MassDEP outlines $200,000 technical‑assistance grants for community groups, details eligibility and timeline

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) on a public webinar outlined plans for a new Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) funding round, saying the agency expects roughly $200,000 to be available in this cycle and that individual awards will be up to $20,000.

MassDEP co-manager Patty Shaw described the purpose and rules of TAGs and how the grants support public involvement in hazardous‑waste site cleanups. “The TAG funding is limited to public involvement related activities. It may not be used to fund the actual cleanup or assessment at a disposal site,” Shaw said.

The Technical Assistance Grants are administered by MassDEP’s Waste Site Cleanup Program and are governed by the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP), the agency said. The TAGs fund expert technical help and public‑education activities — for example, hiring a licensed site professional (LSP) or translating technical materials — not new environmental or medical data or direct cleanup work.

Why it matters: TAGs are intended to help affected communities understand technical documents, participate more effectively in the MCP cleanup process and communicate with responsible parties and regulators. MassDEP staff emphasized TAGs are reimbursement grants: awardees must incur eligible expenses and submit invoices for…