TAMPA, Fla. (December 14, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a total of $1million in grants funded through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for environmental job training programs in Florida. The grants through EPA’s Brownfields Jobs Training Program will recruit, train, and place workers for community revitalization and cleanup projects at brownfield sites. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, total funding for the program has more than tripled for fiscal year 2023, ensuring stronger environmental benefits and more economic opportunities in overburdened and underserved areas.
“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is supercharging EPA’s Brownfields Program, which is transforming blighted sites, protecting public health, and creating economic opportunities in more overburdened communities than ever before,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “The investments announced today will not only support the cleanup of some of our nation’s most polluted areas, but they will also equip a new generation of workers to take on the significant environmental challenges that plague overburdened neighborhoods, and jumpstart sustainable, long-term careers in the communities that need these jobs the most.”
“Investing in communities to make them cleaner, healthier, stronger, and more economically competitive is one of our most important objectives,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman. “Each and every project proves in its own way that environmental protection and economic development are not mutually exclusive—but they go hand-in-hand.”
“Environmental justice ensures all communities, families and individuals enjoy the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards. Tampa Bay is a region with a strong track record of turning Brownfields sites into jobs, and this grant will allow the CDC of Tampa an opportunity to continue our community’s track record of success and connect neighbors with training to support placement in good-paying local jobs. This grant, funded through the historic bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is an important win for our neighbors searching for quality jobs, and I will continue to work to secure federal investments to redevelop these once-contaminated sites into community assets that grow jobs, increase the value of our homes and help our economy grow,” said U.S. Representative Kathy Castor.
The selected grant recipients are:
The Sustainable Workplace Alliance, Lake Wales, Fla. – $500,000 – The Sustainable Workplace Alliance plans to train 120 students and place at least 76 in environmental jobs. The training program includes up to 157 hours of instruction in 40-Hour HAZWOPER, Introduction to EPA and Environmental Justice, OSHA 10 Hour (Construction), Powered Industrial Truck (Forklift), Water Sampling, First Aid, CPR, and Bloodborne Pathogens, HAZMAT Labeling and Shipping, EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting, Commercial Driver’s License Permit, and Asbestos Abatement Worker.
Corporation to Develop Communities (CDC) of Tampa Inc., Tampa, Fla. – $500,000 – CDC of Tampa plans to train 200 students and place at least 180 in environmental jobs. The training program includes 150 hours of instruction in 40-Hour HAZWOPER, OSHA 10-Basic Safety, Lead Awareness, Asbestos Awareness, Respiratory Protection, Hazardous Waste, Bloodborne Pathogen, Hazard Communication, Qualified Sampler, Trenching/Excavating, Confined Space/Entry, Forklift Operations, Driving Safety, First Aid/CPR, Brownfields 101, Environmental Justice, and Soft Skills.
President Biden’s leadership and bipartisan Congressional action have delivered the single-largest investment in U.S. brownfields infrastructure ever through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which invests more than $1.5 billion over five years through EPA’s highly successful Brownfields Program. This historic investment enables EPA to fund more communities, states, and Tribes, and provides the opportunity for grantees to build and enhance the environmental curriculum in job training programs that support job creation and community revitalization.
The Brownfields Jobs Training Program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40 percent of the benefits of certain government programs to disadvantaged communities. Based on data from the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, approximately 97 percent of the communities selected to receive funding as part of today’s announcement have proposed projects in historically underserved areas.
Individuals completing a job training program funded by the EPA often overcome a variety of barriers to employment. Many trainees are from historically underserved neighborhoods or reside in areas that are overburdened by pollution.
Graduates of Brownfields Job Training programs learn valuable, sought-after skills and have the opportunity to earn a variety of certifications, ensuring employment opportunities result not just in temporary contractual work, but in long-term environmental careers. This includes certifications in:
- Lead and asbestos abatement,
- Hazardous waste operations and emergency response,
- Mold remediation,
- Environmental sampling and analysis, and
- Other environmental health and safety training
Background:
Brownfields Job Training (JT) grants allow nonprofits, local governments, and other organizations to recruit, train, and place unemployed and under-employed residents of areas affected by the presence of brownfield sites. Through the JT Program, graduates develop the skills needed to secure full-time, sustainable employment in various aspects of hazardous and solid waste management and within the larger environmental field, including sustainable cleanup and reuse, and chemical safety. These green jobs reduce environmental contamination and build more sustainable futures for communities.
Since 1998, the EPA has awarded 371 Brownfields Job Training grants. With these grants, more than 20,341 individuals have completed trainings and over 15,168 individuals have been placed in careers related to land remediation and environmental health and safety.
For more information on the selected Brownfields Job Training grant recipients, including past grant recipients, please visit the Brownfields Grant Fact Sheet Search
For more information on this, and other types of Brownfields Program grants, please visit the Brownfields Job Training Grants webpage.
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