Brownfields 2009 Job Training Grant Fact Sheet
~ Milwaukee Community Service Corps
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
The Milwaukee Community Service Corps (MCSC) was
selected to receive a job training grant. The MCSC is
targeting a six-census-tract area in the central city areas of
Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha (combined population
487,000). Nearly all of the tracts are located in a federally
designated Renewal Community. Area residents are
predominantly African-American, and the poverty rate, at
nearly 54 percent, is more than four times the national
average. Since the late 1990s, metropolitan Milwaukee's
job market has deteriorated much more rapidly than those
of comparable cities. Numerous vacant and underutilized
properties line major commercial and industrial corridors.
At the same time, recent sales data indicate that in
metropolitan Milwaukee alone, annual receipts among
environmental consulting and remediation firms totaled
$47 million. This figure is expected to increase by nearly
50 percent as brownfields redevelopment projects get
underway. Individuals trained as environmental
technicians will be in demand for work on current and
planned brownfields redevelopment projects.
Job Training Grant
$200,000
EPA has selected the Milwaukee Community
Service Corps (MCSC) for a job training grant.
MCSC plans to train 64 students, graduate 56
trainees, and place all graduates into guaranteed
part-time field technician positions. MCSC
projects that 50 percent of the graduates will
transition from these positions to full-time
employment in the environmental sector. MCSC's
tracking will continue as long as MCSC is in
operation. The 300-hour training program will
consist of eight 12-week training cycles followed
by a four-to-eight-week internship. Courses will
include OSHA health and safety training, lead and
asbestos abatement and certification, confined
space entry and certification, sampling and
monitoring applications, and innovative
technologies education. Licensed in-house staff
and contractors will provide the training. MCSC
has long-standing relationships with unions,
government agencies, and private companies with
whom they will work to place graduates in
environmental jobs.
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 5 Brownfields Team
(312)886-7576
EPA Region 5 Brownfields Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfiel ds)
Grant Recipient: Milwaukee Community Service
Corps, WI
(414) 372-9040
The information presented in this fact sheet comes
from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA560-F-09-012
January 2009
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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)
EPA560-F-09-012
January 2009
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