I
5
V
^
4
in
o
Brownfields 2005
Grant Fact Sheet
STRIVE/East Harlem
Employment Services,
Inc., NY
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
STRIVE/East Harlem Employment Services, Inc., was
selected to receive a job training grant. The grant will
focus on East Harlem (population 110,000), though the
training is open to residents of all five boroughs. Vacant
and underused properties tend to be located in disad-
Job Training Grant
$194,646
EPA has selected STRIVE/East Harlem Employ-
ment Services, Inc., for a job training grant.
STRIVE plans to train 80 students, place at least
51 in environmental jobs, and track students for
two years. The nine-week training program
includes course work in hazardous materials
handling, lead and asbestos abatement, and indoor
air quality. A training contractor will be obtained
through a competitive bid. Students will be
recruited from among residents of poor neighbor-
hoods in East Harlem. Placement of students in
environmental jobs will be accomplished through
STRIVE's existing job development network,
which consists of 400 employers, and through
relationships created by successful environmental
job training grant projects, including the Boston
STRIVE and St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preser-
vation Corps/Williamsburg Works programs
previously funded by EPA.
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 2 Brownfields Team
212-637-4314
http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/
brownfields/
Grant Recipient: STRIVE/East Harlem
Employment Services, Inc., NY
646-335-0812
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
vantaged sections of New York City where a high
percentage of households are below the federal
poverty level. East Harlem has the highest rate of
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-05-257
May 2005
www.epa.gov/brownfields
-------
pediatric asthma hospitalization in the country. The
unemployment rate in East Harlem is 16 percent.
There are approximately 6,000 vacant or abandoned
industrially zoned properties in New York City. Many
hazardous waste handlers and brownfields are located
in the target area. East Harlem brownfields include
former gas stations and abandoned factories, manufac-
turing plants, and commercial buildings. Demand for
environmental technicians is high, and STRIVE already
has commitments from environmental employers to hire
graduates of the job training program.
------- |