United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-98-241 August 1998 v>EPA Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilot Jobs for Youth-Boston, Lynn and Somerville, MA Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101) Quick Reference Fact Sheet The Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilots will each be funded up to $200,000 over two years. These Pilots will bring together community groups, job training organizations, educators, labor groups, investors, lenders, developers, and other affected parties to address the issue of providing environmental employment and training for residents in communities impacted by brownfields. The goals of the Pilots are to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites contaminated with hazardous substances and prepare trainees for employment in the environmental field, including training in alternative or innovative treatment technologies. BACKGROUND EPA has selected Jobs for Youth-Boston for a Brownfields Job Training and Development Dem- onstration Pilot. Jobs for Youth-Boston plans to concentrate its workforce development efforts in the Cities of Lynn and Somerville, Massachusetts, both of which are Brownfields Assessment Dem- onstration Pilots. A multitude of older, abandoned brownfields negatively impact the environment and economic vitality of Lynn, Somerville, and surrounding communities. Lynn has lost 15,000 jobs due to a steady decline in manufacturing, corporate downsizing, and relocation of retail establishments. Lynn's Assessment Pilot target area, which encom- passes most of the City's commercial and industrial properties, has a 15% unemployment rate and a 32% poverty rate. Somerville is the State's most densely populated city, where many residents live in close proximity to aging industrial and commercial properties. Approximately 70 brownfields have been identified in Somerville. The efforts of Lynn and Somerville to assess and clean up brownfields provide an opportunity to train local residents and create a permanent environmental professional workforce. PILOT SNAPSHOT Jobs for Youth-Boston, Lynn and Somerville, Massachusetts Date of Announcement: August 1998 Amount: $199,704 Profile: The Pilot targets low-skilled, low-income youth and adults (75% people of color) living in proximity to brownfields sites, particularly those sites targeted by the Lynn and Somerville Assessment Pilots. Contacts: Jobs for Youth-Boston (617)338-0815 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA-Region 1 (617)573-9634 Visitthe EPA Region 1 Brownfields websiteat: http://www.epa.gov/region01/remed/brnfld 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 Jobs for Youth-Boston plans to train 50 students with the EPA grant, achieve a 75% placement rate, and track students for one year. Participants to be targeted are low-skilled, low-income youth and adults (75% people of color) living in proximity to brownfields sites, particularly those sites targeted by the Assessment Pilots. The Pilot training program will consist of a 17-week hazardous waste assessment and cleanup curriculum and a 24-week environmental mapping curriculum. Courses will include training in the use of innovative assessment, cleanup, and mapping technologies. The training efforts of Jobs for Youth-Boston will be supported by organizations such as the Environmental Diver- sity Forum, Suffolk University, the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and EnviroLab. ACTIVITIES Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Developing a curriculum for brownfields assessment and cleanup; • Conducting training in site assessment, cleanup methods, environmental mapping, and the use of innovative technologies; and • Conducting outreach to recruit low-skilled, low-income youth and adults from Lynn and Somerville. 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 Jobs for Youth-Boston, August 1998 Lynn and Somerville, Massachusetts EPA 500-F-98-241 ------- |