U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA recognizes Pacific Northwest energy savers, food waste reducers, and recyclers

Spotlighting the Federal Green Challenge, Food Recovery Challenge, and WasteWise Award Winners

Contact: Meshach A. Padilla, 206-553-2762, padilla.meshach@epa.gov 

Seattle (February 4, 2022) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced its 2020-2021 national and regional awardees for their outstanding sustainability efforts. These organizations, businesses, federal agencies, and others are conserving energy and water, reducing wasted food, and preventing waste destined for landfills.

EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) program partners prevented about 1.2 million tons of food from entering landfills or incinerators. While FRC partners prevented food waste, our WasteWise partners diverted close to 410,000 tons of general, non-food waste and saved close to $23 million in avoided landfill fees. As part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC) federal facilities won awards for applying practical, cost-effective measures to conserve energy, water, and other natural resources.

Through the FRC, EPA has worked with organizations and businesses for the past decade to set data-driven goals, and implement targeted strategies to reduce wasted food in its operations. EPA’s regional FRC award winners for 2020-2021 are: PCC Community Markets, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle Mariners/T-Mobile Park, Microsoft Corporate Headquarters Campus, Gonzaga University, and University of Washington.

As one of the FRC winners, PCC Community Markets has a long history of working to reduce food waste and divert it from the landfill. “PCC Community Markets operates on a triple bottom line, always balancing the co-op’s economic, social, and environmental impact and results,” said Brent Kawamura, PCC Community Markets Sustainability Manager. “With efforts to be one of the most sustainable grocery stores in the U.S., including working to achieve zero waste, the co-op takes actions including getting food into the hands of those who need it rather than landfills.”

EPA recognizes WasteWise partners that report the best overall improvement in waste prevention and recycling activities when compared to the previous year. Over the years WasteWise partners have prevented and diverted close to 249 million tons of waste from landfills and incinerators, preventing more than 488 million tons of associated greenhouse gas emissions, and saving close to $13.7 billion in avoided landfill fees.

Earth Friendly Products (ECOS) based in Lacey, is a returning WasteWise award winner. Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, ECOS President and CEO, commented, “For over 50 years, our mission has been to protect the health of people, pets, and the planet, and zero waste manufacturing is an important way we’re achieving that mission. Shoppers tell us it’s important to them, too—they want to buy products from companies that are doing more to reduce their impact on the environment. I hope our success will inspire other companies to reduce waste in their operations to help protect our beautiful, shared planet.”

The FGC is a national effort under EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program to encourage agencies to reduce the federal government's environmental impact. Reducing the size of a facility’s environmental footprint conserves natural resources and reduces pollution that contributes to climate change. Bonneville Power Administration in Portland, Oregon won the 2021 FGC Adaptation Award for its response during the pandemic, which revealed opportunities for sustainability, efficiency, and savings. Noting this achievement, Robin Furrer, BPA’s Chief Administrative Officer, stated, “I’m incredibly proud of the hard work and careful thought that went into BPA’s transition to maximum telework. This situation is a reminder that sustainability tracking gives us essential insights into how we use and manage resources, and that sustainability aligns closely with financial and operational resiliency.”

For more information on the Food Recovery Challenge and award winners, visit:

https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-challenge-results-and-award-winners.  

For more information on WasteWise and award winners, go to:

https://www.epa.smm/wastewise#AwardsandAwardWinners.

For more information on the Federal Green Challenge and awardees, visit:

www.epa.gov/fgc.

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 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge Awardees Showcase Ways to Tackle Largest Category of Waste in Landfills

Contact Information:

EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov) Tracy McIntosh, (212) 637-3633, mcintosh.tracy@epa.gov

NEW YORK (February 3, 2022) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes notable achievements and innovations of 18 businesses and organizations that participated in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) in 2020 and 2021. During this reporting period, FRC partners prevented about 1.2 million tons of food from entering landfills or incinerators, saving $61.5 million in avoided landfill cost and reducing the amount of wasted food contributing to landfill emissions associated with climate change.

