The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a grant of $478,474 to Iowa Western Community College. This funding is intended to support the recruitment, training, and placement of workers in community revitalization and cleanup projects at brownfield sites located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, North Omaha, Nebraska, and the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.
This initiative is part of the Brownfields Job Training Program Grants funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program aims to enhance economic opportunities and promote environmental justice.
Iowa Western Community College plans to train 96 students through this program and place 69 of them in environmental jobs. Upon completion of the training, students will earn up to five federal certifications. The curriculum includes various instructional trainings such as 40-Hour HAZWOPER; Asbestos Abatement Worker; OSHA Lead Awareness; OSHA 10-Hour General Industry; OSHA Hazard Communication; General Construction and Deconstruction.
“Today’s announcement is a key step in revitalizing communities and transforming underutilized Midwestern spaces,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “We congratulate the selected organizations and eagerly look forward to working together to develop a skilled workforce in environmental jobs.”
The EPA's Brownfields Job Training Program supports organizations that aim to create skilled workforces in areas where brownfield site assessment, cleanup, and reuse activities are underway. Graduates from these programs often overcome significant employment barriers and many come from historically underserved neighborhoods affected by environmental justice issues.
All FY25 Brownfields Job Training Program applications selected focus on disadvantaged communities as defined by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. This aligns with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which seeks to deliver 40% of certain federal investments' benefits to marginalized communities burdened by pollution.
Graduates typically leave the program with multiple certifications that enhance their employability for long-term careers rather than temporary contracts in environmental fields.
For more information about past recipients of Brownfields Job Training Grants or if your organization wishes to apply for these grants, visit EPA’s Brownfields Grant Fact Sheet Search tool.
Under President Biden's leadership alongside bipartisan congressional action, there has been an unprecedented investment into U.S. brownfields infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Over $1.5 billion has been allocated via EPA’s Brownfields Program due to this historic investment.
Since its inception in 1998, over $113 million across 430 grants have been awarded through the Brownfields Job Training Programs resulting in more than 23,400 individuals completing training with over 17,400 placed into relevant careers within land remediation or environmental health safety sectors. In recent years graduates have started earning approximately $23 per hour on average.
