Is a site near you getting ready for redevelopment?
In May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced recipients for brownfields investment grants and environmental training grants for Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17). These grants signal areas where communities may see future revitalization or development on specific sites as well as identify sources for job training and recruitment in the environmental field.
“EPA is committed to working with communities to redevelop Brownfields sites which have plagued their neighborhoods. EPA’s Assessment and Cleanup grants target communities that are economically disadvantaged and include places where environmental cleanup and new jobs are most needed," said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
According to EPA, 172 communities will receive 279 grants totaling $56.8 million in EPA Brownfields funding. You can find a full listing of grants selected for funding as well as informative fact sheets on each grant on EPA’s website.
In addition to assessments and cleanups, EPA’s Brownfields Program aids with training. Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grant funds are provided to nonprofit organizations and other eligible entities to recruit, train, and place residents from solid and hazardous waste-impacted communities, including low-income and minority, unemployed, and underemployed individuals. This year, EPA’s database lists 14 training programs that received funding at approximately $200,000 each. (Be sure that “job training” is selected under the grant type.)
Here is a sampling of the areas of focus these training programs identified in their grant package (in no particular order): 40-hour HAZWOPER, lead abatement, solar technology, solid waste management, OSHA 10-hour safety, building trades training, environmental career planning, environmental worker, clean energy, energy efficiency, green infrastructure, emergency preparedness and response, incident command systems, first aid/CPR, chemical and operational safety, asbestos inspector, asbestos contractor/supervisor, mold assessment and remediation, due diligence Phase I ESA and all appropriate inquiries, site assessment and remediation, environmental sampling techniques, underground storage tank removal, vapor intrusion assessment and mitigation, and Phase I and II environmental site assessments.
For more information, please contact Melinda Tomaino at tomainom@agc.org or 703-837-5415.