Brownfields 2004 Grant Fact Sheet

OAI, Inc., Chicago, IL

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic development 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. The job training grants provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfields to prepare them for employment in the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.

JOB TRAINING GRANT

$150,000
EPA has selected OAI, Inc. of Chicago for a job training grant. OAI, Inc. plans to train a minimum of 50 students, graduate 88% of the students, achieve an 84% placement rate, and track students for one year. Training will be customized depending on the expressed needs of OAI's business partners. Course design and timing will be geared to the stated needs and schedules of partner-employers. Training may vary in length from 2 to 12 weeks. Some of the frequently requested subject offerings include HAZWOPER, lead and asbestos abatement, OSHA general industry, and mold awareness and remediation. Students will be recruited from all three of Chicago's Empowerment Zones. OAI's business partners, including several environmental employers and developers, will assist in the placement of trainees by defining training and hiring needs, linking the program to contractors, and direct hiring of graduates.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

OAI, Inc. of Chicago was selected to receive a job training grant. This project will target the City of Chicago's three Empowerment Zones (EZs): the West Cluster, the Pilsen/Little Village Cluster, and the South Cluster. The total population of the three zones is over 200,000, of which 72% are African-American and 24% are Hispanic. Chicago EZ communities have the city's highest rates of unemployment, poverty, and welfare dependency. In addition, these areas have high rates of gang involvement, substance abuse, and school dropouts. There are an estimated 2,000 brownfields sites in the city, many of which are located in or around distressed EZ communities. The grant will help tailor training for EZ residents for entry-level jobs in the environmental and construction industries based specific employer hiring needs.

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.

EPA Region 5 Brownfields Team
312-886-7576
http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/

Grant Recipient: OAI, Inc., IL
312-528-3504

The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.