Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program (HWWTP)

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The hazardous waste site remediation industry is large and diverse, accounting for more than 104,000 jobs nation-wide. (EBI Report 2020B, 2009) Although Superfund work has declined, roughly 294,000 other contaminated sites will require cleanup. (EBI Report 2020B, 2009) With the federal government's focus on accelerated DOD and DOE facility cleanup, a larger workforce will be needed to fill these jobs. Furthermore, companies want to remove contaminated industrial sites from their liabilities, prompting them to remediate and sell-off unused property. The Environmental Business Institute (EBI) projects growth for several other environmental remediation industries. Currently 30,000 above-ground storage tanks (AST) require replacement and cleanup. Mold remediation grew from a small $50 million industry in 2000, to a $300 million industry by 2003; and double digit growth is expected to continue. (EBI Report 317, 2009) Cleanup jobs associated with community redevelopment (such as Brownfields cleanup, residential weatherization, and housing reconstruction) should also increase. These industries require trained workers to safely perform tasks in potentially dangerous environments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) confirms that the job outlook for HW remediation is good and that the industry is particularly vulnerable to job turnover, supporting the need for continuous HW Worker training. (BLS 2007) Assuming a low worker attrition rate of 10%, a minimum of 10,400 new workers will need HW training each year; and all active remediation workers must take HW Refresher training to maintain their certification. Construction workers may also need HW Worker training because they may encounter contaminated soil or other toxic waste on the job. Workers that excavate pockets of contaminated material from previous site activities and highway spills need HW Worker or Awareness training to continue to work on the highway job. Similariy, any work on industrial, commercial and even residential buildings can reveal toxic materials that must be removed. All of the above industries employ Construction Craft Laborers (CCL) for remediation, deconstruction, and construction tasks. Based upon market analyses, approximately 25% of HW remediation workers are construction laborers. Percentages are even higher for mold remediation, demolition, and infrastructure jobs. New jobs in AST, green construction, and weatherization/energy efficiency are also expected to employ laborers. Consequently, the need for CCL HW Wori<er and Refresher, health and safety, and other construction and environmental training is high.