Brownfields 2010 Job Training Grant Fact Sheet
™ Tulare Redevelopment Agency, CA
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. In 2002,
the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act was passed to help states and
communities around the country cleanup and revitalize
brownfields sites. Under this 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 Tulare Redevelopment Agency was selected to
receive a job training grant. Located in the San Joaquin
Valley in the southern Central Valley of California, Tulare
County (population 426,276) is an ethnically diverse area
characterized by an abundance of Hispanic, Armenian,
Basques, and Hmong residents. The county is the leading
agricultural producer in the country, but also one of the
top three areas with the worst air quality. The county's
unemployment rate is 15.3 percent, the poverty rate is
18.8 percent, and the median family income is below the
state and national medians. Large-scale methamphetamine
laboratories pose a risk of environmental contamination,
as do brownfields resulting from decades of agricultural
and industrial chemical use. The growth, expansion, and
diversification of green businesses in the region provide
opportunities for program graduates. A regional study
confirms the presence of thousands of green and
environmental firms in the Central Valley, indicating a
demand for skilled environmental workers.
Job Training Grant
$200,000
EPA has selected the Tulare Redevelopment
Agency for a job training grant. The agency plans
to train 24 students, place 18 graduates in
environmental jobs, and track graduates for at
least one year. The training program will consist
of four 26-week, 1,040-hour training cycles, and a
13-week internship. Trainees will receive
certificates in HAZWOPER, heavy equipment
operator, demolition/debris removal, and asbestos,
mold, and lead paint abatement. Primary trainers
will be from the nonprofit Community Services
Employment Training. Students will be recruited
from among unemployed and underemployed
youths in Tulare County. To place graduates in
environmental jobs, the agency will work with
local environmental firms who have agreed to
provide apprenticeships and mentoring services,
the Tulare County Workforce Investment Board,
and local labor unions.
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 9 Brownfields Team
(213)244-1821
EPA Region 9 Brownfields Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/region9/bro wnfields)
Grant Recipient: Tulare Redevelopment
Agency,CA
(559) 684-4254
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
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA 560-F-10-253
April 2010
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fact sheet are subject to change.
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