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Brownfields 2005 Job Training Grant Fact Sheet
Bridgeport, CT
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 City of Bridgeport was selected to receive a job
training grant. Bridgeport (population 139,529) is a
federally designated Enterprise Community located in
southwest Connecticut. Bridgeport is the poorest city in
Connecticut and one of the 10 poorest cities in the nation.
More than 60 percent of city residents are minorities and
25 percent live in poverty. The city-wide unemployment
rate of 9 percent is almost twice that of neighboring
communities, and unemployment rates soar to 25 percent
in many targeted census tracts. The city has high rates of
illnesses, including asthma and cancer, that are potentially
impacted by adverse environmental conditions. There are
more than 200 identified brownfield sites in the city,
which is 95 percent developed. The city has many old
buildings contaminated with lead and other hazardous
substances and is actively pursuing brownfields cleanup
activities. Employers have expressed an increased demand
for certified environmental technicians.
Job Training Grant
$198,500
EPA has selected the City of Bridgeport for a job
training grant. The city plans to train 50
community residents in both hazardous materials
and lead abatement through an intensive training
program requiring approximately 80 hours of
instruction. Courses will include hazardous waste
operation and emergency response training and
lead abatement worker certification. One of the
five training cycles will be given in Spanish. The
city plans to place 35 graduates in environmental
jobs. The Bridgeport Department of Social
Services will hire a full-time job training
developer who will coordinate, recruit, screen,
assess, refer, and track trainees throughout the
course of the project. Students will be recruited
from eligible residents through the Food Stamp
Employment Training program.
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/regionl/bro wnfields )
Grant Recipient: City of Bridgeport,CT
(203) 576-7471
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	c
Environmental	anri Fmpflpn™	EPA 560-F-05-260
Protection Agency	Response (5105T)	May 2005
Washington, DC 20450	Kesponse (si us )

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