaluable."
\Nal
• ^ Chance meetings sometimes lead to unexpected opportunities. For Coley Walker, that
£. day arrived in early 2009. One day while out walking, Walker was approached by
|ft, two passersby in need of directions to a local meeting. As fortune would have it, the
travelers were in town recruiting for EPA's first Savannah River Site Superfund
-1 Job Training Initiative (SRS SuperJTI). Walker attended that initial meeting and
ended up passing the program's rigorous screening process and being selected
as a trainee.
A 52-year-old man with a felony conviction, Walker had begun to think
that many of life's doors had closed for him. SRS SuperJTI convinced him
otherwise. "It allowed me to remove mental barriers," he said. "Instead of having
tunnel vision, I started to ask, 'what can I do to help myself? What can I do to
T help others?' It's like a flower blossoming." Currently employed as a materials
handler at the Savannah River Site, Walker described the SRS SuperJTI experience
as "intense" and said the bond among his fellow trainees was infectious. "For the first
time in my life, I actually have a job that I look forward to every day," he said. "At my age,
the opportunity for a second chance is a blessing."
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TASC Assistance
Where You Live
For communities interested in more information or to
request assistance, please contact the EPA Regional TASC
representative in your area (see below) or visit the TASC
website, at www.epa.gov/superfund/community/tasc.
U.S. EPA- Region 1
Jim Murphy
(617) 918-1028
murphy.jim@epa.gov
U.S. EPA- Region 2
Wanda Ayala
(212) 637-3676
ayala.wanda@epa.gov
U.S. EPA- Regions
Carrie Deitzel
(215) 814-5525
deitzel.carrie@epa.gov
U.S. EPA- Region 4
L'Tonya Spencer
(404) 562-8463
spencer.latonya@epa.gov
U.S. EPA- Regions
Patricia Krause
(312) 866-9506
krause.patricia@epa.gov
U.S. EPA- Regions
Donn Walters
(214) 665-6483
walters.donn@epa.gov
U.S. EPA- Region?
Belinda Young
(913) 551-7463
young.belinda@epa.gov
U.S. EPA- Regions
Jennifer Chergo
(303)312-6601
chergo.jennifer@epa.gov
U.S. EPA- Region9
Viola K. Cooper
(415) 972-3243
cooper.viola@epa.gov
U.S. EPA- Region 10
Jeanne O'Dell
(206) 553-6919
odell.jeanne@epa.gov
TASC National Program Manager
Karen L. Martin
(703) 603-9925
martin.karenl@epa.gov
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