Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Concho, Oklahoma, are among 19 organizations chosen to receive a total of $3,797,102 in grants for job training programs across the country. Job training and workforce development are an important part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advance economic opportunities and deliver environmental justice to underserved communities to build a better America. The Tribes will receive about $200,000.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a better America and that means new, good-paying jobs. The Brownfields Job Training grants announced today will prepare over 1,000 individuals for new environmental jobs like those,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This program will directly impact people’s lives, boosting the environmental workforce while helping to transform communities that need it the most.”
“The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes continue to be a strong partners in leveraging EPA Brownfields funding to multiply the benefit to their community, their environment and Tribal members,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “EPA is proud to support their efforts and see their environmental programs grow and strengthen.”
Funded through EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Program, these grants 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 of these individuals are from historically underserved neighborhoods and reside in the areas affected by environmental justice issues.
Each selected grantee will receive about $200,000. The selected grantees are:
Name Location
| Alaska Forum, Inc. | Anchorage, Alaska |
| City of Pittsburg | Pittsburg, California |
| City of Richmond | Richmond, California |
| Los Angeles Conservation Corporation | Los Angeles, California |
| Hunters Point Family | San Francisco, California |
| Pioneer Bay Community Development Corporation | Port St. Joe, Florida |
| OAI, Inc. | Chicago, Illinois |
| Workforce, Inc. dba Recycle Force | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Civics Works, Inc. | Baltimore, Maryland |
| City of Springfield | Springfield, Missouri |
| Heartland Conservation Alliance | Kansas City, Missouri |
| St. Louis Community College | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Pathstone Corporation | Rochester, New York |
| City of Rochester | Rochester, New York |
| Laborer’s Local 17 Training and Educational Fund | Newburgh, New York |
| Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe | Concho, Oklahoma |
| Auberle | McKeesport, Pennsylvania |
| Coalfield Development Corporation | Wayne, West Virginia |
| Great Lakes Community Conservation Corp, Inc. | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
Rather than filling local jobs with contractors from distant cities, these organizations provide training and offer residents of communities historically affected by environmental pollution, economic disinvestment, and brownfields an opportunity to gain the skills and certifications needed to secure local environmental work in their communities. Individuals typically graduate with a variety of certifications that improve their marketability and help ensure that employment opportunities are not just temporary contractual work, but long-term 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.
EPA anticipates awarding as many as 50 additional grants to job training entities with BIL funding, beginning in fiscal year 2023. Application guidelines will be available in Spring/Summer 2022.
EPA is also planning a listening session to receive feedback from current and potential grant applicants regarding the BIL and the future of the Brownfields Job Training Grant Program. The listening session is scheduled for February 9, 2022,12:30-2pm EST. https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1604678094
Since this program began in 1998, the Brownfields Job Training Program has awarded more than 352 grants. More than 19,456 individuals have completed training, and of those, more than 14,560 individuals have been placed in full-time employment in careers related to remediation and environmental health and safety. The average starting wage for these individuals is over $14 an hour.
