WASHINGTON (June 1, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that approximately $12 million in funding for environmental job training grants is now available under the Fiscal Year 2023 Brownfields Job Training Program. EPA anticipates awarding approximately 25 grants nationwide at amounts up to $500,000 per award. Applications are due by August 2, 2022, via grants.gov. The Request for Application notice is now posted on www.grants.gov.
“EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Program boosts the environmental workforce while helping to transform communities that need it the most,” said Carlton Waterhouse, EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management. “This grant cycle, we were able to increase the amount of funding available so that organizations can apply for more resources as they work to create a skilled workforce in communities where assessment, cleanup, and preparation of brownfield sites for reuse activities are taking place.”
The funding available during this grant cycle comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This budget boost provides communities, states, and Tribes the opportunity to apply for larger grants to build and enhance the environmental curriculum in job training programs to support job creation and community revitalization at brownfield sites. Ultimately, this investment will help trained individuals access jobs created through brownfields revitalization activities within their communities.
EPA is committed to meeting and exceeding the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 goal that at least 40% of the benefits of certain government programs flow to disadvantaged communities. The Brownfields Program will strive to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations into all aspects of our work.
The Request for Applications notice is available at www.grants.gov. A copy of the FY23 Guidelines and other application resources are available at: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-job-training-jt-grants.
The Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization will also host an outreach webinar on June 15, 2022, from 2:00-3:30PM EDT to explain the guidelines for interested applicants and to address commonly asked questions. The link to attend the event is https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1602297732. Prior registration is not required.
Background:
The EPA’s Brownfields Job Training grant program is a unique employment and training program. The grants allow nonprofit and other eligible organizations to recruit, train, and retain a local, skilled workforce by prioritizing unemployed and under-employed, including low-income individuals living in areas affected by solid and hazardous waste in environmental jobs. Students learn the skills and credentials needed to secure full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental field, including brownfields assessment and cleanup. These jobs reduce environmental contamination and build more sustainable futures for communities. Communities have the flexibility to deliver eligible training that meets the local labor market demands of the environmental sector in their communities.
Since 1998, EPA has awarded 371 job training grants. With these grants, more than 19,000 individuals have completed training and over 14,700 individuals have been placed in careers related to land remediation and environmental health and safety.
The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on August 16-19, 2022, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing former commercial and industrial properties. EPA co-sponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Conference registration is open at www.brownfields2022.org.