Here's the official notice. The scope of this initiative is to give community input into the cleanup process itself. There are reams of technical papers generated and the grant is primarily to allow the hiring of an "interpreter" to stay on top of everything and tell us in plain language what is going on and whether it is good or bad.

Applications Sought From Community Groups for $50,000 Technical Assistance Plan Grant for Kingston Cleanup

Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, (404) 562-8293, marraccini.davina@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – June 24, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 is accepting Letters of Interest (LOI) through July 17 from community groups interested in applying for the Technical Assistance Plan (TAP) program grant of up to $50,000 in connection with cleanup activities at the TVA Kingston site in Roane County, Tenn.

The grant is provided by TVA through the TAP program to a single qualified community group near the site. The TAP grant allows the community group to hire a technical advisor who can interpret EPA reports and assist the community in providing input to EPA on cleanup actions. To ensure that diverse community views are represented, EPA encourages all community groups interested in applying for this grant to consolidate and file a joint application.

EPA has received a LOI from the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network (TCASN) to apply for the TAP grant, and community groups wishing to join TCASN or file a separate grant application must do so by July 17.

Groups wishing to join with the TCASN for the purpose of this TAP application must notify:

Brenda Timm
Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network
Post Office Box 67
Harriman, TN 37748

Groups wishing to file a separate grant application must submit a LOI to file an application for the TVA Kingston Fossil Fuel Release Site TAP to:

Stephanie Yvette Brown
EPA Community Involvement Coordinator
Sam Nunn Federal Building
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Superfund Division - OSPAO
61 Forsyth Street, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303

Groups that require additional time to prepare a LOI to file an application may submit a timely written request for an extension to Ms. Brown for consideration. Following submission of the LOI, all grant applications must be submitted to Stephanie Brown by August 17.

Questions about the TAP should be directed to Ms. Brown at 1-800-564-7577 or 678-575-8505.

For more information about the TAP grant, including eligibility requirements and application instructions, as well as information about EPA’s oversight and response activities at the Kingston site, visit:
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