vvEPA

/

E PA-XXX- FS-XX-XXX

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES FOR COMMUNITIES
ffnttfWm at the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport Area (PGA) Site

www.epa.gov

This fact sheet is part of a series that illustrates the services provided by U.S. EPA's Technical
Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) program.

Community Technical Assistance Needs

The PGA Superfund site is located 17 miles west of
Phoenix, Arizona, mostly within the City of Goodyear.
Aircraft maintenance activities and defense and aerospace
equipment manufacturing over several decades led to the
contamination of site soils and ground water with volatile
organic compounds and metals. EPA listed the site on its
National Priorities List of contaminated sites in 1983.
Encompassing approximately 35 square miles, the site
includes the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport and agricultural,
residential and commercial areas.

Since 2001, a local Community Advisory Group (CAG)
has provided community input to EPA on site cleanup
activities. More recently, additional interest in educational
outreach and assistance for communities affected by the
site led to the formation of the non-profit Environmental
Community Outreach Association (ECO). With the
CAG and ECO working in coordination, local citizens
contacted EPA Region 9 in mid-2010 to request technical
assistance services.

EPA Region 9 contacted TASC and TASC conducted a
community needs assessment to identify local concerns
and priorities. As part of the assessment, TASC staff
hosted an information-gathering meeting and conducted
phone interviews with community leaders. The assessment
identified educational outreach as a key community priority
- to provide the communities of Avondale, Goodyear and
Litchfield Park with an enhanced understanding of site
conditions and future cleanup activities and milestones.
The goal: to enable local citizens to engage as informed
participants in the site's ongoing cleanup.

The TASC Response

TASC's Technical Assistance Specialists worked
closely with the community to develop comprehensive
educational outreach materials, including:

•	Community newsletters and flyers.

•	Maps and other graphics highlighting key site
information for booths at local events.

•	Posters and related materials for presentations and
community meetings.

•	Electronic information resources, including a
website.

TASC also provided training support to ECO staff, so
that they are able to maintain and update the materials
over time. ECO staff have been highly responsive, using
the materials to reach out to local citizens at events,
meetings and online.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Technical Assistance Services for Communities


-------
Process Outcomes: Community Benefits

TASC's services have laid the groundwork for expanded and
enhanced community engagement at the PGA Superfund site.
The educational outreach materials developed for the site are
designed to reach diverse audiences across a range of media, and
to be easily updated by the community over time.

As stated in a recent ECO newsletter, "through education and
outreach, community members, organizations and businesses in
the affected area will better understand technical issues at the
Superfund site. They will also be able to provide feedback and
recommendations to EPA and take actions that promote a healthy
and sustainable environment."

"TASC has tremendously enhanced ECO's
outreach efforts and ncreased community
participation in the Superfund process."

-Nadine Johnson,
ECO Director

TASC outreach materials at a recent community
meeting.	(Source: ECO)

What is the TASC Program?

www.epa.gov/superfund/community/tasc

For more information
on EPA's TASC program,
please contact:

Viola Cooper
TASC Coordinator - EPA Region 9
(415) 972-3243
cooper.viola@epa.gov

Technical Assistance Services for Communities is a u s

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
programs. TASC offers assistance to help communities better
understand local hazardous waste issues and engage in the
cleanup process.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Technical Assistance Services for Communities

Printed on 100% recycled/recyclable paper


-------