Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) Program

A Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) helps communities participate in Superfund cleanup decision-making. It provides funding to community groups to contract their own technical advisor to interpret and explain technical reports, site condi­tions, and EPA’s proposed cleanup proposals and decisions. An initial grant up to $50,000 is available to qualified community groups.

Congress made public involvement in decision-making an important part of the Superfund process when the program was established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980. Congress wanted to ensure that the people whose lives were affected by abandoned hazardous wastes would have a say in the actions taken to clean up sites. The role of community members in the Superfund process was further strengthened in the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA). With SARA, Congress created EPA's TAG program. TAGs are available at Superfund sites on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) or proposed for listing on the NPL, and for which a response action has begun. The NPL is a list of the most hazardous waste sites nationwide.

The documents below provide an overview of the TAG program:

• Superfund Technical Assistance Grants (PDF)

Federal Regulations Concerning the TAG Program

• 40 CFR Part 35, Subpart M – Grants for Technical Assistance
  Covers regulations specific to the TAG program.
• 2 CFR Part 200 and 2 CFR Part 1500
  Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

On this page:

• TAG Resources
• TAGs in Communities
• TAG Contacts

TAG Resources

In this section:

• Search Superfund Documents
• Application Information
• TAG Management Information
• Capacity-Building Assistance for TAG recipients

Search Superfund Documents

To access the documents listed on this page, please use the document search tool below. Searching by document title or Superfund terms will generate a table of relevant results. Note: Not all documents may be available at this time. EPA continues to update its website to enhance public access to Superfund-related information.

• Search Superfund Community Involvement Documents
• Search Superfund Documents

Application Information
 

• Applying for a TAG - Steps and Tips for Completing an Application
  This guide includes a description of key steps for developing and submitting an application, a description of the sections in the TAG application, a description of required standard forms and tips for preparing the project and budget narratives in your TAG application.

• EPA's Office of Grants and Debarment (OGD)
  Provides information about various EPA grant and fellowship programs. Includes updated forms and instructions for including a DUNS identification number on SF 424, which now is required for all federal assistance applications. (Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at 1-866-705-5711.

• EPA's "How to Apply for Grants" Page
  EPA's Office of Grants and Debarment (OGD) page providing tips for writing a grant proposal and preparing a budget; a grants tutorial; and grant application forms.

• Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs): Managing Your TAG (PDF)
  Provides an overview of TAG financial, reporting and record-keeping responsibilities.
   
• Technical Assistance Grants (TAG): How to Find and Select a Technical Advisor (PDF)
  Provides questions often asked by TAG recipients about finding and choosing a technical advisor.

TAG Recipient Manual

Provides detailed information and tools for managing a TAG. This information has been organized into nine separate sections for easy downloading.
Note: TAG recipients should continue to work closely with their EPA project officer/regional TAG coordinator and follow the requirements specified in the approved TAG agreement to make sure all TAG requirements are met.

Now Available:

• Section 1: Overview and First Steps (PDF)
• Section 2: Tracking TAG Activities and Finances (PDF)
• Section 3: Reporting Requirements (PDF)
• Section 4: Procurement—Spending TAG Funds (PDF)
• Section 5: Requesting Payment (PDF)
• Section 6: Changing, Extending, or Ending Your TAG (PDF)
• Section 7: TAG Enforcement, Termination, and Your Right to Appeal (PDF)
• Section 8: Blank Forms (PDF)
• Section 9: Blank Worksheets and Other Tools (PDF)

Capacity-Building Assistance for TAG Recipients

TAG recipients can become members of organizations, both nonprofit and for-profit, that provide capacity-building assistance and required membership fees may be reimbursed by the TAG grant. These organizations can assist TAG recipients by developing ways to increase membership in the TAG group, formulating strategies to build the capacity of the TAG organization, providing assistance in reaching the broader community impacted by a given site or by connecting the TAG recipient with similar community organizations across the country. TAG recipients should work closely with their Regional TAG Coordinators if interested in this additional resource.

Frequent Questions

     1. How is this assistance provided to TAG recipients?

The assistance can be provided online, over the phone or in person. There are a number of capacity-building organizations that provide pro-bono capacity-building assistance through their websites. (TAG grants, however, cannot reimburse any expenses associated with capacity-building staff traveling to assist TAG recipients. These expenses would need to be covered by the TAG recipient.)

     2. Are there limitations regarding how TAG funds can be used?

TAG recipients can request capacity-building assistance from organizations that provide these resources either pro-bono or through a membership fee. TAG recipients should work with their regional TAG coordinators to ensure these membership fees are reasonable and allocable (e.g., specifically related to the TAG work being performed). Organizations that provide capacity-building assistance through a fee-for-service arrangement (charged at an hourly rate) are not specifically included in this collaboration. If assistance is to be requested from a fee-for-service organization, TAG recipients will need to follow the procurement regulations in 40 CFR 35.4210 to obtain these services.

     3. What benefits can TAG recipients derive from capacity-building organizations?

Organizations that provide capacity-building assistance may be able to assist TAG recipients by providing networking assistance with other environmental organizations; developing communication tools for the TAG recipient to reach the broader community; formulating strategies to ensure the organization is financially sustainable; assisting the TAG grantee with organizational development and strategic planning; and developing ways for the grantee to expand their membership.

