Proposal Guidelines for Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilots

The Brownfields Economic
Redevelopment Initiative

EPA's Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilots

The brownfields environmental job training and development pilots will each be funded up to $200,000 over two years. These funds are to be used to bring together community groups, job training organizations, educators, investors, lenders, developers, and other affected parties to address the issue of providing training for residents in communities impacted by brownfields. The goals of the pilots are to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites contaminated with hazardous substances and prepare the trainees for future employment in the environmental field. The pilot projects must prepare trainees in activities that can be usefully applied to a cleanup employing an alternative or innovative technology.

EPA expects to select approximately 10 Brownfields Environmental Job Training and Development pilots by the end of May 2000. Pilot applicants must be located within or near one of the brownfields assessment pilot communities (see Attachment A on page 12). Colleges, universities, nonprofit training centers exempt from taxation under 26 U.S.C. 501 (c)(3), community job training organizations, states, cities, towns, counties, U.S. Territories, and Federally recognized Indian Tribes are eligible to apply for the funds. EPA welcomes and encourages applications from coalitions of such entities, but a single eligible entity must be identified as the legal recipient. Entities with experience in providing environmental job training and placement programs, including training in alternative or innovative cleanup technologies, are invited to apply. The deadline for the new proposals for the 1999 environmental job training and development pilots is March 3, 2000.

EPA's Brownfields Demonstration Pilots

EPA defines brownfields as abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is an organized commitment to help communities revitalize such properties both environmentally and economically, mitigate potential health risks, and restore economic vitality to areas where brownfields exist. Successful brownfields cleanup and redevelopment are proof that economic development and the environment can, and indeed, must coexist.

As a part of the Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative, EPA has funded 307 Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots. The pilots are designed to empower states, communities, tribes, and other economic redevelopment stakeholders to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely cleanup, and sustainable reuse brownfields. EPA has awarded cooperative agreements to states, cities, towns, counties, and Tribes for demonstration pilots that test brownfields assessment models, direct special efforts toward removing regulatory barriers without sacrificing protectiveness, and facilitate coordinated public and private efforts at the federal, state, tribal and local levels.

A critical part of EPA's efforts to encourage assessment and cleanup of brownfields is participation by affected residents. In addition, EPA works to ensure that disadvantaged residents do not bear a disproportionate burden of the effects of environmental contamination. Revitalization of communities that are distressed due to uncertain liabilities related to environmental contamination typically results in improved job opportunities. This should not cause the displacement of local disadvantaged residents due to a lack of training needed to fill those job opportunities. To help residents take advantage of new jobs created by the assessment and cleanup of brownfields, EPA has initiated another demonstration pilot program--the Brownfields Job Training and Development Demonstration Pilots.

Authority for Brownfields Job Training Pilots

Funding for the brownfields environmental job training and development demonstration pilots is authorized under §311(b)(A) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, (CERCLA or Superfund), 42 U.S.C. 9604(d)(l). This statute authorizes and directs EPA to carry out a program of training and an evaluation of training needs in the procedures for the handling and removal of hazardous substances for employees who handle hazardous waste substances training in the management of facilities at which hazardous substances are located and in the evaluation of the hazards to human health presented by such facilities for State and local health and environmental agency personnel. The Agency is authorized to award grants and cooperative agreements for this purpose by CERCLA 311(b)(3). Training funded under this solicitation must be in the handling and removal of hazardous substances related to the implementation of alternative or innovative treatment technologies as defined in section 311(b) (10) of CERCLA. The statute defines the term alternative or innovative treatment technologies as: "technologies, including proprietary or patented methods, which permanently alter the composition of hazardous waste through the toxicity, mobility, or volume (or any combination thereof) of the hazardous waste or contaminated materials being treated. The term also includes technologies that characterize or assess the extent of contamination, the chemical and physical character of the contaminants, and the stresses imposed by the contaminants on complex ecosystems at sites".

Limitations on Use of EPA Funds

Restrictions on the use of CERCLA funding apply to brownfields environmental job training and development demonstration pilot cooperative agreement recipients. For example, pilot funds may not be used for training for sites contaminated by petroleum products unless they are believed to be co-mingled with a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant (e.g., used oil). CERCLA expressly excludes petroleum from the definition of hazardous substances. Demonstration pilot proposals should conform to the following guidelines:

• The recipient may teach trainees skills that are relevant to the implementation of non-alternative or innovative treatment technologies, provided these skills can be applied in alternative or innovative treatment technologies as well.

