8/05/2010

Gowanus News: F.R.O.G.G Receives TAG Grant from E.P.A

F.I.B would like to congratulate F.R.O.G.G (Friends & Residents of the Greater Gowanus)on being awarded the Technical Assistant Grant from the E.P.A! F.R.O.G.G has tirelessly worked for years fighting for the environmental rights of the Gowanus Canal with absolutely no commercial interests whatsoever. I would like to think that their concerns and tenacity were the force field that suddenly brought the E.P.A's attention to the Gowanus Canal and the subsequent Superfund nomination which became a reality. Unlike other groups whose affiliation with the canal and whose priorities seemed to be tied with "development", F.R.O.G.G's has always been about clean water and clean land. That's it. Pure and simple.

The T.A.G grant was conceived in 1980 when Congress wanted to ensure that the people whose lives were affected by abandoned hazardous wastes would have a say in actions to clean them up. This grant means that F.R.O.G.G will sort of be the go between the EPA during the Superfund process and the community. All I can say is that the E.P.A chose the right people for the job. F.R.O.G.G is and always have been completely transparent and actually live in the neighborhood that they serve.

I have been to F.R.O.G.G. meetings and I can tell you that no decision is ever made without the mutual concent of all members and I am absolutely positive that this will remain their modus operandi when working with the community during the Gowanus Canal clean up.

Viva la F.R.O.G.G!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is very good news.

Cynthia

Katia said...

Well deserved! No group has worked harder than FROGG.
Congratulations!

Anonymous said...

Could this be an example of government working for the governed?

The EPA should be commended for continuing to do what they are charged with under the Federal Superfund law where the TAG grant is stipulated for funding the local community. As the first Superfund site in NYC, it seams that the power-holding developers haven't yet figured out how to dismiss the local community from the process; as they so thoroughly have with the ULURP process which is totally dismissive of all local community comments and input.