WRHSRC Logo.About TOSC

Technical Outreach Services for Communities (TOSC) is a program providing free assistance to communities affected by hazardous substance contamination. We are staffed by university faculty and technical outreach specialists and are a part of the Western Region Hazardous Substance Research Center (WRHSRC) at Oregon State University.

TOSC staff can help communities by:

  • Answering questions about potential health effects and possible cleanup technologies for hazardous waste sites.
  • Assisting communities as they interact with regulators and others involved in a cleanup effort.
  • Holding community workshops and providing educational material about human health, environmental risks, and regulations.
  • Reviewing and explaining technical reports.

TOSC is an educational program and helps communities understand complex issues -- we are not a lobbying or advocacy group. We try to help communities be better informed and empowered but we do not argue for specific solutions or positions. One of our priorities is to assist minority and low-income communities.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world... indeed it's the only thing that ever has."

Margaret Mead

Contact Information

There are four ways to contact TOSC:

By telephone: (toll free) 1-800-653-6110
or 541-737-4032
By email: tosc@engr.orst.edu
By fax: 541-737-2735
By mail: TOSC
1148 Kelley Engineering Center
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331-5501

Management

The Western Region TOSC Program is part of the Western Region Hazardous Substance Research Center (WRHSRC) -- a research partnership between Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR) and Stanford University (Stanford, CA). TOSC staff are located at Oregon State in the Kelley Engineering Center.

The WRHSRC is one of five Hazardous Substance Research Centers located at universities around the country. Their mission is to encourage the development of better and safer methods for assessment and clean up of hazardous substances. Each regional center manages two outreach programs for communities in their region:

  • Technical Outreach Services for Communities (TOSC) assists communities affected by hazardous waste sites or other types of environmental contamination.
  • Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities (TAB) assists communities hoping to cleanup and redevelop brownfields - properties that require environmental assessment or cleanup before they can be developed. For more information about TAB visit the program website.

Funding

TOSC is funded by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. We submit annual grant reports to the agency but we are not EPA employees and do not have any regulatory responsibilities. The most recent TOSC grant was awarded in 2001 and will end in 2006.

Service Area

Cartoon map of the Western Region.The Western Region TOSC program provides assistance to communities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Micronesia, Marianas Islands, Nevada, Oregon, Samoa, and Washington. These are the states and territories within US Environmental Protection Agency Regions 9 and 10.

Communities located in other parts of the country may be eligible for assistance from TOSC programs at other regional centers. You can visit the National TOSC website for more information and links to TOSC programs in other regions.