Eligible applicants include colleges, universities, nonprofit training centers, community job training organizations, states, cities, towns, counties, U.S. Territories, and Federally recognized Indian Tribes. EPA welcomes and encourages applications from coalitions of such entities, but a single eligible entity must be identified as the legal recipient. Nonprofit organizations must be exempt from tax under 26 U.S.C. 501 (c)(3) to be eligible for funding.

Pilot funds may be used to train residents in communities impacted by brownfields in the procedures for the handling and removal of hazardous substances, which includes training for jobs in sampling, analysis, and site remediation. The proposed training program must encompass activities that can be usefully applied to a cleanup employing an alternative or innovative treatment technology. Funds may be used for: 1) training in the management of facilities at which hazardous substances are located; 2) training for response activities often associated with cleanups--for example, landscaping, demolition, and groundwater extraction--where these activities are directly related to planned cleanups; and 3) development of curriculum for the training described in this paragraph.

Pilot funds may be used for outreach activities directed toward improving participation in hazardous waste management training for communities impacted by brownfields.

Pilot funds may be used for training participants in the use of the techniques and methods for cleanup of leaking underground storage tanks, asbestos or lead abatement where this training is a part or component of a more comprehensive hazardous waste management training course.

Pilot applicants must be located within or near one of the 307 brownfields assessment pilot communities (see Attachment A on page 12).

Use of pilot funds requires that training programs provide proof of non-replicability with other established hazardous waste management training programs in their target community.

Proposed training programs must establish procedures to ensure that participants are recruited from the neighborhoods where the brownfields sites are located and graduates from their training programs are employed in cleaning up hazardous waste facilities.

Pilot funds should, whenever possible, be used to ensure those training participants include, but are not limited to, the unemployed, welfare to work, environmental justice communities, and other disadvantaged populations.

Pilot funds may not be used for conducting site assessments or actual cleanups. Pilot funds may not be used for response activities often associated with cleanups--for example, landscaping, demolition, and groundwater extraction. Assessment, cleanup, and associated activity costs should be funded through other means, such as state voluntary cleanup programs, state and federal government grants, state tax incentive programs, tribal funds, contributions from responsible parties, and prospective purchaser agreements.

Pilot funds may not be used for general or life skills education activities, job readiness training, GED costs, transportation costs or stipends for students, web site development, or child care costs.

As specified in Agency guidance, Pilot funds may not be used to support "lobbying" efforts of the grantee (for example, lobbying members of Congress or state legislatures, or lobbying for other federal grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts).

Pilot funds may not be used to match any other federal funds unless there is specific statutory authority for the match. CERCLA does not provide this authority. However, pilot funds may be used to match state or local funds if authorized by the relevant state statute or local ordinance.

Evaluation of the Proposals

The National Brownfields Environmental Job Training and Development pilots are administered on a competitive basis. To ensure a fair selection process, evaluation panels consisting of EPA Regional and Headquarters staff and other federal agency representatives will evaluate the proposals. The evaluation panels will assess how well the proposals meet the evaluation criteria outlined below.

Proposals must be clear and decisive and strictly follow and address each of the criteria. Sufficient detail must be provided for the panels to compare the merits of each proposal and decide which proposals best support the intent of the pilot program. Vague descriptions, unnecessary redundancy, failure to address budgetary responsibility for all training, recruitment, and placement costs, may reduce the chance of a favorable rating. Incomplete proposal packages will not be accepted. Proposals providing the best evidence of a true need, a quality project, a proven track record of job placement and student tracking, leveraging of partnerships with public and private sources, a comprehensive budget analysis, and effective use of funds will have the best chance of being recommended by the panels.

The panel's recommendations will be presented to EPA Senior Management for final selection. When a proposal is selected, applicants will receive a confirmation letter, and the appropriate EPA Regional Brownfields Coordinator and Regional Grants Specialist will be informed. The applicant will then be asked to submit a formal cooperative agreement application package. This package will include a formal work plan that describes the work to be performed, including a final budget, and the required certification forms. The EPA Regional Brownfields Coordinators and Regional Grants Specialists will work closely with the applicants to process and finalize the cooperative agreement package. Proposal funding is not guaranteed at any stage of the proposal process until the final awards are given.

Applicants with proposals that are not selected will be informed in writing. EPA's goal is to select a broad array of brownfields environmental job training and development demonstration pilots that will serve as training models for other communities across the nation. EPA seeks to identify applications that demonstrate integration of the pilots with their community's existing brownfields cleanup and redevelopment efforts; other federal, state, tribal, and local sustainable development programs; community revitalization programs; and pollution prevention programs.

