Proposal Guidelines for Brownfields Job Training Grants
2. Summary of Brownfields Job Training Grants Program

2. Summary of Brownfields Job Training Grants Program
2.1. Deadlines
2.2. Applicant Eligibility
2.3. Authority for Job Training Grant Program
2.4 Eligible uses of EPA Funds
2.5 Prohibited uses of EPA Brownfields Training Grant Funds

2. Summary of Brownfields Job Training Grants Program

Under this announcement, EPA is requesting applications for grants under the National Brownfields Job Training Program. This is a competitive grant program, conducted under a ranking system established under the new Brownfields Law. The goals of the Job Training Program are to prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field and facilitate cleanup of brownfield sites contaminated with hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants.

EPA will award up to $200,000 per job training grant. However, EPA reserves the right to fund successful proposals at lower amounts depending on the availability of EPA funds, applicant access to other sources of funds, quality of applicant proposals, and needs of the community.

Successful applicants will be able to use brownfields job training grant funds to bring together community groups, job training organizations, educators, investors, lenders, developers, and other affected parties to provide training to residents in communities impacted by brownfields and to empower local community residents. Although EPA has decided not to require recipients to provide program funding through a specific matching formula, EPA will take into account the extent to which recipients demonstrate the ability to "leverage" limited funds when evaluating and ranking proposals.

2.1. Deadlines

Proposals must be postmarked by January 24, 2003. Depending on the availability of funds, EPA expects to select approximately 10 Brownfields Job Training Grants by the end of April 2003.

2.2. Applicant Eligibility

Applicants must be either eligible governmental entities as defined in CERCLA §104(k)(1) or eligible nonprofit organizations as defined in Public Law 106-107, the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act.

Eligible governmental entities include a general purpose unit of local government; a land clearance authority or other quasi-governmental entity that operates under the supervision and control of, or as an agent of, a general purpose unit of local government; a governmental entity created by a state legislature; a regional council or group of general purpose unit of local government; a redevelopment agency that is chartered or otherwise sanctioned by a state; a state; an Indian Tribe (other than in Alaska), or an Alaskan Native Regional Corporation and an Alaska Native Village Corporation as those terms are defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 and following), and the Metlakatla Indian Community. EPA welcomes and encourages proposals from coalitions of such entities, but a single eligible entity must be identified as the legal recipient. Intertribal consortia, except consortia comprised of ineligible Alaska tribes, are eligible to apply as well.

Eligible nonprofit organizations include any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that is operated mainly for scientific, educational, service, charitable, or similar purpose in the public interest; is not organized primarily for profit; and uses net proceeds to maintain, improve, or expand the operation of the organization. For-profit or proprietary training organizations or trade schools are not eligible to apply.

Eligible applicants must be located in or near a community that currently receives, or has received, financial assistance from EPA for brownfields-related activities. For a complete listing of existing EPA-funded brownfield grant areas, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/pilot.htm#assess.

EPA encourages eligible applicants with experience in providing environmental job training and placement programs to apply.

2.3. Authority for Brownfields Job Training Grants

Funding for National Brownfields Job Training Program grants is authorized under CERCLA §104(k)(6), 42 U.S.C. 9660(b)(9)(A). This statute authorizes EPA to provide, or fund eligible entities or nonprofit organizations to provide, training, research, and technical assistance to individuals and organizations, as appropriate, to facilitate assessment, remediation, or preparation of brownfield sites. EPA awards grants authorized by §104(k) under a ranking system that includes factors relating to community need, leveraging of other funds, community involvement, eligibility for funding from other sources, and/or effective use of existing infrastructure.

2.4. Eligible Uses of EPA Funds

Project proposals must conform to the following guidelines:

• Grant funds may be used to train residents for the handling and removal of hazardous substances, which includes training for jobs in sampling, analysis, and site remediation.
• Funds also may be used for the following: 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; and 3) development of curriculum for the training described in this paragraph.
• Grant funds may be used for training participants in the use of techniques and methods for cleanup of leaking underground storage tanks and other sites contaminated by petroleum products, asbestos abatement, or lead abatement where this training is a component of a more comprehensive hazardous waste management training course or environmental technology training course.
• Grant funds may be used for outreach activities directed toward improving participation in hazardous waste management training for communities impacted by brownfields. Proposed training programs must establish procedures to ensure that participants are recruited from the neighborhoods where the brownfield site(s) are located and graduates from their training programs are employed in assessing and cleaning up hazardous waste facilities.

2.5. Prohibited Uses of EPA Brownfields Job Training Grant Funds

• Grant funds may not be used for conducting site assessments or actual cleanups. Grant funds may not be used for conducting 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.
• Grant funds may not be used for general or life skills education activities, job readiness training, job placement costs, GED costs, transportation costs or stipends for students, web site development, vehicle or medical insurance, or child care costs.
• Grant funds may not be used for costs that are unallowable (e.g. lobbying, fund-raising) under OMB Circulars A-21 (universities), A-87 (state, tribal, and local governments), or A-122 (nonprofit organizations), as applicable.
• Grant 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, grant funds may be used to match state or local funds if authorized by the relevant state statute or local ordinance.
• Under the new Brownfields Law, grant funds may not be used for administrative costs. See Appendix 2 for details on this important prohibition.

Go to Part 3. Proposal Submission and Selection Process Overview

Table of Contents

1. EPA's Brownfields Job Training Grants
1.1. Background
1.2. EPA's Brownfields Demonstration Grants

2. Summary of Brownfields Job Training Grants Program
2.1. Deadlines
2.2. Applicant Eligibility
2.3. Authority for Job Training Grant Program
2.4 Eligible uses of EPA Funds
2.5 Prohibited uses of EPA Brownfields Training Grant Funds

3. Proposal Submission and Selection Process Overview
3.1. Evaluation of the Proposals
3.2. Proposal Submission Schedule

4. Job Training Proposal Guidelines
4.1. Cover Page
4.2. Threshold Criteria
4.3. Ranking Criteria

Appendix 1. EPA Regional and Headquarters Contacts

Appendix 2. Prohibition on Use of Funds