Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $342,400 grant funded through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for an environmental job training program in Illinois. EPA’s Brownfields Jobs Training Program grant 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.”
“This grant will provide trainees with vital job skills to help them enter a growing industry,” said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. “EPA is doing more than investing in communities, we are investing in people, in families and in futures.”
“OAI is grateful for the opportunity to further our mission to provide life-changing education and career pathway training to 62 individuals enrolled in the Greencorps Chicago program through this funding,” said OAI executive director Mollie Dowling. “This collaboration represents a unique public-private partnership that will enhance our region’s environment and directly benefit Chicago residents. The trust and support of the US EPA has been incredible for our organization, that continues to work on environmental sustainability through transformative workforce initiatives.
OAI is a nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to offer skills training that leads to safe, meaningful employment while helping companies and communities thrive. This grant funding awarded to OAI will support Greencorps Chicago, which is the City of Chicago’s green job training program for individuals with barriers to employment. Greencorps will train 62 students and place at least 42 in environmental jobs. Greencorps Chicago’s adult program works with over 30 public and private sector partners to recruit participants, support job readiness, and provide professional certifications. In the classroom, trainees learn about horticulture, ecology, green infrastructure, tree care, pesticide use, and environmental health & safety. They then apply those skills through field training that takes place while working on projects for the Chicago Park District, the Cook County Forest Preserves, vacant lots, Chicago City Colleges, and other project partners. The program has produced more than 600 graduates in its 28 years of existence and in the last five years has succeeded in placing about 80 percent of them in jobs.
“Thanks to this investment from EPA, Illinois can create quality jobs that will positively impact our environment,” said Sen. Dick Durbin. “I supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that made this funding possible, and I’ll continue advocating for these critical investments that will boost our local economy and ensure communities of color and low-income areas directly benefit from these investments.”
“This infusion of support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is expected to have several positive benefits for Chicagoland,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth. “Not only will these resources go toward helping dozens of student Veterans, underemployed students, students with prior justice system involvement and those living in environmental justice communities gain skills needed to advance their careers, these students will also go on to help protect our nation’s land, air and water. As a co-founder of the Senate’s Environmental Justice Caucus, I’m proud to see Illinois making a difference in revitalizing our environment.”
“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure law has already begun paying dividends by investing in our communities,” said Rep. Mike Quigley. “By funding job training programs, we are creating a future where children seek out careers to protect their environment. Congratulations to OAI, Inc. for receiving this award. Their focus on environmental justice and individuals who are affected most by community revitalization will now get to play an integral role.”
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.