Proposal Contents

Proposals for brownfields environmental job training and development pilots should consist of the following sections:

1.0 Cover Page (1 page)

2.0 Project Overview (Up to 2 pages)

3.0 Responses to Evaluation Criteria (Up to 10 pages)

3.1 Budget

3.2 Problem Statement and Needs Assessment

3.3 Community Involvement and Partnerships

3.4 Institutional Capacity

3.5 Training Program Goals and Plans

3.6 Measures of Success

4.0 Attachments (As appropriate; please provide an index)

4.1 Letters of Support

4.2 Abbreviated Training Course Outline

4.3 Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Status (if applicable)

Attachments that will be considered during proposal evaluation are those requested above. Examples of attachments that will not be considered during proposal evaluation include strategies or plans developed for other programs, advertising brochures, newspaper articles, resolutions, statutes, and videotapes. Information in these types of attachments should be distilled and incorporated into the responses to criteria.

To ensure fair and equitable evaluation of the proposals, please do not exceed the above, single-sided page limitations. In addition, all materials included in the proposal (including attachments) must be printed on letter-sized paper (8½" by 11"). Font sizes may be no smaller than 11 points. Please submit two copies of your proposal, including attachments, to EPA headquarters. In addition, please submit one copy of your proposal, including attachments, to your EPA Regional Brownfields Coordinator (see Attachment B on page 15).

1.0 COVER PAGE

This is intended to identify the brownfields environmental job training and development pilot applicant and a point of contact for communication with EPA. This should be on a single page and in the format of your choice.

1.1 Project title: this should be as descriptive as possible.

1.2 Location: city, county, and state or reservation, tribally-owned lands, tribal fee lands, etc. of your assessment pilot partner.

1.3 Applicant identification: the name of the main implementor of your proposed training pilot project.

1.4 Project director: the name, telephone number, Fax/E-mail and address of the person who is responsible for the project proposal. This person will be contacted if other information is needed.

1.5 Date submitted: the date when the proposal is postmarked or sent to EPA via registered or tracked mail.

1.6 Project period: the project period must not exceed two years.

1.7 Cooperative partners: provide names and phone numbers of individuals and organizations that have agreed to participate in the implementation of the project. Please note that funding to cooperative partners will be subject to compliance with applicable EPA assistance resolutions (40CFR Part 30 for nonprofits and universities, 40 CFR Part 31 for states, local governments and tribes, and 40 CFR, Part 45 for training assistance).

2.0 PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Project Overview is an important opportunity to summarize your plans for the proposed pilot. Information you provide in the Project Overview may overlap with your responses to the evaluation criteria. Provide an overview of the following topics:

2.1 Background

• Describe your experience in providing training, particularly training in the handling of hazardous materials.
• Include a description of how this experience relates to training in alternative or innovative cleanup technologies.

2.2 Goals and Objectives

Discuss the goals of your overall brownfields environmental job training and development efforts. This should represent broader goals than those to be attained by an EPA brownfields pilot. This should provide a context for understanding your plans for use of pilot funding. Goals should be specific, measurable, realistic, and within a specific time frame, and relationship to innovative and alternative technology.

Discuss the educational and employment objectives of the EPA-funded aspects of your brownfields environmental job training and development demonstration pilot. Please adhere to the limitations on the use of EPA funds (see page 2).

2.3 Project Strategy

Provide an overview of your proposed curriculum plan, target participants, and participation plan. Describe follow-up employment development plans, such as recruitment, placement and employment tracking.

Describe the role and resources to be provided by all of your public and private partners in the pilot. Provide documented evidence of the commitment of employers.

Describe other training programs offered to your target community and demonstrate that your program does not duplicate other existing programs.

Describe the involvement of advisory boards or councils and other commitments to involve the community in decision making.

3.0 RESPONSES TO EVALUATION CRITERIA

Your response to each of the following criteria will be the primary basis on which EPA selects or rejects your proposal for one of the pilots. The proposal evaluation panels will review the proposals carefully and assess each response based on how well it addresses each criterion.

