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National Institute of Environmentl Health Sciences (NIEHS)
The
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) 
was given major responsibility for initiating a training grants
program under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986
(SARA). This program is a partnership between the NIEHS and Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) through an Interagency Agreement. The program
is to fund non-profit organizations with a demonstrated track record of
providing occupational safety and health education in developing and delivering
high quality training to workers who are involved in handling hazardous
waste or in responding to emergency releases of hazardous materials. Since
the initiation of the Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program in 1987,
the NIEHS has developed a strong network of non-profit organizations that
are committed to protecting workers and their communities by delivering
high-quality, peer-reviewed safety and health curriculum to target populations
of hazardous waste workers and emergency responders.
| RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT |
Mission and Objectives
The major objective of the NIEHS
Worker Education and Training Program
is to prevent work-related harm by assisting in the training of
workers in how best to protect themselves and their communities from exposure
to hazardous materials encountered during hazardous waste operations,
hazardous materials transportation, environmental restoration of nuclear
weapons facilities or chemical emergency response. A variety of sites,
such as those involved with chemical waste clean up and remedial action
and transportation-related chemical emergency response, may pose severe
health and safety concerns. These are often characterized by the multiplicity
of substances present, the presence of unknown substances, and the general
uncontrolled condition of the site. A major goal of this program is to
assist organizations with development of institutional competency to provide
appropriate model training and education programs to hazardous materials
and waste workers.
Minority Worker Training Program
In addition to the Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program, in 1995 the NIEHS instituted a new worker training program for five years. The Minority Worker Training Program (MWTP) was established to provide a series of national pilot programs to test a range of strategies for the recruitment and training of young persons, who live near hazardous waste sites or in the community at risk of exposure to contaminated properties, for work in the environmental field. This new pilot program represents a broad geographic spread and reaches several urban populations in high risk contaminated areas.
These environmental career-oriented projects are developed within the context of other social and health needs of the community. The different programs provide pre-employment job training, including literacy, life skills, environmental preparation and other related courses construction skills training; environmental worker training including hazardous waste, asbestos and lead abatement training; and safety and health training. Some training also includes enrollment in apprenticeship programs for construction and environmental remediation worker training. In addition, particular focus is placed on establishing a program of mentoring. These programs will help to enhance the participants problem solving skills, their understanding of self-esteem and team work in the application of technical knowledge to environmental and related problems.
This program promotes partnerships or sub-agreements with academic and other institutions, with a particular focus on historically black colleges and universities, and public schools and community-based organizations located in or nearby the impacted area to provide pre-math, science or other related education to program participants prior to or concurrent with entry into the training program. The cooperative agreements provided funding for seven programs to train minority inner city youth to enter the environmental field with approximately $3 million in year 1, $2 million in year 2 and $1.4 million in year 3 and $ 3 million in year 4. There are currently 6 awardees under the Minority Worker Training Program. They are Clark Atlanta University, Jackson State University, Laborers-AGC Education and Training Fund, Carpenters Health and Safety Fund, DePaul University, and New Jersey/New York Consortium.
Brownfields Minority Worker Training Program
Prominent among the goals of the NIEHS Worker Education and Training Program is support of programs aimed to achieve and prevent work-related harm by assisting in training and educating workers engaged in activities related to hazardous materials and waste generation, removal, containment, transportation, and emergency response. As part of the Department of Health and Human Services commitment to the Brownfields National Partnership Agenda, the NIEHS provided support for the establishment of the Brownfields Minority Worker Training Programs targeting the Showcase Communities. The strategy of this initiative is to broaden the NIEHS Minority Worker Training Program (MWTP) to include a new component on Brownfields Worker Training, addressing the need for a more comprehensive training program to foster economic and environmental restoration of the identified brownfield sites.
The NIEHS awarded, through an interagency agreement with the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), $3 Million for the development of brownfields
environmental job training programs targeting people of color at 11 of
the 16 Brownfields Showcase Communities. The 11 Communities are Lowell,
MA; Chicago, IL; Kansas City, MO; Baltimore, MD; Eastward Ho!, FL; Dallas,
TX; Los Angeles, CA; East Palo Alto, CA; Portland, OR; St. Paul, MN; and
Salt Lake City, UT. The Awardees for the Brownfields Minority Worker Training
Program are Clark Atlanta University, United Brotherhood of Carpenters,
DePaul University and Laborers AGC Education and Training Fund. Fact sheets
of the 4 BMWTP awards made to Clark Atlanta University, United Brotherhood
of Carpenters, DePaul University and Laborers AGC Education and Training
Fund are found at the NIEHS
Brownfields Web site.
| HOW TO ACCESS PARTNER RESOURCES |
Who is eligible to apply? The program is to fund non-profit organizations with a demonstrated track record of providing occupational safety and health education.
When do they apply? Funding for the development or expansion of worker training programs from NIEHS is not available at this time. The next request for applications depends on reauthorization of Superfund legislation. It is anticipated that a new competition may occur in the July 1999.
What are the funding parameters and cycle? The program is competitively funded under a cooperative agreement mechanism. The awards are made every 5 years with the last competition in 1995 ending in 2000. There is no set amount of funding per awardee.
For more information about the worker training programs refer to http://www.niehs.nih.gov/wetp/home.htm
| POINT OF CONTACT |
Sharon D. Beard, Industrial Hygienist
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Division of Extramural Research and Training Program
Worker Education and Training Program
P.O. Box 12233, Mail Drop EC-25
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2233
E-mail: beard1@niehs.nih.gov
Phone: 919-541-1863
Fax: 919-558-7049
Regional Brownfields Hotline (800) 346-5009
Pilots in Region 2 | Pilot Assessments | National Web Site |Grant Application |Contacts | Resource Directory | Quarterly Reports
For information, contact: brownfields.r2@epa.gov
