^lDir'% * ^fl^b • '40; ] Brownfields 2003 Job Training Grant Fact Sheet x3^ JFY Networks, Boston, MA EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states. communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield 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. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Community Description JFY Networks, formerly Jobs for Youth-Boston, was selected to receive a job training grant. JFY Networks recruits trainees from needy communities in Boston and surrounding communities. The City of Boston has been designated a federal EZ. Residents in the six-square-mile EZ suffer from relatively high poverty rates, and almost half of the EZ residents are African American or Hispanic. The median household income in Boston is one of the lowest in the State of Massachusetts. Needy brownfields communities near Boston, such as Somerville, Maiden, and Brockton, also have high poverty rates and a high percentage of their residents are minorities. The many abandoned brownfields in these communities need to be assessed, cleaned up, and redeveloped. The grant will train local residents impacted by brownfields for entry-level environmental positions needed to address local brownfields assessment and cleanup. Job Training Grant $200,000 EPA has selected JFY Networks, formerly Jobs for Youth-Boston, for a brownfields job training grant. JFY Networks in Boston's Empowerment Zone (EZ), the location of EPA-funded Brownfield projects, plans to train 60 participants, achieve an 80% placement rate, and track graduates for two years to ensure job retention, sustainability, and career growth. The 460-hour training program will focus on environmental chemistry, site assessment, and hazardous waste handling. Additional training and certification will be available. Students will be recruited from low-income and environmental justice communities impacted by brownfields in and around Boston. Students will be placed through existing links with placement companies and environmental employers. 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 (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields). EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team (617)918-1424 EPA Region 1 Brownfields Web site (http: //www. epa.gov/region 1 /brownfields) Grant Recipient: JFYNetWorks,MA (617) 338-0815 ext 229 The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative agreement for the grant has not yet been negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 500-F-03-021 May 03 ------- |