www.epa.gov
                     MAKING  A                          IN  THE  COMMUNITY:
                     The Superfund Job Training Initiative in Newark, New Jersey
                                                                                         .Garfield
                                                                                    Passaic*
Diamond Alkalai
Superfund Site
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INTRODUCTION

The Diamond Alkali Superfund Job Training Initiative (SuperJTI) is an environmental
remediation job readiness program that provided career development opportunities for 15
trainees living near the Diamond Alkali Superfund site. Through a partnership between the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Ironbound Community Corporation,
Stuyvesant Environmental  Contracting, Arcadis and  the University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey, Diamond Alkali SuperJTI provided local job-seekers with new
skills and work experience linked to the cleanup of the Passaic River, which is adjacent
to the site. EPA's goal is to help the community create job opportunities and partnerships
that remain in place for the long term.

CANDIDATE OUTREACH, RECRUITMENT AND
SCREENING: JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2012

Diamond Alkali SuperJTI staff  and community  partner  Ironbound  Community
Corporation did outreach, sent out fliers and hosted  orientation sessions to publicize
the job training program and attract interested candidates. During January and February
2012, over 60 people attended the program's three orientation sessions. Following these sessions, 44 people completed a preliminary
testing stage; 38 of those participants were invited to attend program tryouts.  Over 30 participants decided to continue with the program
try outs.

Program tryouts included leadership, team building and role-playing activities, basic physical fitness evaluation, and observation by a team
of evaluators  from the project's partners. Following the tryouts, the program selected 15 trainees.


  SITE HISTORY
  For about 30 years during the mid-20th century, companies manufactured pesticides and herbicides at facilities in Newark,  New-
  Jersey, and surrounding Essex County. These areas are now part of the Diamond Alkali Superfund site. The site includes a former
  pesticides manufacturing plant and surrounding properties at 80 and 120 Lister Avenue, the Lower Passaic River Restoration Project
  Study Area and the Newark Bay Study Area. The Lower Passaic River Study Area is a 17-mile stretch of river from Dundee  Dam
  near Garfield, New Jersey, to Newark Bay and several tributaries. The Newark Bay Study Area includes Newark Bay, portions of the
  Hackensack River, and the Arthur Kill and Kill Van Kull tidal straits.

  Plans for assessing and cleaning up these areas are being developed in coordination with community members, federal, state, and local
  governments, and local organizations.

  •   Dioxin, pesticides and volatile organic compounds were detected at the Lister Avenue properties. Occidental Chemical Corporation,
     a responsible party, has performed interim cleanup work at the properties, with additional site assessment ongoing.

  •   Sediments in the Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay are contaminated with several hazardous substances, including dioxin,
     PCBs,  mercury, DDT, pesticides and heavy metals. EPA is partnering with federal and state agencies on a comprehensive study
     of the Lower Passaic River.

  •   EPA is  overseeing a multi-year study of Newark Bay. The study is assessing the nature and extent of contamination in the bay and
     will develop cleanup plans to  address those problems, as necessary.
    I U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    I Superfund Redevelopment Initiative

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                                                               WY
 TRAINING:  MAY 2012
The Diamond Alkali SuperJTI training took place over 12 days
and included:
                                                          Jiamond Alkali SuperJTI is one of the many SuperJTI projects
                                                          nationwide that are making a difference for unemployed and
    in  environmental justice, interpersonal  communication,     underemployed  citizens living in  communities  affected  by
    cultural  competence and  effective  work  habits.  EPA     Superfund sites.
    Pre-Employment Training: Trainees completed courses
    in  environmental justice, interpersonal  comm
    cultural  competence and  effective  work  ha
    contractor Skeo Solutions provided the training.
                                                           THE PASSAIC RIVER SUPERJTI TRAINEES:

                                                           •  Live  in areas affected by the Diamond Alkali
                                                              Superfund site. Many participants have lived
                                                              close to the site for their entire lives.

                                                           •  Include   younger  and  older  populations.
                                                              Participants ranged in age from early twenties
                                                              to over fifty years old.
•   Technical  Training:  Trainees completed  the  40-hour
    Hazardous  Waste Operations  and  Emergency Response
    (HAZWOPER) training, OSHA's 10-hour safety training,
    and CPR and first aid training. The University of Medicine
    and Dentistry of New Jersey provided the training.

