SB,
                           HI
                           C3
 Brownfields  2004

 Grant  Fact Sheet

 Oakland Private Industry

       Council,  Inc.,  CA


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 con-
taminant. 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 communities
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 Oakland Private Industry Council, Inc. (Oakland
PIC) was selected to receive a job training grant. The
unemployment rate in the City of Oakland is 10%, and
almost 20% of Oakland residents live in poverty. The
Oakland PIC will focus on residents of three Enhanced
Enterprise Communities (EECs) for training. The
EECs include the Oakland Industrial Corridor and
Uptown area, where significant redevelopment activi-
ties are underway. The Oakland Industrial Corridor
contains more than 700 properties with known or
suspected contamination. The Corridor includes the
Coliseum Redevelopment area, which is targeted by
                                 Job Training Grant
                                 $125,000

                                 EPA has selected the Oakland Private Industry
                                 Council, Inc. for a job training grant. The Oakland
                                 PIC plans to train 120 students with the EPA
                                 grant, achieve an 85% graduation rate, achieve a
                                 63% placement rate, and track students for one
                                 year. The 152-hour training program consists of
                                 hazardous waste worker, confined space entry,
                                 lead remediation, asbestos removal, and alterna-
                                 tive and innovative technologies. Students will be
                                 recruited from inner-city Enhanced Enterprise
                                 Community zones in the City of Oakland, with an
                                 emphasis on recruiting minorities and women.
                                 Training will be conducted at the 16,000 square-
                                 foot Cypress Mandella Training Center. The
                                 Alameda County Building and Construction
                                 Trades Council and the Association of General
                                 Contractors will assist with placement of gradu-
                                 ates in environmental 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 9 Brownfields Team
                                 415-972-3143
                                 http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/brown/
                                 index.html

                                 Grant Recipient: Oakland Private Industry
                                 Council, Inc., CA
                                 510-208-7355
                               the city for cleanup and redevelopment. The Uptown
                               area includes three city blocks that need to be investi-
                               gated for soil contamination in preparation for a major
                               housing development. Hazardous waste workers
                               represent one of the fastest growing occupations in the
                               Alameda County, and there is high demand for local
                               environmental technicians.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                                                       EPA500-F-04-012
                                                       March 2004
                                                       www.epa.gov/brownfields

-------