     4. Are there additional limitations regarding how TAG recipients can use grant funding to receive capacity-building assistance?

TAG recipients cannot use capacity-building organizations in regards to actions that would be prohibited under 40 CFR Part 35 or 40 CFR Part 30. For instance, TAG recipients cannot use a capacity-building organization to lobby and the assistance provided by the capacity-building organization should be non-advocacy in nature.

     5. Is there a list of capacity-building organizations that can assist TAG recipients?

Yes. A detailed list of capacity-building organizations that provide resources either pro-bono or through a membership fee is available.

• List of Capacity-Building Organizations (PDF)

This list is provided for informational purposes only. EPA and the United States government do not endorse any particular organization or entity.

     6. I am aware of other organizations that provide capacity-building assistance either pro-bono or through a membership fee. Who do I contact to have these organizations added to the list?

Please contact Region 1 TAG Coordinator Robert Shewack to add capacity-building organizations to the existing list. The organization proposed for listing: (a) must have prior experience providing capacity-building assistance to communities impacted by toxic sites; (b) be able to provide assistance either pro-bono or for a membership fee; (c) cannot be listed on the Excluded Parties List; and (d) no endorsement is implied.

• To find out if an organization is on the Excluded Parties List, see the "Quick Guide to Advanced Search Exclusions"  

TAGs in Communities

Map of TAG Awards

Last Update: September 2023

Click the >> for the map legend and click on the symbols on the map for information about each project.

If you are having trouble viewing the map in your browser, click the 'View larger map' link below

Communities Currently Receiving TAG support

Site: Brunswick Naval Air Station (Brunswick, Maine)
Recipient: Brunswick Area Citizens for a Safe Environment (BACSE)

Site: Centredale Manor Restoration Project (North Providence, Rhode Island)
Recipient: Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council 

Site: Fort Devens (Fort Devens, Massachusetts)
Recipient: People of Ayer Concerned About the Environment (PACE)

Site: GE – Housatonic River (Pittsfield, Massachusetts)
Recipient: Housatonic River Initiative (HRI) 

Site: Nuclear Metals, Inc. (Concord, Massachusetts)
Recipient: Citizens Research and Environmental Watch

Site: Olin Chemical (Wilmington, Massachusetts)
Recipient: Wilmington Environmental Restoration Committee

Site: Peterson/Puritan, Inc. (Cumberland & Lincoln, Rhode Island)
Recipient: Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone 

Site: Dewey Loeffel Landfill (Nassau, New York)
Recipient: UNCAGED

Site: Diamond Alkali Co. (Newark, New Jersey)
Recipient: Raritan Baykeeper, Inc.

Site: Rolling Knolls Landfill (Green Village, New Jersey)
Recipient: Great Swamp Watershed Association, Inc.

Site: Lower Darby Creek Area (Delaware County, Pennsylvania)
Recipient: Darby Creek Valley Association  

Site: Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp – Columbus (Columbus, Mississippi)
Recipient: Memphis Town Community Action Group

Site: Kerr-McGee Chemical Site (Jacksonville, Florida)
Recipient: Eastside Environmental Council

Site: LCP Chemicals Georgia (Brunswick, Georgia)
Recipient: Glynn Environmental Coalition, Inc.  

Site: Terry Creek Dredge Spoil Areas/Hercules Outfall (Brunswick, Georgia)
Recipient: Glynn Environmental Coalition, Inc. 

Site: Velsicol Chemical Corp.  (St. Louis, Michigan)
Recipient: Pine River Superfund Citizen Task Force  

Site: Velsicol Burn Pit (St. Louis, Michigan)
Recipient: Pine River Superfund Citizen Task Force  

Site: Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant (Karnack, Texas)
Recipient: Caddo Lake Institute 

Site: ACM Smelter and Refinery (Black Eagle, Montana)
Recipient: Black Eagle Civic Club

Site: Anaconda Co. Smelter (Anaconda, Montana)
Recipient: Arrowhead Foundation, Inc. 

Site: Captain Jack Mill (Ward, Colorado)
Recipient: Lefthand Watershed Center

Site: Flat Creek IMM (Superior, Montana)
Recipient: Superior Technical Assistance Committee (STAC)

Site: Montana Pole and Treating (Butte, Montana)
Recipient: Citizens' Technical Environmental Committee 

Site: Rocky Mountain Arsenal (US Army) (Adams County, Colorado)
Recipient: Site Specific Advisory Board of RMA

Site: Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area (Silver Bow/Deer Lodge, Montana)
Recipient: Citizens' Technical Environmental Committee

Site: US Magnesium (Tooele County, Utah)
Recipient: Friends of Great Salt Lake  

Site: Halaco Engineering Company (Oxnard, California)
Recipient: Santa Barbara Channelkeepers, Inc.

Site: MEW Study Area (Mountain View, California)
Recipient: PacSC - Pacific Studies Center

Site: Lower Duwamish Waterway (Seattle, Washington)
Recipient: Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/Technical Advisory Group 

Site: Portland Harbor (Portland, Oregon)
Recipient: Willamette River Advocacy Group 

Contact Us

For more information on the TAG program, please locate your state and EPA Region on the map below and contact the appropriate EPA Regional TAG Coordinator.

EPA Regional TAG Coordinators