Technical Assistance for Public Participation

The Department of Defense provides Technical Assistance to help TRCs and RABs better understand the scientific and engineering issues underlying an installation’s environmental restoration activities.

Technical Assistance for Public Participation is a new Department of Defense (DoD) program that provides a mechanism for community members of Restoration Advisory Boards (RABs) and Technical Review Committees (TRCs) to obtain technical assistance to help them understand and provide input into DoD’s environmental restoration program.

Status

A final rule was published on February 2, 1998. During 1997, in preparation for the rule’s publication, DoD trained over 100 of its employees from around the country in the TAPP process. RABs may now request this TAPP training through their DoD RAB Co-Chair.

How Does TAPP Work?

The community members
of RABs or TRCs decide
on a task that will help them participate more effectively in the environmental restoration program at an installation and apply for assistance through the DoD Co-Chair. DoD takes care of the administrative
end -- preparing a Statement of Work and procuring a technical assistance provider.

TAPP at a Glance

Community members design project and aide in selection of provider.

Government purchase orders procure technical assistance.

Maximum of $25,000/year, or 1% of the total restoration cost, whichever is less. There is a limit, over the life of the restoration efforts, of $100,000.

The community members of the RAB or TRC may be called upon to support the procurement process by reviewing and providing comment on potential providers should more than one meet the established criteria. Because the TAPP program takes advantage of an accelerated procurement procedure using purchase orders, support should be available within a very short time of establishing the need.

What TAPP is...

A way for the government to obtain alternative support for those RABs and TRCs that desire technical assistance.

A means for RABs and TRCs to better understand the installation’s environmental cleanup process.

A government program using purchase orders to obtain support for community members of RABs or TRCs.

What TAPP is not...

A requirement for RABs or TRCs to abandon existing working relationships or methods of obtaining meaningful
technical support.

A grant to RABs or TRCs, nor a blank check to use at their discretion.

A means for RABs or TRCs to perform sampling or other functions which should be carried out by the installation.

Eligible Projects

Review of restoration documents
Review of proposed remedial technologies
Interpreting health & environmental effects
Participating in relative risk evaluations
Certain types of technical training

Ineligible Projects

Generation of new primary data
Reopening final DoD decisions
Epidemiological or health studies, such as blood or urine tests
Litigation or underwriting legal actions
Community outreach efforts
Political activity or lobbying

How Can You Get Involved in a RAB?

Most installations that have cleanup programs also have established RABs. This is especially true at closing installations. For more information about forming or participating in a RAB, please contact the Public Affairs Office at your local installation or consult the Directory of Restoration Advisory Boards, available on the U.S. Department of Defense, Environmental Cleanup Web site: Stakeholder Involvement-Restoration Advisory Boards

For further information, please contact the DoD Environmental Cleanup Office.