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Brownfields 2006
Grant Fact Sheet
West Virginia
University Research
Corporation, Northern
West Virginia
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 West Virginia University Research Corporation
was selected to receive a job training grant. The grant
will focus on northern West Virginia communities
impacted by brownfields, particularly the communities
Job Training Grant
$161,5050
EPA has selected the West Virginia University
Research Corporation for a job training grant,
which will be administered by the University's
Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance
Center. The center plans to train 80 students and
place at least 48 graduates in entry-level environ-
mental technician jobs. Graduates will be tracked
for one year. The center plans to provide 106
hours of course work, including HAZWOPER,
OSHA construction safety, disaster site worker
training, site assessment methods, lead and
asbestos abatement, and gas well leak control.
Students will be recruited primarily from among
disadvantaged residents of northern West Virginia
communities impacted by brownfields. Disadvan-
taged women and youth will be recruited through
partnerships developed with West Virginia
Women Work and YouthBuild. The Northern
Panhandle Workforce Investment Board and area
trade councils will assist with placing graduates in
environmental j obs.
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 3 Brownfields Team
215-814-3246
http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bfs/index.htm
Grant Recipient: West Virginia University
Research Corporation, WV
304-293-2867
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-05-273
December 2005
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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of Fairmont, Clarksburg, Parkersburg, and Wheeling.
The state's mountainous terrain and historic isolation
from major metropolitan centers has contributed to a
lack of economic diversification. Natural resource
extraction and steel production industries are declining,
leaving mine-scarred lands, closed manufacturing
facilities, and other brownfields in rural locations and
urban centers. Wages in West Virginia lag behind
national averages in all sectors except the declining
manufacturing and mining sectors. Poverty rates in
northern West Virginia counties range from 13 percent
to almost 20 percent. The Governor and state Develop-
ment Office are ramping up community-based initia-
tives to restore environmental liabilities and turn them
into community assets. These initiatives not only are
creating new environmental jobs, but also are changing
public preferences for a cleaner environment, which
will continue to create environmental jobs in the long
term.
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