HI
                           CD
 Brownfields  2003

 Grant  Fact Sheet

   Oklahoma City, OK


EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders in economic development
to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up,
and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is
real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse
of which may be complicated by the presence or
potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant,
or contaminant. On January 11, 2002, President George
W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability
Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Underthe
Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to
eligible applicants through four competitive grant
programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund
grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. The job
training grants provide training for residents of commu-
nities affected by brownfields to prepare them for
employment in the assessment and cleanup of
brownfields sites. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The Oklahoma City Office of Workforce Development
was selected to receive a job training grant. Oklahoma
City (population 506,132) contains a federally desig-
nated EZ (population 47,823), from which students will
be recruited. Most of the residents of the EZ are
minorities and more than 44% of EZ households have
an income below $15.000. The two major brownfields
challenges facing this community are the presence of
clandestine methamphetamine labs and a variety of
petroleum-contaminated sites. Environmental compa-
nies are expanding their operations in the city, and this
grant will be used to train local residents for living
wage jobs in this growing business.
Job Training Grant
New!
2003J
$200,000

EPA has selected the Oklahoma City Office of
Workforce Development for a brownfields job
training grant. The Office of Workforce Devel-
opment anticipates training 110 participants,
achieving a 70% placement rate, and tracking
students for one year. The training program will
consist of seven 80-hour training cycles covering
hazardous materials handling and methamphet-
amine lab remediation. Classes will be held at the
city's police and fire department training campus.
Candidates will be recruited from residents of the
city's Empowerment Zone (EZ). Many of the
priority brownfields identified when the city
initiated an EPA-funded Brownfields Pilot are in
or near the EZ. The Office of Workforce
Development has years of experience in placing
graduates in appropriate jobs.
Contacts
For further information, including specific grant
contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
news and events, and publications and links, visit
the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/
brownfields.

EPA Region 6 Brownfields Team
214-665-6736
http://www.epa.gov/earthlr6/6sf/bfpages/
sfbfliome.htm

Grant Recipient: Oklahoma City Office of
Workforce Development
405-297-3826

Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003,
Oklahoma City also received funding for assess-
ment grants.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                      EPA 500-F-03-028
                      May 2003
                      www.epa.gov/brownfields

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