Upon  completion  of  the program,  trainees  possess  the
marketable  skills  needed  to begin a successful career in
environmental remediation and become valuable members of
the workforce in these communities.
                           Graduation  for the program's
                           15  trainees  took place at
                           the  Portuguese Sport Club
                           in March 2012. EPA  Region
                           2 Administrator Judith Enck
                           attended the ceremony and
                           handed out  certificates to
                           the  graduates. The program
                           included remarks  from the
                           graduates as  well  as  project
                           partners.
JOB PLACEMENT AND FOLLOW-UP: JUNE 2012  —  NOVEMBER 2012

After graduation, trainees interviewed with subcontractors Stuyvesant Environmental Contracting and Arcadis for available site
cleanup positions. All 15 graduates were placed in a variety of positions, all focused on cleaning up the Passaic River. Two of the
15 graduates are currently in full-time river cleanup positions.

Diamond Alkali SuperJTI staff and community partner Ironbound Community Corporation followed up with the graduates and
their supervisors for six months after the graduates started work. During this time, graduates could change positions but had to
remain employed, either with one of the site subcontractors or another employer.

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 SUPERJTI  COMMUNITY PROFILES:  Making a  Difference
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Craig Burns had been unemployed and was tired of the stress and uncertainty
  of searching for work. When he heard about the SuperJTI program through
^ a friend, he decided to jump at the opportunity. "The training was very
• informative and educational," Craig recalled. "In addition to learning
• technical skills, I learned tips for working well with others and that has
 B made all of the difference."

• As a heavy equipment operator for on-site contractor, ARCADIS, Craig
m  continued to learn new skills on the job and looks forward to what the
* future holds. "I'm very grateful for the opportunity and the knowledge,"
  he said. "I have full-time employment and often work overtime."
 Evonna graduated from Penn State with a degree in behavioral health.
 After an internship ended, she had trouble finding work and was getting
 discouraged by the job market. When her uncle mentioned the SuperJTI
 training, she decided to apply.

 OSHA safety training was Evonna's favorite part of the  program. "It
 was very informative and I've been able to use what I learned at my  .
 current job," she said. After her graduation, ARCADIS hired Evonna as
 a Health and Safety Coordinator. "I now have a well paying career path
 that relates to my studies," she said.
                                                                                 Eve/,

                                                                                            \
               Brown

                                    Theodore Brown was  looking for something different. With 30 years of
                                    k incarceration on his record, it was hard for him to find a fresh start. When
                                    ^ a city hall worker mentioned the SuperJTI program, Theodore decided to
                                    ^^  give it a try. "I had never been involved in competitive tryouts," he said.
                                        ,  "When I was selected to participate and when I was able to graduate
                                          from the program, those were some of my proudest moments. My
                                          daughter was so happy, she kept telling me how proud she was. That
                                          was my motivation right there."

                                          Theodore says he is now more marketable in the work place. "Knowledge
                                         is power and the more certifications you have, the more valuable you are
                                        to an employer," he noted. Immediately following graduation, Theodore
                                       ' ad ajob working with ARCADIS. He has continued to learn on the job and
                                       s he is "open to learning anything new."

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 What is the SuperJTI  Program?

 The Superfund Job Training Initiative, or SuperJTI, supports job readiness programs in
 communities affected  by nearby Superfund sites and  encourages the employment of
 trainees at  local  site cleanups.  The SuperJTI program combines extensive classroom
 instruction  with  hands-on  exercises for  each participant. Upon completion  of  the
 program, each participant possesses the marketable skills required  to become a valuable
 member of the community's  workforce. EPA offers SuperJTI training at no cost to trainins
 participants.

 For more information, please visit: www.epa.gov/superfund/community/sfjti
 Or contact SuperJTI's National Program Managers:
 Melissa Friedland
 EPA Regions 1-5
 (703) 603-8864
 friedland.melissa@epa.gov
Viola Cooper
EPA Regions 6-10
(415) 972-3243
cooper.viola@epa.gov
     United States
     Environmental Protection
     Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (5204P)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 9200.1-115
                                                               Printed on 100% recycled/ret

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