DALLAS, February 8, 2022 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced that the Cheyenne Tribes of Concho, Oklahoma and the Arapaho Tribes were among 19 organizations to receive a total grant of $3,797.102 for job training programs in the country. The Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing economic opportunities and delivering environmental justice to underserved areas is reflected in job training and workforce development. The Tribes will receive approximately $200,000.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law offers a rare opportunity to build America better. It also means new, high-paying jobs. Michael S. Regan, EPA Administrator said that the Brownfields Job Training grants today will prepare more 1,000 people for new jobs in the environment. This program will directly impact the lives of people, helping to transform communities and boosting the environmental workforce.
Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance stated that the Cheyenne Tribes as well as Arapaho Tribes have been strong partners in leveraging EPA Brownfields funding in order to multiply benefits to their community, environment, and Tribal members. EPA is proud of their efforts and to see their environmental programs grow in strength.
These grants are funded by EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Program and provide funding to organizations working to create a skilled workforce within communities where brownfield sites are being assessed, cleaned up, and prepared for reuse. A variety of obstacles can be overcome by job-seekers who have completed a job training program funded EPA. Many of these people are from historically underserved areas and live in areas that are affected by environmental justice issues.
Each grantee will receive approximately $200,000. The selected grantees will receive approximately $200,000.
| Name | Lage |
|---|---|
| Alaska Forum, Inc. | Anchorage, Alaska |
| City of Pittsburg | Pittsburg, California |
| City of Richmond | Richmond, California |
| Los Angeles Conservation Corporation | Los Angeles, California |
| Hunters Point Family | San Francisco, California |
| Pioneer Bay Community Development Corporation | Port St. Joe in Florida |
| OAI, Inc. | Chicago, Illinois |
| Workforce, Inc., dba Recycle Force | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Civics Works, Inc. | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Springfield, Missouri | Springfield, Missouri |
| Heartland Conservation Alliance | Kansas City, Missouri |
| St. Louis Community College | St. Louis (Missouri) |
| Pathstone Corporation | Rochester, New York |
| Rochester City | Rochester, New York |
| Laborers Local 17 Training and Educational Fund | Newburgh, New York |
| Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe | Concho, Oklahoma |
| Auberle | McKeesport, Pennsylvania |
| Coalfield Development Corporation | Wayne, West Virginia |
| Great Lakes Community Conservation Corp, Inc. | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
These organizations do more than just fill local jobs with contractors from faraway cities. They offer training and give residents of communities that have been negatively affected by economic disinvestment, environmental pollution, and brownfields the chance to acquire the skills and certifications they need to be able to work in their local environment. Most individuals graduate with a range of certifications that increase their marketability, and help ensure that long-term career opportunities are not only available for temporary contracts. This includes certifications in:
- Lead and asbestos abatement
- Emergency response and hazardous waste operations
- Mold remediation
- Analyze and perform environmental sampling
- Additional safety and environmental training.
Bipartisan congressional action and President Biden’s leadership have resulted in the largest investment in national brownfields infrastructure. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act (BIL), which invests more $1.5 billion through EPA’s brownfields program, has more than $1.5 million. $30 million of this investment will go towards future Brownfields Job Training grants. Over the next five-years, communities, states, or tribes will be able to apply for larger grants to improve and include the environmental curriculum in their existing job training programs. This investment will enable trained individuals to access jobs created by brownfields revitalization activities in their communities.
EPA anticipates that 50 additional grants will be awarded to job training institutions with BIL funding starting in fiscal year 2023. Application guidelines will be available in Spring/Summer 2020.
EPA also plans to hold a listening session in order to collect feedback from potential grant applicants on the BIL, and the future of Brownfields Job Training Grant Program. The listening session will take place on February 9, 2022 at 12:30-2pm EST. https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1604678094
Since its inception in 1998, the Brownfields Job Training Program (Brownfields) has awarded more that 352grants. More than 19,456 individuals have completed training, and of those, more than14,560individuals have been placed in full-time employment in careers related to remediation and environmental health and safety. These individuals make an average of $14 an hour.
For more information on todays selected Brownfields Job Training rant recipients, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy22-brownfields-job-training-grants
For more information on this, and other types of Brownfields grants, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-job-training-jt-grants
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