3.1 Budget (5 points)

Provide a detailed proposed budget for your training project. This should include cost estimates for each of the proposed pilot activities to be conducting using EPA funds. The budget breakdown also should include specific resource commitments from public and private partners. Provide the names and budget estimates of committed partners who will be responsible for: 1) nontechnical training courses (for example, life skills training); and 2) stipend or transportation costs. Clearly distinguish between the use of EPA funds and resources to be provided by your partners. The following is a suggested format for your budget:

3.2 Problem Statement and Needs Assessment (5 points)

Identify your brownfields assessment pilot partner (recipient of an EPA assessment pilot grant located in your service delivery area, see page 12).

Describe the community you propose to serve under this pilot. Provide demographic descriptions of the population, poverty rate, unemployment rate, and minority constituents within the service delivery area or community you are targeting in your proposed pilot.

Demonstrate the need for environmental training in your targeted community. The need for training can be indicated by environmental and economic conditions, brownfields cleanup and redevelopment activities, environmental job training planning, and commitments from future employers to hire local residents to fill environmental cleanup jobs.

Explain how environmental training will impact the environmental and economic situation in the target community.

Indicate whether your community is located in or near an Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community (EZ/EC), or is classified as a small community (population <100,000).

3.3 Community Involvement and Partnerships (10 points)

Describe your efforts to involve community-based organizations in developing this proposal. Provide a list of the community-based organizations involved and a contact person, phone number, and brief description of the organization's activities and representation. These organizations may include, but are not limited to, local citizen groups, environmental organizations, civic organizations, local business groups and institutions, educational institutions, and local labor organizations. Letters of support should be included as attachments. These organizations may be contacted by EPA during the evaluation process.

Describe how the recipient of the EPA assessment pilot grant in your service delivery area will be involved in your proposed project.

Describe how you plan to leverage funds and other resources to support the pilot. For example, provide details on how you intend to fund life skills training, pre-employment training, counseling, child care, academic enhancement, placement assistance, transportation assistance, and other activities not funded by this grant. Letters of commitment from your partners should be included as attachments.

Describe how the employers' community (for example, local businesses, environmental contractors, brownfields site owners) has been involved in the development of the proposed training. This involvement could include curriculum development, advisory councils, apprenticeships, and mentoring.

Describe prerequisite skills or knowledge (math, science, or other related education) required by participants in the training program. Describe partnerships with local community groups, labor unions with apprenticeship programs, academic and other institutions, historically black colleges and universities, and public schools located in or near the target community that can provide the prerequisite skills or knowledge.

3.4 Institutional Capacity (5 points)

Describe your experience and the experience of your partners in providing environmental and other job training services to the targeted or similar communities. Include a description of experience and capacity to provide training in alternative or innovative treatment technologies. Describe the success of your organization in recruitment, job training, and placement.

Describe the certifications that your organization has been approved to provide to graduates.

3.5 Training Program Objectives and Plans (5 points)

Describe the objectives of your proposed project. Specify: 1) how many participants you expect to train through this pilot; 2) when you expect to conduct training classes; 3) your targeted placement rate at jobs that bear a direct correlation to the training received; 4) and the target time frame for retention (for example, 90 days, 6 months, one year).

Discuss your training plans. How classes will be structured and what topics will be covered, including how innovative and alternative technologies will covered. Discuss how your plan will address skills and knowledge required in the handling and removal of hazardous substances. Provide an abbreviated course outline as an attachment.

Describe ordinances requiring employment of local residents (first source hiring) and how the ordinances will affect your training and placement plans.

Describe how you will ensure that local brownfields residents have easy access to training facilities.

3.6 Measures of Success (10 points)

Describe how you will measure the success of your project. Discuss your plans for establishing and demonstrating achievement of milestones and endpoints.

Describe how your organization proposes to ensure sustainable employment, including plans to track progress upon initial job placement and continue environmental job training when this pilot ends.

Describe reports or other deliverables you plan to provide to EPA as documentation of your project's progress and success.

Schedule for Selecting Brownfields Job
Training and Development Pilots

Activity Schedule for Applications

November 1999 Federal Register Notice published

March 3, 2000 Proposals due to EPA

May 2000 Announcement of Pilots

Please submit two copies of your proposal, including attachments, to EPA headquarters. In addition, please submit one copy of your proposal, including attachments, to your EPA Regional Brownfields Coordinator (see Attachment B on page 15). Applications must be to EPA via registered or tracked mail by the March 3, 2000, deadline to:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
OSWER Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101), Room SE 385
Attn: Myra Blakely or Nancy H. Wilson
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460

Attachment A.

US EPA Brownfields Assessment Pilots by State

(As of 6/99)

Attachment B. EPA HQ/Regional Brownfields Coordinators

United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(5101)
Washington, DC 20460

Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300