Changing practices: Technical assistance to citizens' groups facing toxic hazards

Comparison of 3 technical assistance (TA) programs for communities facing toxic hazards over 14 years identify how the TA providers and problems addressed have evolved. New tools, such as GIS, new scientific information, and changes in the political environment have affected the kind of help TA providers give and their interaction with community organizations. Scientific and technical information remain an essential resource in environmental disputes. TA providers continue to create and enhance access to this resource exchanging and refining information gathered by both the community and the TA provider. This interactive process continually redefines informational and other needs in relation to the strategic need to mobilize the community. Using community experience and expertise, TA providers help citizens identify and document hazards and use scientific explanations to make problems public and actionable. They transfer skills in interpreting, generating and using information, thus facilitating learning and building citizen capacity to recast their experience in technical terms which are meaningful to official decision makers and enhancing citizens' sense of agency and willingness to make demands on government and industry. Changing politics, technology, and environmental activities have affected the services provided and the relationships between communities and TA providers. Providers focus more on technical information and less on organizing concerns. The findings on specific victories and on the changing role, nature and efficacy of TA provide lessons on developing relationships between those with scientific and technical expertise and community organizations and on how these relationships are used for mobilization and advocacy.