N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 27-1316: Citizen technical assistance grants

§ 27-1316. Citizen technical assistance grants.

1. The commissioner is authorized to provide, or order a person acting

under order or on consent, to provide grants to any not-for-profit

corporation exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the internal

revenue code who may be affected by an inactive hazardous waste disposal

site remedial program. To qualify to receive such assistance, a

community group must demonstrate that its membership represents the

interests of the community affected by such site, and that members'

health, economic well-being or enjoyment of the environment are

potentially affected by such site. Such grants shall be known as

technical assistance grants and may be used to obtain technical

assistance in interpreting information with regard to the nature of the

hazard posed by hazardous waste located at or emanating from an inactive

hazardous waste disposal site or sites and the development and

implementation of an inactive hazardous waste disposal site remedial

program or programs. Such grants may also be used:

(a) to advise affected residents on any health assessment; and

(b) for training funds for the education of interested affected

community members to enable them to more effectively participate in the

remedy selection process.

Grants awarded under this section may not be used for the purposes of

collecting field sampling data, political activity or lobbying

legislative bodies.

2. The amount of any grant awarded under this section may not exceed

fifty thousand dollars at any one site.

3. No matching contribution from the grant recipient shall be required

for a technical assistance grant. Following a grant award, a portion of

the grant shall be made available to the grant recipient, in advance of

the expenditures to be covered by the grant, in five thousand dollar

installments.