V® PR0^ Brownfields 1999 Job Training Pilot Fact Sheet Mineral Area College, MO EPA Brownfields Initiative 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. Background EPA has selected the Mineral Area College (MAC) in Missouri for a Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilot. MAC's assessment pilot partner is Bonne Terre, Missouri. The Job Training Pilot will focus on the Old Lead Belt counties of Madison and St. Francois (population 25,000), located 60 miles south of St. Louis. The two Ozark counties are characterized by small, aging, rural communities that are economically distressed as the result of the demise of the lead mining industry in the area. Poverty and unemployment rates in these communities are significantly higher than state-wide and national averages. The counties contain more than 400 acres of exposed mine tailings and hundreds of acres of brownfields created by their close proximity to tailings and the abandonment of mining-related facilities. The six municipalities participating in this Pilot are working to improve transportation arteries and redevelop hundreds of acres of brownfields. Two major national environmental cleanup firms recently opened satellite offices in the area. The increased brownfields redevelopment activities and economic distress of Old Lead Belt residents indicate a need for environmental training. Pilot Snapshot Date of Announcement: 05/01/1999 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot will train 50 participants in a mine waste site assessment and cleanup program with an emphasis on innovative technologies. Students will be recruited from low-income residents of the Old Lead Belt, which has been economically depressed since the demise of the mining industry in the area during the 1970s. 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 7 Brownfields Team (800)223-0425 EPA Region 7 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/brown fields) Grant Recipient: Mineral Area College, MO (573) 518-2153 Objectives MAC plans to train 50 participants, achieve a 65 percent placement rate, and support career placement of graduates for at least two years after the Pilot is completed. Participants will be recruited from low-income residents of the Old Lead Belt municipalities. The Pilot training program will consist of a 30 credit-hour mine waste site assessment and cleanup program that emphasizes innovative technologies, leading to a Brownfields Worker Certification. MAC's training efforts will be supported by organizations such as the Bonne Terre Brownfields Committee, East Missouri Action Agency, Unitec Career Center, six municipalities in the Old Lead Belt, and the Park Hills Chamber of Commerce. Graduates United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 500-F-99-102 May 99 ------- can apply their training toward an Associate's Degree, and internships with local environmental companies are available. 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 Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 and Emergency Response (5105T) Solid Waste EPA 500-F-99-102 May 99 ------- |