Solutia grant decision raises CAP's ire

By Jessica Centers
Star Staff Writer
06-02-2004

Solutia has awarded the West Anniston Foundation a grant to hire a technical adviser who will translate the details of PCBs cleanup to the public, the company announced Tuesday. David and Shirley Baker of Community Against Pollution were angered by the news. They had expected to win the grant after combining their resources with the Brownfield Institute, and equated the situation to being left out of the Tolbert settlement fund’s community advisory board. “The impacted community at large is once again being left out of the process,” Shirley Baker said. The purpose of the grant of up to $150,000, ($50,000 renewable for three years), is for the recipient group to hire an adviser who will interpret and help the community understand and comment on the technical data and documents related to PCBs cleanup under the consent decree. The West Anniston Foundation will recommend two candidates for the job to Solutia. Their credentials must include a knowledge of hazardous toxic waste issues, proven by more than five years of work experience; and a bachelor of science in a relevant discipline, such as biochemistry, toxicology, environmental sciences or engineering. Charity Richey-Bentley, West Anniston Foundation executive director, said she hopes to find someone who lives in the area and who has a link to the PCB site. She plans to start by looking for candidates in the environmental health programs at University of Alabama-Birmingham and Jacksonville State University. The West Anniston Foundation was set up to give scholarships and other grants using money from a PCB settlement. Last week, it awarded $10,000 grants to five non-profit groups, including the Calhoun/Cleburne Children’s Center, Inc., Children’s Services, Inc., Concern for Children, Interfaith Ministries and LINC. The only other technical assistance grant application that met qualifications came from the local activist group, CAP, and the Brownfield Institute, which trains local people to take advantage of environmental cleanup jobs. “How in the world can a foundation be more representative than two grassroots organizations?” Shirley Baker said, perplexed that the foundation won when one of the scoring categories was the group that best represents those affected by the PCBs site. “CAP is the one that went to a (U.S.) Senate hearing, testified and got the consent decree changed, and since then has been working hard to get the cleanup started,” David Baker said. Shirley Baker also questioned the foundation’s eligibility because it is funded by a lawsuit settlement which Solutia and other defendants paid. According to the Technical Assistance Plan, any group established or sustained by Solutia is ineligible to receive the grant. “If (Solutia/Monsanto) is not sustaining them, then you tell me who is,” Shirley Baker said. She said there is also a perception in the community that the West Anniston Foundation is part of Solutia. Melissa Hammonds, Solutia spokeswoman, said both grant applicants met the eligibility requirements and were well qualified. Earl Warren, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of East Central Alabama, reviewed the grant applications with Pete Conroy, director of the JSU Environmental Policy and Information Center, and Rebecca Turner, JSU vice president for academic and student affairs. Hammonds chose the members of the selection committee with the permission of the Community Advisory Group to the Consent Decree. Warren said the three reviewed the two applications with the names of the applicants blacked out. “West Anniston won by a few points,” he said. “It was really close. It was a tough decision. We were not being partial to any agency.”

About Jessica Centers

Jessica Centers, a University of Missouri graduate, covers business for The Anniston Star.