EPA Announces 16 Organizations Across U.S. to Receive Nearly $7.5M in Brownfields Job Training Grants at Wichita, Kansas, Event

EPA Announces 16 Organizations Across U.S. to Receive Nearly $7.5M in Brownfields Job Training Grants at Wichita, Kansas, Event

Funding includes nearly $500K for the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas

December 12, 2024

LENEXA, KAN. (DEC. 12, 2024) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of 16 organizations to receive nearly $7.5 million in grants for environmental job training programs across the country.

EPA's Brownfields Job Training Program Grants are funded by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will help recruit, train, and place workers for community revitalization and cleanup projects at brownfield sites, while advancing economic opportunity and environmental justice.

EPA Office of Land and Emergency Management Deputy Assistant Administrator Cliff Villa announced the awards in Wichita today, alongside grant recipient Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas, EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister, and City of Wichita Council Member Brandon Johnson. The Workforce Alliance hosted today's event.

"EPA's Brownfields Job Training grants are changing lives and improving communities that have been overburdened by contaminated properties for far too long," Villa said. "Thanks to President Biden's Investing in America Agenda, EPA is helping to create good-paying jobs for low-income, unemployed, and underemployed residents who are helping make their communities cleaner, healthier, and stronger."

"Today's announcement is a key step in revitalizing communities and transforming underutilized Midwestern spaces," McCollister said. "We congratulate the selected organizations and eagerly look forward to working together to develop a skilled workforce in environmental jobs."

"The Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas is pleased to be named a Brownfields Job Training Grant partner by the EPA," said Workforce Alliance President and CEO Keith Lawing. "This is an exciting step forward for Wichita. Through this funding, we will be able to partner with community organizations and local employers to empower 90 individuals, especially those who are unemployed or underemployed in communities impacted by blighted properties and contaminated sites. Graduates will gain the skills necessary to secure full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental sector. This program not only opens doors for personal growth, but also contributes to the environmental revitalization and sustainability of our community. Together, we are building a cleaner, healthier Wichita for future generations."

The Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas will provide training in key areas, including asbestos abatement; obtaining a commercial driver's license for the transportation of hazardous waste; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Hazardous Waste Management; and OSHA 30-hour Occupational Health and Safety for General Industry. This comprehensive training will equip students with the necessary expertise to contribute effectively to their community and empower them with the essential skills needed to tackle and mitigate critical environmental issues within the local community.

Each job training grant, of up to $500,000, will provide funding to organizations that are working to create a skilled workforce in communities where assessment, cleanup, and preparation of brownfield sites for reuse activities are taking place. Individuals completing a job training program funded by EPA often overcome a variety of barriers to employment. Many are from historically underserved neighborhoods or reside in the areas that are affected by environmental justice issues.

All of the FY25 Brownfields Job Training Program applications selected have proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities, as defined by the Climate andEconomic Justice Screening Tool, delivering on President Biden's Justice40 Initiative to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

Individuals typically graduate from the program with a variety of certifications that improve their marketability and help ensure that employment opportunities are not just temporary contractual work, but long-term environmental careers. This includes certifications in:

• Lead and asbestos abatement.
• Hazardous waste operations and emergency response.
• Mold remediation.
• Environmental sampling and analysis.
• Other environmental health and safety training.

Today's selected applicants are:

• *Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas - Wichita, Kansas
• *Iowa Western Community College - Council Bluffs, Iowa
• *Saint Louis University - St. Louis
• Groundwork Rhode Island - Pawtucket, Rhode Island
• Worcester, City of - Worcester, Massachusetts
• *Groundwork Elizabeth - Elizabeth, New Jersey
• *Montclair State University - Montclair, New Jersey
• *Center for Nonprofit Advancement - Washington
• *Groundwork Richmond Virginia - Richmond, Virginia
• *Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Blacksburg, Virginia
• *Eco Ed Impact Corp - Miami
• Southwest Economic Solutions - Detroit
• Groundwork Denver - Denver
• *NyE Communities Coalition - Pahrump, Nevada
• *Pocatello, City of - Pocatello, Idaho
• *Tribal Solid Waste Advisory Network - Tekoa, Washington

*First-time Brownfields Job Training Program grant recipients.

For more information on the selected Brownfields Job Training Grant recipients, including past grant recipients, please visit EPA's Grant Fact SheetSearch tool.

Background

President Biden's leadership and bipartisan congressional action delivered the single-largest investment in U.S. brownfields infrastructure ever. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) invests over $1.5 billion through EPA's highly successful Brownfields Program, and the funding from this grant cycle comes from this historic investment. This budget boost gives EPA the ability to fund more communities, states, and tribal nations.

In addition, these entities have the opportunity to apply for larger grants to build and enhance their environmental job training curriculums to support job creation and community revitalization around brownfield sites. Ultimately, this investment will help trained individuals gain access to jobs created through brownfields revitalization activities within their communities.

Since 1998, EPA has awarded 430 grants totaling more than $113 million through Brownfield Job Training Programs. With these grants, over 23,400 individuals have completed training and over 17,400 individuals have been placed in careers related to land remediation and environmental health and safety. Over the last five years, the average starting wage for these individuals is approximately $23 per hour.

If your organization is considering applying for, or has a question related to, Brownfields Job Training Grants, please submit a technical assistance requestto EPA.

Learn more about the types of Brownfields funding.

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