“The EPA Food Recovery Challenge Award winners demonstrate how preventing food waste and diverting excess wholesome food away from landfills and to people is important for the environment and for communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Their accomplishments serve as excellent examples to other companies, governments, organizations and communities, particularly because food is the single largest category of waste. We have an obligation to follow the lead of our award winners, not only for the sake of 35 million food-insecure Americans, but also to prevent emissions that contribute to climate change.”  

Through the FRC, EPA has worked with organizations and businesses for the past decade to set data-driven goals, implement targeted strategies to reduce wasted food in their operations, and report results to compete for recognition. During 2019 and 2020, FRC national awardees implemented innovative approaches and engaged in practical, cost-effective actions and best practices to prevent and reduce wasted food. Best practices and innovations included school waste audits and custom pallet building to maintain flexibility for those picking up recovered food. Many national awardees provided much-needed food during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Nearly 600 businesses, governments and organizations actively participated in the FRC in 2020-2021. Since the launch of the program in 2011, FRC partners prevented and diverted over 5.5 million tons of wasted food from entering landfills. In the most recent reporting cycle, FRC partners prevented or diverted about 1.2 million tons of food from entering landfills or incinerators, saving up to $61.5 million in avoided landfill tipping fees. Data-driven award recipients achieved the highest percentage increases in food waste diversion in their sector comparing year-to-year data. Narrative award winners achieved notable progress in the areas of source reduction, leadership, innovation, education and outreach, and endorsement of sustainable management of food.

Two awardees, Sodexo and Sprouts Farmers Market, are also U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions, a group of businesses and organizations that have publicly committed to reduce food loss and waste by 50 percent in their own operations by the year 2030.   

Another tier of the Food Recovery Challenge award is the Regional awards, which are given to partners who improved their waste prevention/diversion by 5% compared to the previous reporting year.  Regional awards can be given to high-performing partners who were not already recognized with a National award. 

The 2020-2021 FRC national award winners are:  

2020 Data-Driven Awardees by Sector 

• Restaurants and Food Service Providers - Chipotle of the Five Towns (Cedarhurst, N.Y.) 

2020 Region 2 FRC awards:

• Rock and Wrap it Up! and some of its donors:
• Yankee Stadium
• Dig Inn
• Walls Bakery
• Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack
• Jumer’s Casino
• Westhampton Beach School District
• Crawford’s Coffee Bar & Café of the Five Towns
• Panera Bread of the Five Towns
• Animal Kingdom Production
• Aramark Coors Field
• “Mr. Robot” Production
• Silicon Valley Sports
• Warner Brothers
• Price Chopper/Market 32
• Wegmans Food Market
• Ravitz Family Markets Shoprite, Evesham Rd., Cherry Hill Supermarkets Inc.
• Ravitz Family Markets Shoprite, Cherry Hill Supermarkets Inc.
• Ravitz Family Markets Shoprite, Mount Laurel Supermarkets Inc.
• Ravitz Family Markets Price Rite Supermarkets Inc.
• Sodexo at Utica College
• St. John’s University
• Sprouts Farmers Market #945
• HelloFresh

2021 Data-Driven Awardees by Sector  

Restaurants and Food Service Providers - HelloFresh US (New York City)

2021 Region 2 FRC Awards:

• Rock and Wrap it Up! and some of its donors:
• Costco of the Five Towns
• New York Yankees
• Universal Studios
• HelloFresh
• Wegmans Food Markets
• Sodexo at Le Moyne College
• Sodexo at Russell Sage College
• Ravitz Family Markets Shoprite, Evesham Rd., Cherry Hill Supermarkets Inc.
• Ravitz Family Markets Shoprite, Cherry Hill Supermarkets Inc.
• Ravitz Family Markets Shoprite, Mount Laurel Supermarkets Inc.
• Ravitz Family Markets, Price Rite Supermarkets, Inc.
• Ravitz Family Markets, Union Mill Rd, Mount Laurel Supermarkets Inc.
• Sodexo at St. Peter’s University

Background

Each year in the United States, 73 to 152 million metric tons of food is lost or wasted during all stages of the food supply chain (from primary production to consumption), according to the EPA’s November 2021 report, From Farm to Kitchen: The Environmental Impacts of U.S. Food Waste.  Food waste adversely impacts the economy, communities, and the environment by wasting the resources used to grow and transport it. Preventing food waste and keeping food and other organics out of landfills mitigates climate change, as an estimated eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from wasted food. At the same time, uneaten food contains enough calories to feed more than 150 million people each year, far more than the 35 million estimated food insecure Americans. 

