United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-00-179
May 2000
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Brownfields Job Training
and Development
Demonstration Pilot
Center for Integrated Waste Management, SUNY-Buffalo, NY
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 $500,000 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 Center for Integrated Waste
Management, State University ofNew York at Buffalo
(SUNY-Buffalo) for a Brownfields Job Training and
Development Demonstration Pilot. The Center for
Integrated Waste Management's assessment pilot
partners are the City of Buffalo, the City of Niagara
Falls, and Niagara County. The City of Niagara Falls
and Niagara County are the recipients of a $ 1 million
Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot. The
Job Training Pilot will focus on residents living in
brownfields impacted neighborhoods in Niagara
County. The City of Buffalo suffers from a 26 percent
poverty rate and the City of Niagara Falls suffers
from a23 percentpoverty rate, which are significantly
higher than national averages. Between 1980 and
1997, Niagara County lost 60 percent of its jobs in 40
of its largest industries and suffers from an
unemployment rate much higher than the national
average. In 1990, Buffalo was the fifth poorest city in
the country.
Western New York has experienced a significant
restructuring of its industrial base, moving away from
steel production, chemical production, and other
manufacturing industries. Older manufacturing
facilities closed their operations and moved to
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Buffalo, New York
Date of Announcement:
May 2000
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot will train 40-50
participants as environmentaltechni-
cians. Students will be recruited from
low-income residents, minorities, un-
employed, under-employed and dis-
located workers, and Welfare-to-Work
recipients living in brownfields-im-
pacted neighborhoods in Niagara
County, which is economically dis-
tressed duetodisinvestment in steel
manufacturing, chemical manufactur-
ing, and other heavy industries.
Contacts:
Centerfor Integrated Waste
Management, SUNY-Buffalo
(716)645-3446
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA - Region 2
(212)637-4314
Visit the E PA Region 2 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/r02earth/superfnd/brownfld/
bfmainpg.htm
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/
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greenfields in other parts of the country rather than
reinvest in dated urban facilities. The disinvestment in
maj or regional industries caused a decline in population
and left over 700 brownfields in Niagara County. The
environmental industry is growing in Western New
York in response to the need for environmental
assessment and remediation of the many brownfields
in the area. Skilled environmental technicians are in
increasing demand by environmental firms in the
county.
TRAINING OBJECTIVES
The Center for Integrated Waste Management plans
to train 40-50 participants, achieve a 90 percent
placement rate, and support career placement of
graduates for one year after the training is completed.
Participants will be recruited from low-income
residents, minorities, unemployed, under-employed
and dislocated workers, and Welfare-to-Work
recipients living in neighborhoods impacted by
brownfields. The Pilottraining program will consist of
general introductions on the effects of brownfields
and technical training in HAZWOPER, asbestos and
lead abatement, preliminary site assessment and
sampling procedures, remedial technology selection,
and technology information resources, including
training in the use of innovative assessment and
cleanup technologies. Classroom training will be
supplemented by hands-on training and field
experiences in numerous topic areas.
The Center for Waste Management'straining efforts
will be supported by organizations such as the
University of Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center,
Niagara County Employment and Training
Department, Niagara County Community College,
Ecology and Environment, Inc., SJB Services, Inc.,
and Hazardous Materials Research Center. The
Center for Integrated Waste Management has
completed a preliminary survey of employer needs. In
addition, employers have committed to considering
graduates of the Pilot program for employment.
ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Conducting outreach to recruit low-income residents,
minorities, unemployed, under-employed and
dislocated workers, and Welfare-to-Work recipients
living in Niagara County neighborhoods impacted
by brownfields;
• 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.
BrownfieldsJob Training and Development Demonstration Pilot
May2000
Center for Integrated Waste Management, SUNY-Buffalo, New York
EPA500-F-00-179
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