^ Brownfields 2010 Job Training Grant Fact Sheet Cincinnati, OH 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 City of Cincinnati was selected to receive a job training grant. The city also is including Hamilton and Butler Counties (combined population 1,203,134). These counties include the Cities of Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Middletown. Brownfields disproportionately impact low-income, ethnic, and minority residents in the target areas. Brownfields range from abandoned gas stations to 30-acre former manufacturing facilities. There are more than 200 acres of brownfields to be assessed in Middletown, which has a long history of paper and steel manufacturing. The unemployment and poverty rates in the area are higher than the state rates. In Cincinnati, 46.5 percent of residents are African-American. According to the state, jobs for hazardous materials removal workers in southwest Ohio will increase 31.8 percent by 2014, demonstrating a demand for trainees. The City of Cincinnati also has projected that there will be demand through 2015 for specialized contractors with the skills of program graduates. Job Training Grant $200,000 EPA has selected the City of Cincinnati for a job training grant. Cincinnati plans to train 60 students, place 45 graduates in environmental jobs, and track graduates for one year. The training program will consist of four six-and-a-half-week, 252-hour training cycles, with two each in Hamilton and Butler Counties. Trainees will receive certificates in 40-hour HAZWOPER, OSHA confined space entry, and OSHA site construction. Additional courses will include lead and asbestos abatement, mold remediation, and green construction practices. The Butler Technology and Career Development Schools will serve as the primary trainers. Students will be recruited from among unemployed and underemployed, minority, and low-income residents of brownfields-impacted communities in Hamilton and Butler Counties. Cincinnati will work with local employers, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, and labor unions to place graduates in environmental jobs. The city also will promote local tax and other incentives to increase employment opportunities for program graduates. 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: City of Cincinnati,OH (513) 352-4982 ext 102 The information presented in this fact sheet comes United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-10-251 April 2010 ------- 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 560-F-10-251 April 2010 ------- |