News Releases from Region 10
EPA Superfund Job Training Initiative Provides Skills and Jobs for Local Graduates
EPA Superfund Job Training Initiative Provides Skills and Jobs for Local Graduates
Klamath Falls, OR - On Tuesday, April 25, sixteen area residents graduated from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund Job Training Initiative program. Many of the graduates will fill available jobs with the environmental contractors cleaning up asbestos contamination at the North Ridge Estates Superfund Site in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
SuperJTI is a national program that provides unemployed and underemployed individuals with the technical skills and specialized training needed to work on cleanup projects at Superfund sites, on other environmental remediation, and in a broad range of construction projects. Each Klamath Falls graduate earned certificates in:
- Flagging
- OSHA-10
- Forklift
- CPR/First Aid
- 40-hr Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response
- Asbestos Operations and Maintenance
“Community partners were a significant factor in the success of the Klamath Falls SuperJTI trainings held in 2016 and 2017,” said Sheryl Bilbrey, Director of the EPA Region 10 Office of Environmental Cleanup. “We really appreciate the hard work and enthusiasm of the Klamath Chamber of Commerce, Klamath Community College Workforce Development, NorthWind Construction, EA Engineering and others, who conducted outreach and recruitment, assisted with candidate screening, and provided oversight and counseling to trainees during the program.”
According to Bilbrey, “Cleaning up the North Ridge Estates Superfund site is good for the local economy because of the benefits provided by restoring blighted properties to a condition where they are an asset to the community. Local benefits are amplified when we can train and hire local workers.”
The North Ridge Estates Superfund Site is a residential subdivision located approximately three miles north of Klamath Falls, Oregon. The site is contaminated with asbestos as a result of the improper demolition of approximately 80 1940s-era military barracks buildings. North Ridge Estates was added to the National Priorities List in 2011 after annual efforts to remove contamination were not able to protect the health of residents.
For information on Superfund JTI: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-job-training-initiative
For information on the North Ridge Estates Superfund Site: www.epa.gov/superfund/north-ridge-estates
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