Pre-TAPP at North Island

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

>From Dottie Marron:

Hi Lenny,

The NAS North Island RAB has been involved in a kind of pilot program
for TAPP. We had the first consultant we hired, Rober Sears, present
his findings at our last RAB meeting. After hearing and reading what
Mr. Sears had to say, both the Navy and RAB had to agree that the
program is a resounding success.

The Navy authorized $5000 for us to spend on independent consultants.
The RAB formed a Technical Assistance Committee which, with the approval
of the RAB, selected documents that were extremely complicated and
difficult to understand. The RABTAC selected four sites. The RABTAC
then drafted and published "Requests for Proposals." One of our
requirements was that the consultant could not be a military contractor
or working for the military. We also wanted to see samples of the
consultants work to make sure that they wrote in a clear and easily
understood manner.

When the proposals came in, the RABTAC reviewed the proposals. We
graded the proposals on past experience with the public, clarity of
writing, cost, and how much work they had done for the military. We
then informed the RAB of our first, second and third choices for each
job.

At that point, the Navy took over taking bids and setting up contracts
in the only part of the TAGG process that I found uncomfortable. It
wasn't
that the Navy was trying to influence the outcome. It was just that I
felt that as long as our first choices were within the amount we had
agreed to pay the consultants, then the normal military contracting
procedure was unnecessary. But, it turned out fine, and we got our first
choices for every job.

Our first consultant, Robert Sears, reviewed some monstrous documents
relating to air emissions from the clean-up processes at Sites 9 and 11.
He submitted his analysis and recommendations to the RAB and gave an
in-person presentation. It was great. His analysis was thorough and
understandable to people without a technical background. The RAB was
impressed, the Navy was impressed, and the regulators were impressed.

The rest of our consultants are scheduled to give presentations to the
RAB over the next several months.

The biggest problems with the TAPP program are (1) getting a RABTAC
together that can find enough time to put everything together. It is a
time-consuming process. (2) the contracting problem I mentioned
earlier. (3) Getting the proposal out, the consultants hired, and the
recommendations made before the comment period is over. This is the
biggest problem.

All in all, even with Navy, instead of DOD involvement, the TAPP process
is great and extremely beneficial to all parties.

I also want to mention that the Navy at NAS North Island is extremely
supportive of the RAB and, for the most part, very easy to work with. I
have no idea how the TAPP process would work at bases where the military
is not supportive of the RAB process.

Dottie

 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| ----
 ,-, | Dottie Marron djm@sol..cwsl.edu | ========
 ___| | | CALIFORNIA WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW | -----
 //_|| | | 225 Cedar Street (619) 525-1414 | ----
 ,---'| ~|| | | San Diego, CA 92101 | --
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 `-(*)===~~~~~~(*) (*)| (*) (*)| -------
Lenny Siegel
Director, SFSU CAREER/PRO (and Pacific Studies Center)
c/o PSC, 222B View St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/968-1126
lsiegel@cpeo.org