Brownfields 2004 Grant Fact Sheet

St. Louis Community College, MO

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

$125,000
EPA has selected St. Louis Community College for a job training grant. SLCC plans to train 65 students with the EPA grant, achieve a 75% placement rate, and track students for one year. SLCC plans to offer three 190-hour initial programs (Track I) and one 120-hour advanced program (Track II) per year. Fifty students will be enrolled in Track I and 15 in Track II. Track 1 will consist of Missouri and Illinois certifications in lead and asbestos abatement, 40-hour HAZWOPER, hazardous materials handling, 10-hour OSHA for the construction industry, and training in innovative and alternative treatment technologies. Track II will offer enhanced training in the Track I subjects and courses on environmental sampling and monitoring. Students will be recruited from among unemployed and underemployed residents of the EZ. Placement of graduates in environmental jobs will be through SLCC's contacts with local employers and with the assistance of the St. Louis Development Corporation.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

St. Louis Community College (SLCC) was selected to receive a job training grant. SLCC will focus on residents of economically depressed communities in the Cities of St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois. In particular, SLCC will focus on residents of the St. Louis/East St. Louis Empowerment Zone (population 49,000). The Empowerment Zone (EZ) is comprised of 90% minority populations, primarily African American. These communities have suffered for years from a lack of financial and social investment. About 47% of EZ residents live in poverty, and the unemployment rate is 24%. Abandoned warehouses, factories, and other buildings are reminders of the dramatic economic changes in the city over the last 50 years. Brownfields-related redevelopment activities spurred by EPA assessment and revolving loan fund pilots, along with recently initiated efforts by the city to address lead and asbestos problems, have created a steadily rising demand for skilled environmental workers.

CONTACTS

EPA Region 7 Brownfields Team
913-551-7940
http://www.epa.gov/Region7/citizens/brownfields/index.htm

Grant Recipient: St. Louis Community College, MO
314-951-9850

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

For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields Web site.