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E PA-XXX- FS-XX-XXX
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES FOR COMMUNITIES
ftnerrffmi at the Bannister Federal Complex
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 Bannister Federal Complex is a 3-million-square-
foot facility located in Kansas City, Missouri, that
produces non-nuclear components for nuclear weapons.
The facility has been in operation since the 1940s and
is currently occupied primarily by the U.S. Department
of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration
(NNSA) and the U.S. General Services Administration
(GSA).
With NNSA planning to relocate from the site by 2013, the
facility's Interagency Environmental Leadership Council
(IELC) sought assistance in bringing together community
representatives to provide feedback on the community's
priorities for the future use of the facility. The community
also sought an opportunity to discuss the facility's status
and potential contamination concerns with the IELC,
which is composed of high-level representatives from
each of the government agencies involved at the site -
U.S. EPA, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
(MDNR), NNSA and GSA.
In spring 2010, the IELC requested assistance from EPA
Region 7 and TASC to form a Community Advisory Panel
(CAP). "This community panel will provide an important
two-way communication tool regarding environmental
issues to work towards possible future redevelopment,"
said EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks.
The TASC Response
TASC worked quickly to help the IELC organize the
CAP. Community organizations, federal, state and local
officials, former employees, economic development
and public health authorities, unions and other site
stakeholders were invited to participate in the process.
TASC conducted prospective member interviews in
September 2010 and the CAP was formally established
with 18 members in October 2010.
Between October 2010 and June 2011, TASC Technical
Assistance Specialists facilitated seven CAP meetings,
providing a supportive and neutral meeting environment
in which the community could continue to work closely
and effectively with the IELC on environmental and
redevelopment priorities for the site. TASC Technical
Assistance Specialists have also assisted the CAP
with capacity-building and other guidance, enhancing
participants' skills for the long term.
Aerial view of the site.
{Source: IELC)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Technical Assistance Services for Communities
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Process Outcomes: Community Benefits
TASC's support services for the CAP have enabled the IELC
and the community to establish strong working relationships
and a forum in which to address environmental and
redevelopment priorities for the Bannister Federal Complex
on an ongoing basis.
• CAP members are now well-informed representatives
able to share key site information with their respective
constituencies and convey community concerns and
interests to the CAP and the IELC.
• CAP members provide community recommendations,
updates and guidance to the IELC regarding the site's
disposal process and redevelopment.
• CAP members share the community's public and
environmental health concerns regarding the site with
the IELC. IELC's member agencies are incorporating
community perspectives into their respective planning
processes and providing CAP members with regular site
status updates.
"Our long-term objective is for
the Bannister Federal Complex
to be a viable property for
generations to come."
-Karl Brooks,
EPA Region 7 Administrator
What is the TASC Program?
www.epa.gov/superfund/community/tasc
For more information
on EPA's TASC program,
please contact:
Belinda Young
TASC Coordinator - EPA Region 7
(913) 551-7463
young.belinda@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.
j U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Technical Assistance Services for Communities
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