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Brownfields 2004
Grant Fact Sheet
Selawik, AK
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 City of Selawik was selected to receive a job
training grant. Selawik is an Inuit community (popula-
tion 778) where almost 71% of the population is
seasonally unemployed. Approximately 34% of the
population lives in poverty. The community relies on
seasonal subsistence hunting and fishing, which have
been severely impacted by ocal brownfields. In addition,
the health and liability risks presented by brownfields
are preventing the development of a sustainable
ecotourism industry. The city has a number of cleanup
Job Training Grant
$40,000
EPA has selected the City of Selawik for a job
training grant. Selawik plans to train at least eight
local residents, achieve a 100% placement rate,
and track students for at least eighteen months.
The training program will consist of 40 hours of
HAZWOPER certification training plus guidance
on job opportunities and assistance with job
applications. Students will be recruited from the
City of Selawik and the Native Village of Selawik,
which is co-located with the city and serves the
same population. A number of local projects
planned for the next few years will provide job
opportunities for individuals trained under this grant.
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 10 Brownfields Team
206-553-2100
www.epa.gov/rlOearth, click on "Superfund",
scroll down and click on "Brownfields"
Grant Recipient: City of Selawik, AK
907-484-2006
and construction projects slated over the next several
years that will require people with environmental
training. The city is scheduled to hire waste and
emergency response employees to manage its hazard-
ous waste program. Since Selawik can only be ac-
cessed by plane, it would be much more cost-effective
to hire from the local community.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA500-F-04-016
March 2004
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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