Research Project
9534626
Project Summary/Abstract The Dillard University Deep South Center for Environmental Justice hazardous Waste Worker Training Center provides training to hazardous material and waster workers who may perform jobs covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standards and assist employers with complying with OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.120. The Consortium's goal is unique in that its emphasis is on underserved populations in both its Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program (HWWTP) and its Environmental Careers Worker Training Program (ECWTP). The proposed ECWTP component has been designed to deliver comprehensive worker training to increase the number of underrepresented and disadvantaged minority adults employed in the fields of environmental restoration, hazardous materials and construction. The goals for this program are: (1) to serve underrepresented and disadvantaged adults living near hazardous waste and or contaminated property at risk of exposure to ambient hazards; and also (2) to provide additional pre-employment services that are inclusive of basic skills (i.e. study skills, math, reading, life skills) to increase program retention and completion; and (3) to successfully place trainers in jobs in the environmental restoration and construction fields. The added value of this training is not just that it increases sustainable employment opportunities for residents of beleaguered communities engulfed in situations of poverty and pollution, but that by investing in these particular individuals promotes economic stability, addresses health disparities and advances environmental justice.
