U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister attended a graduation ceremony for the Green for Greene Program at Ozark Correctional Center near Springfield, Mo.
The program is available through the Brownfields Job Training program with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, according to a March 10 news release.
"Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we can fund grants that enable programs such as the Green for Greene Program to succeed," McCollister said in the news release. "The graduates of this program can take their newly learned skills to improve not just their lives, but also the health and environment of their communities."
The Green for Greene Program has trained 48 students at the prison, including last week's 14 graduates, the news release reported. Ozark Correctional Center is the only state prison to offer the program.
Green for Greene Program Environmental Job Training Program trains people for environmentally-focused careers, according to the release. Program certifications include training in environmental fields, including hazardous waste management and asbestos abatement.
A recent $500,000 grant will allow Springfield to expand the tuition-free program to target city residents who are unemployed or underemployed, in addition to veterans "and individuals with justice system involvement," the news release said.
EPA's Brownfields program strives to advance President Joe Biden's administration's Justice40 Initiative to deliver at least 40% of benefits from certain government programs to disadvantaged communities, the release reported. Many program trainees are from historically underserved neighborhoods or areas overburdened by pollution.
The Brownfields job training grants help nonprofits, local governments and other organizations recruit, train and place unemployed and underemployed people living near brownfield sites, according to the release. Graduates learn valuable, sought-after skills and earn certifications to ensure they can apply for employment opportunities not just in temporary contractual work but also in long-term environmental careers.
