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. The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, as amended by the Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development Act of 2018, was passed to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfield sites. Under this law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through five competitive grant programs: Multipurpose Grants, Assessment Grants, Revolving Loan Fund Grants, Cleanup Grants, and Brownfields Job Training Grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.
Brownfields Job Training Grant funds are provided to nonprofit organizations and other eligible entities to recruit and train unemployed and underemployed residents from communities affected by environmental pollution, economic disinvestment, and brownfields and place them in environmental jobs. Since the program was created in 1998, EPA has funded 352 job training grants totaling over $75 million through the Brownfields Job Training program. A total of 19,456 individuals have been trained and 14,560 individuals have been placed in full-time careers related to land remediation and environmental health and safety. The average starting wage for these jobs is more than $14 an hour. This equates to a cumulative placement rate of approximately 74 percent.
$200,000.00
EPA has selected OAI, Inc., for a Brownfields Job Training grant. OAI plans to train 60 students and place at least 40 in environmental jobs. The training program includes 1,076 hours of instruction in 40-hour HAZWOPER, OSHA General Industrial Safety, First Aid/ CPR, Green Infrastructure Installation, Ecological Restoration, Plant ID, Soil Amendments, Landscape Maintenance, Chicago Wilderness Prescription Burn, Brush Pile Burn Safety, Urban Forestry, and Pesticide Application Worker. Students who complete the training will earn up to one regional and three federal certifications. OAI is targeting students in the City of Chicago with a focus on those living in environmental justice communities located in the South and West sides. Key partners include the City of Chicago Department of Transportation, the Forest Preserve of Cook County, Chicago Department of Assets, Information & Services, Chicago Park District, Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability, Literary Chicago, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Cara Chicago, Metropolitan Family Services, Salvation Army, Saver Foundation, Signature, WRD, Cardno, En-Staff, Aerotek, and Semper Fi Yard Service.