May 26, 2003—EPA Administrator Christie Whitman recently announced the first Brownfields Job Training Grants under the new Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002.
EPA is awarding ten communities in seven states $200,000 each to provide environmental job training at Brownfields sites. Whitman made the announcement today during a visit to one of the award recipients, JFY Networks (formerly Jobs for Youth) in Boston.
In January 2002, President Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, which authorizes up to $250 million per year for Brownfields grants, including up to $50 million for the assessment and cleanup of low-risk petroleum contaminated sites. The new legislation allows EPA to provide training to expedite assessment, remediation and preparation of Brownfields sites.
The job training grants are used to teach environmental-cleanup job skills to individuals living in low-income areas near Brownfields sites. The majority of participants who successfully complete the training program go on to pursue careers with environmental firms and organizations. Since the job training program started in 1998, EPA has awarded 56 job training pilots totaling $10.7 million; 1366 participants have completed training; and 903 participants have obtained employment in the environmental field with an average hourly wage of $12.55. Applicants for the Job Training program must be located in or near a community that currently receives, or has received, financial assistance from EPA for Brownfields-related activities.
For more information, contact the EPA.
