In May, NEAR (Neighbors Expecting Accountability and Remediation) was selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to receive a three-year, $50,000 Technical Assistance Grant. NEAR will use this grant to improve community understanding of the technicalities of, and to more effectively monitor, the cleanup at Brookhaven National Laboratory. EPA awards only one Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) per Superfund site.
How the grant will be used
NEAR plans to use this grant to hire consultants who will examine and interpret the large volume of cleanup-related documents produced by the Lab. These technical assistants will provide an independent analysis of the cleanup information. NEAR also plans to participate in community-run public forums to discuss Laboratory cleanup operations and provide recommendations to the Lab.
"We will seek precise, reliable information with which people can make sound and responsible judgments on matters of personal and community health," stated NEAR administrator Judy Pannullo in a June 2nd press release announcing the award.
NEAR defines itself as a coalition of community residents committed to monitoring operations at the Laboratory, and to ensuring protection of the environment and the health and safety of community residents and Lab workers. Members of NEAR also represent nearly 30 local community and environmental groups. These groups include the Long Island Progressive Coalition, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Suffolk County Environmental Advocates and the Long Island Association of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Organization, itself an umbrella group that includes 40 civic organizations.
About the TAG program
The U.S. Congress established the TAG program in 1986 to help communities near Superfund sites better understand the technical information generated during the cleanup process. This enables community members to more effectively participate in cleanup decisions.
TAG money may be used to hire technical advisors to review and explain cleanup documents to the community, and to help communicate the community's concerns to the cleanup site's management. TAG funds may also pay for administrative help for the group that receives the grant. TAGs may not be used to develop new information or to underwrite legal action.