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Brownfields 2005
Grant Fact Sheet
Bridgeport, CT
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
brownfields job training grants provide residents of
communities impacted by brownfields with the skills
and training needed to effectively gain employment in
assessment and cleanup activities associated with
brownfield redevelopment and environmental
remediation. Additionally, funding support is provided to
state and tribal response programs through a separate
mechanism.
Community Description
The City of Bridgeport was selected to receive a job
training grant. Bridgeport (population 139,529) is a
federally designated Enterprise Community located in
southwest Connecticut. Bridgeport is the poorest city in
Connecticut and one of the 10 poorest cities in the
Job Training Grant
$198,500
EPA has selected the City of Bridgeport for a job
training grant. The city plans to train 50 commu-
nity residents in both hazardous materials and lead
abatement through an intensive training program
requiring approximately 80 hours of instruction.
Courses will include hazardous waste operation
and emergency response training and lead
abatement worker certification. One of the five
training cycles will be given in Spanish. The city
plans to place 35 graduates in environmental jobs.
The Bridgeport Department of Social Services
will hire a full-time job training developer who will
coordinate, recruit, screen, assess, refer, and track
trainees throughout the course of the project.
Students will be recruited from eligible residents
through the Food Stamp Employment Training
program.
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 1 Brownfields Team
617-918-1305
http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/
Grant Recipient: Bridgeport, CT
203-576-7471
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
nation. More than 60 percent of city residents are
minorities and 25 percent live in poverty. The city-wide
unemployment rate of 9 percent is almost twice that of
neighboring communities, and unemployment rates soar
to 25 percent in many targeted census tracts. The city
has high rates of illnesses, including asthma and cancer,
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-05-260
May 2005
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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that are potentially impacted by adverse environmental
conditions. There are more than 200 identified
brownfield sites in the city, which is 95 percent devel-
oped. The city has many old buildings contaminated
with lead and other hazardous substances and is
actively pursuing brownfields cleanup activities.
Employers have expressed an increased demand for
certified environmental technicians.
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