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                           C3
 Brownfields 2004

 Grant  Fact Sheet

  Brownfield Institute,

         Anniston, AL


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. Abrownfield 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. Under the
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
brownfield sites. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The Brownfield Institute was selected to receive a job
training grant. Anniston (population 25,000)  is almost
49% African-American. The African-American
community is concentrated in the western part of town,
in close proximity to the city's original, abandoned
foundry locations. The poverty rate  in the west
Anniston community is 37% and the  unemployment
rate is greater than 14%. Anniston is a federally
designated Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community.
The area includes a significant number of brownfields
  Job Training Grant
   $161,000

   EPA has selected the Brownfield Institute of
   Anniston for a job training grant. The Institute
   plans to train 50 students, graduate 80% of the
   students, achieve a 90% placement rate, and
   track students for one year. The training program
   will offer 248 hours of instruction in hazardous
   waste health and safety training, heavy equipment
   operation, environmental sampling and analysis,
   enviroscaping, and modern environmental tech-
   nologies. Students will be recruited from the
   disadvantaged, low-income, unemployed, and
   underemployed residents of west Anniston. The
   City of Anniston, Calhoun County, and other
   public and private organizations will work with the
   program to provide temporary and long-term
   employment opportunities at various brownfields
   redevelopment projects in the area.
   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 4 Brownfields Team
  404-562-8660
  http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf/index.htm

  Grant Recipient: Brownfield Institute, Anniston,
  AL 256-283-4325
and other hazardous waste sites from historical land
uses. There are several remediation projects under
way or anticipated in the near future and demand for
trained workers is expected to be significant. Tax
incentives also are available to companies that hire
graduates who reside in an Empowerment Zone.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA 500-F-04-003
                        March 2004
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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