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Request for Initial Proposals - Smart Growth in Brownfield Communities The US EPA Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation has released the Request for Initial Proposals (RFIP) for the second round of the Brownfield/Smart Growth Grants. EPA is seeking proposals that focus on implementing smart growth in brownfield communities. They are specifically interested in projects that feature innovative community actions or successful responses to barriers to smart growth implementation. Eligibility for the program has been expanded. Last year only Showcase Communities were eligible. This year, eligible applicants include Brownfields Showcase Communities and Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Projects. EPA expects to have approximately $400,000 available for proposals, subject to availability of funding within the agency’s final FY2003 budget. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for first-year activities for approximately $50,000 or less. Deadline for proposals is July 8, 2003. If you have question, please contact Carlton Eley at eley.carlton@epa.gov, or by telephone at 202-566-2841. To view the complete announcement, visit http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/brownfields_rfp_5-7-03_final.pdf The Business of Brownfields Conference Call for Papers The Business of Brownfields Conference, scheduled for November 17-18, 2003 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has issued a call for papers to be presented at the ninth annual conference. The conference is presented by the Engineer’s Society of Western Pennsylvania and will focus on the technical, legal, and financial aspects of brownfields redevelopment. Anyone wishing to submit an abstract in consideration for presentation at the conference should visit http://www.eswp.com/brownfields/bf2003call.htm for the abstract submittal form. The abstract submission deadline is June 30, 2003. For additional information about the conference, contact David Teorsky at d.teorsky@eswp.com or Deborah Lange at dlange@cmu.edu. EPA Applauds Companies for Voluntary Cleanup in Commerce City Nearly 150 companies were lauded today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for voluntarily financing the cleanup of an abandoned oil recycling facility in Commerce City. In a ceremony at the Approved Oil Services site, a facility that served as a used oil recycling operation between 1976 and 1998, EPA’s Region 8 Regional Administrator, Robert Roberts, recognized the companies for taking environmental matters into their own hands and citing their efforts as an example of how private and public resources can work together to achieve cleanups. EPA site investigations in 1992 and 1999 revealed numerous contaminants in soil and groundwater including solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, and PCBs. The investigation also revealed the potential for contamination of nearby surface waters through storm water runoff. Some cleanup work was accomplished before Approved Oil Services became insolvent in 1998, but much was left undone. In 2001, representatives of companies that previously contributed waste to the facility organized themselves as the Approved Oil Services stakeholder steering committee and approached the EPA with an offer to clean up the site. The group collected proportionately equitable financial resources from many of the facility’s past waste contributors. Collaborations between the steering committee, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the EPA resulted in a plan that will clean up the site for unrestricted redevelopment for approximately $720,000. Cleanup activities are currently underway at the site and include removing existing structures and tanks, replacing contaminated soil, and disposing of contaminants off site. The property is expected to be ready for redevelopment by fall. Commerce City Mayor, Sean Ford, said that the cleanup is one of the first in a series of steps planned to revitalize this part of Commerce City. “This property very well could have remained a blight in our community for decades,” Ford said. “Thanks to the 147 companies, the EPA, and the State of Colorado, a new company will be able to operate here and contribute to the continued growth and revitalization of Commerce City." For more information, contact Sharon Kercher at 303-312-6352, or Frank Montarelli at 303-312-6780. Success in EPA Brownfields Job Training Grant Program The WorkPlace, Inc. of Bridgeport, Connecticut received $200,000 for a Brownfields Job Training Grant from the EPA New England in April 2001 to train residents from local, economically disadvantaged communities that are impacted by brownfields and have received EPA funding for brownfield assessment or cleanup. The WorkPlace, Inc. collaborated with several other non-profit organizations, educational institutions, environmental companies, and the city of Bridgeport to recruit and train residents and assist them in retaining permanent jobs in the environment technology field. The WorkPlace, Inc., southwestern Connecticut’s Regional Workforce Investment Board, is a private, non-profit corporation established in 1983. Serving more than 5,000 individuals annually, it administers over $10 million in job training and preparation funds allocated by state and federal agencies and coordinates providers of job training and education programs that meet the needs of residents and employers in the 20 communities that comprise the regional area. Forming key partnerships to accomplish its goals, The WorkPlace, Inc. collaborated with Environmental Management Geographical Consultants, to train 49 trainees, and with Career Resources, Inc. to oversee the employment process of the 49 trained residents. The grantee organization and its partners recruited residents by distributing flyers explaining the program and by visiting public places such as local high schools and churches to inform residents about the training program. In three sessions, 49 residents were trained in the skills of environmental safety and industrial hygiene, innovative remediation technologies, lead and asbestos abatement, life skills, and anthrax contamination cleanup (added post-September 11, 2001). Training course graduates received certificates in Lead and Asbestos Abatement, OSHA 40 Hour HAZWOPER, and a technical environmental certificate. At the completion of the training courses, 44 of the 49 trainees graduated from the program. Of the 44 graduates, 84% obtained internships or job placements. The following companies offered internships and job placements: A-1 Asbestos Abatement, Inc. (Waterbury, CT); Acadia Demolition (Fairfield, CT); Complete Environmental Testing, Inc. (Stratford, CT); Environmental Management Geological Consultants and Glacier Drilling (Bolton, CT); LVI (New London, CT), Kerite Company (Seymour, CT); Ocean Trace Demolition (Oakville, CT), and United Industrial Services (Meriden, CT). Impressed with the results of the program, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors has authorized The WorkPlace, Inc. to continue the Brownfields Job Training Program using non-EPA dollars. The WorkPlace, Inc.’s goal is to have the Brownfields Job Training Program implemented in other area municipalities that are also trying to revitalize their Brownfields areas. To learn more about the Brownfields Job Training Program, visit http://www.workplace.org/WebAccessibility/txtServices/txtBrownfieldsProgram.htm ASTM Offers Two Environmental Site Assessment Courses ASTM’s Technical and Professional Training division offers two environmental site assessment courses in nine different cities nationwide this year. Class participants will receive expert instruction on Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments from the experts who developed the ASTM ESA standards and will learn: (1) How these standards affect the way you do business; (2) To satisfy the innocent landowner defense under CERCLA; and (3) Why due diligence is necessary. New to the Phase I class is a segment covering The Small Business Liability Relief & Brownfields Revitalization Act. This new law has major implications for Phase I ESA practices, including:
Classes for these two courses will be held in various cities throughout the United States. For a full description of the Phase I and Phase II courses, dates, and locations, please visit http://www.astm.org using the menu at the left to locate Training Courses. If you have any questions regarding these courses, contact: Scott Murphy via e-mail: smurphy@astm.org Eileen Finn by e-mail: efinn@astm.org |
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