RE: Funding technical assistance for communities

[Karen Stromberg <Karen.Stromberg@state.ma.us>]

I have been involved in over 100 cleanups of sites in my state as a public involvement coordinator, and the only way to level the playing field for the public is to give them technical assistance grants to allow them to hire their own independent environmental consultants (we happen to license our's).  It is too much to expect, or even ask, the public to do what we all do as a paid career.  The PRPs are most inclined to listed to the public when they have their own expert, and it's usually the only way the public ever believes the information coming from the PRPs, or even the government.  The problem is how to fund them all.  We never have enough money and the same groups seem to get them again and again, and it's never enough even for them.  I think there should be some way to get the PRPs to pay for it when the public requests it - 1 per site so that all interested parties have to work together.  Enforcement is a great idea, but not every site will have penalties.  We don't seem to have the resources available to provide it, but it is CRITICAL for participation.