Best practices used by FRC awardees to reduce wasted food in their operations, in addition to actions taken by individuals and communities, keep wasted food from landfills. Their actions also bring the United States closer to meeting the re-aligned national goal with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 to cut food loss and waste in half by 2030.  

For more information on the Food Recovery Challenge national and regional award winners, visit   

https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-challenge-results-and-award-winners  

For information on the national food loss and waste reduction goal, visit  

https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/call-action-stakeholders-united-states-food-loss-waste-2030-reduction  

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2

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 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Recognizes WasteWise Award Winners for Innovations in Waste Reduction

Contact Information:

EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)  Tracy McIntosh, (212) 637-3633, mcintosh.tracy@epa.gov

NEW YORK (February 3, 2022)-National award winners for 2020 and 2021 prevented and diverted close to 408,000 tons of waste that would otherwise be disposed of in landfills or incinerators, contributing to climate change. Instead, they saved over to $22.5 million in avoided landfill cost and prevented emission that contributed to climate change and other environmental impacts.

“Innovation, courage, and knowledge to overcome pandemic-related challenges are the cornerstones of the WasteWise award winners,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Their actions to creatively develop and implement solutions to reduce waste during a global health crisis contributed to reducing the pollution that’s fueling climate change, while helping conserve natural resources.” 

As one of EPA’s longest-running voluntary partnership programs, WasteWise celebrated its 27th and final year in 2021. Over the years, WasteWise partners prevented and diverted close to 249 million tons of waste from landfills and incinerators, preventing more than 488 million tons of associated greenhouse gas emissions, and saving these partners close to $13.7 billion in avoided landfill tipping fees.

EPA recognizes WasteWise partners in several data categories that report the best overall improvement in waste prevention and recycling activities when compared to the previous year. This year, EPA also recognizes winners in narrative categories who achieved exemplary waste reductions in their organizations and businesses.

The WasteWise award winners achieved noteworthy accomplishments, such as reprocessing N95 respirators, implementing Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines at a university, and reusing shipping containers for return trips to avoid waste.

Another tier of WasteWise awards go to Regional Partners with Regional awards, which are given to partners who improved their waste prevention/diversion by 5% compared to the previous reporting year.  Regional awards are given to high-performing partners who were not already recognized with a National award. 

The 2020 WasteWise national data winners are:

• Partner of the Year: Ombligo, Inc. (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

The 2020 Region 2 WasteWise awards are being given to:

• Impact Environmental (Bohemia, New York)
• Live Nation - PNC Bank Arts Center (Holmdel, New Jersey)
• Evelyn Hill, Inc. (New York, New York)
• BB&T Pavilion (Camden, New Jersey)

The 2021 Region 2 WasteWise awards are being given to:

• Ombligo, Inc. (Brooklyn, New York)
• ECOS: New Jersey (Parsippany, New Jersey)

More information about each winner is available at: https://www.epa.smm/wastewise#AwardsandAwardWinners 

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2

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 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA’s California Food Recovery Challenge Awardees Reducing Food Waste, Preventing Greenhouse Gases

SAN FRANCISCO – Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the achievements and innovations of 11 California businesses, government agencies, and organizations that participated in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge in 2020 and 2021.

“Reducing food waste represents an environmental and economic benefit for communities in our region,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “The Food Recovery Challenge awardees in California are leading the way, modeling how organizations across the state can address food insecurity, prevent methane emissions that contribute to climate change, and make cost-saving business decisions.” 

“Our main purpose is to lower food insecurity among our students and reduce our campus’s food waste through curriculum and collaboration,” said Alexandra Yates, Program Director of the Food Service Management Program at Orange Coast College, a recipient of a 2021 National Award for Education and Outreach. “No student should ever go hungry. If we can tie it to curriculum so that we can train our future leaders, we can all work towards finding a solution to this problem.”

