United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-00-278 December 2000 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilot Spirit Lake Nation, ND Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105) Quick Reference Fact Sheet EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $1,000,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states, tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment. BACKGROUND EPA has selected the Spirit Lake Nation for a Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilot. The Spirit Lake Nation also is the recipient of a Brownfields Assessment Pilot. The Spirit Lake Nation (5,300 enrolled members; 1,500 non-native residents) includes 383 square miles of land and is located in the northeastern portion of the state. There are five Indian bands within the Nation, most of whom reside in four community districts and five townships. The unemployment rate among Tribal members is 75%. Through the Brownfields Assessment Pilot grant, the Tribe is conducting assessments of abandoned buildings and two landfills located in two community districts. There are Tribal concerns of perceived threats to human health and safety and to the environment from asbestos, lead-based paint, and other unknown hazards. The Job Training Pilot will empower the Tribe with skills to cleanup these sites and provide much needed jobs for Tribal members. PILOT SNAPSHOT Spirit Lake Nation, North Dakota Date of Announcement: December2000 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot will train 40 Tribal residents and place at least 20 into internships, apprenticeships, or entry-level employment within their selected environmental career track. Studentswill be recruited from among the 5,300 enrolled Tribal members, who are suffering from a 75% unemployment rate. Contacts: Candeska Cikana Community College; Spirit Lake Nation (701)766-1289/4803 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA - Region 8 (303)312-6312 Visit the EPA Region 8 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region08/land_waste/bfhome/ bfhome.html Forfurther information, including specific Pilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/ ------- TRAINING OBJECTIVES The Spirit Lake Nation plans to train 40 Tribal residents, achieve a 50% placement rate, and support career placement of graduates for one year after the training is completed. Participants will be recruited from four Tribal district communities. The Pilottraining program will consist of courses in sampling and monitoring, personal protective equipment, decontamination and work-site safety, hazardous materials management, environmental regulations, equipment operation and maintenance, emergency response actions and procedures, and site control and mitigation, including training in the use of innovative assessment and remediation technologie s. The training efforts of the Spirit Lake Nation will be supported by organizations such as the Candeska Cikana Community College, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Sioux Manufacturing Corporation, Spirit Lake Basin Alliance, Dakota Tribal Industries, Spirit Lake Tribe Jobs Training Partnership Act Program, and Spirit Lake Casino Resort. The Brownfields Sustainability Advisory Committee, a consortium of business leaders, Tribal elders, industry managers, economic planners, Tribal officials, and residents, will provide technical and program support. ACTIVITIES Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Conducting outreach to recruit Tribal participants who demonstrate current or recent employment at less than living wages. • Conducting brownfieldstechniciantraining,including courses in the use of innovative assessment and cleanup technologies; and • Supporting career placement of students for one year after the job training is completed. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilot December2000 Spirit Lake Nation, North Dakota EPA500-F-00-278 ------- |