This story was originally published in the Fall 2011 UW SRP eBulletin.
The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/Technical Advisory Group (DRCC/TAG) is a non-profit organization in the city of Seattle formed in response to the listing of the Lower Duwamish Waterway as a federal Superfund site. The coalition is EPA's official Community Advisory Group (CAG) and receives EPA funding to contract with independent technical advisors to review all cleanup-related studies and plans. DRCC/TAG is involved in all aspects of the proposed cleanup and is working to ensure that the cleanup meets community standards.Last month DRCC/TAG launched the Duwamish Valley Healthy Communities Project. The project will convene residents, businesses, workers, social service providers, government agencies, and non-profit organizations to identify, prioritize and develop action plans for a wide range of threats to the community's health. The project is designed to engage the entire community, regardless of language, income, education level, and other traditional barriers to public involvement. It is based on a consensus approach to problem-solving that aims to bridge the interests of residents, businesses, health workers, and environmental advocates in order to develop effective, tangible strategies to improve the community's health.
To learn more about the Duwamish Valley Health Communities Project, please click here.
The UW-Research Translation Core (RTC) has a longstanding relationship with the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/TAG that provides a diverse Seattle community with important information on the Superfund site and its cleanup. Over the years the RTC has provided funds to support public boat tours and environmental justice materials development, and has invited youth engaged in cleanup efforts to the University of Washington campus for laboratory tours. Effective communication is one of the hallmarks of DRCC/TAG; they have co-presented at EPA conferences with the UW-SRP in recent years.