In 2020, Orange Coast College Recovery Kitchen distributed 212,392 meals and recovered 609,541 pounds of surplus edible food that would otherwise go to landfill to benefit students and community members experiencing food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The kitchen also helped students in the food service management, culinary arts, baking and pastry, and nutrition programs gain experience working in a commercial high-volume kitchen, with an emphasis on transforming edible recovered food into nutritious, well-balanced meals.

Nearly 600 businesses, government agencies and organizations across the country participated in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge in 2020-2021. Through the Challenge, EPA has worked with organizations and businesses for the past decade to set data-driven goals, implement targeted strategies to reduce wasted food in their operations, and report results to compete for recognition.

The complete list of 2020-2021 California awardees:

National Awards

• 2020 Education & Outreach – Los Angeles County Public Works – Environmental Programs Division (Alhambra, Calif.) 
• 2020 Leadership – Food Forward (North Hollywood, Calif.)  
• 2021 Education & Outreach – Orange Coast College Recovery Kitchen (Costa Mesa, Calif.) 
• 2021 Innovation – Food Forward (North Hollywood, Calif.)  

Regional Awards

• 2021 Leadership Award – FoodCycle LA (Los Angeles, Calif.)
• 2020 Data Driven – Disneyland Resort (Anaheim, Calif.)
• 2020 Data Driven – Zero Waste Company (Santa Monica, Calif.)
• 2020 Data Driven – San Diego International Airport (San Diego, Calif.)
• 2021 Data Driven – Sprouts Farmers Market: 255 (Woodland Hills, Calif.)
• 2020 Data Driven – Sprouts Farmers Market: 428 (Lincoln, Calif.) and Sprouts Farmers Market: 283 (Santa Clara, Calif.)
• 2021 Data Driven – Feeding It Forward, Inc. (Napa, Calif.)

Background

Each year in the United States, 73 to 152 million metric tons of food is lost or wasted during all stages of the food supply chain (from primary production to consumption), according to the EPA’s November 2021 report, From Farm to Kitchen: The Environmental Impacts of U.S. Food Waste. Food waste adversely impacts the economy, communities, and the environment by wasting the resources used to grow and transport it. 

By addressing food waste, there is an opportunity to lower our carbon footprint and increase climate resilience, while also addressing inequities in food security and public health. In other words, there are environmental, economic, and environmental justice co-benefits. Preventing food waste and keeping food and other organics out of landfills mitigates climate change, as an estimated 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from wasted food. At the same time, uneaten food contains enough calories to feed more than 150 million people each year, far more than the 35 million estimated food insecure Americans.

For more information on the Food Recovery Challenge national and regional awardees, visit  

https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-challenge-results-and-award-winners  

For information on the national food loss and waste reduction goal, visit 

https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/call-action-stakeholders-united-states-food-loss-waste-2030-reduction  

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook

EPA Region 6 to Hold Public Listening Session on Draft Lead Strategy

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Region 6 to Hold Public Listening Session on Draft Lead Strategy

 

DALLAS (Feb. 3, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a series of upcoming public listening sessions, including one for EPA Region 6, on the Draft Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities. Communities and stakeholders from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas will be able to provide their comments on the Agency’s plan.

 

Ongoing exposures to lead in the environment present a health risk to too many people nationwide. Very low levels of lead in children’s blood have been linked to adverse effects on intellect, concentration, and academic achievement. The draft Lead Strategy lays out approaches to strengthen public health protections, address legacy lead contamination for communities with the greatest exposures and promote environmental justice.

 

“Communities of color and low-income communities are often disproportionately exposed to lead, which can cause life-long negative effects,” said Carlton Waterhouse, EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management. “Today, we are inviting all communities exposed to lead and other stakeholders to share their perspectives so that EPA can ensure that our Draft Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities is as comprehensive as possible.”

Virtual public listening sessions will be held in all 10 of EPA’s geographic offices. EPA Region 6 will hold a listening session on February 15 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Central Time. Registration is required to attend. Registration links to each regional listening session can be found on EPA’s website at: https://www.epa.gov/lead/draft-strategy-reduce-lead-exposures-and-disparities-us-communities. Interpretation and disability access support will be provided.

During this event, registered members of the public will have an opportunity to share their comments on EPA’s draft Lead Strategy with EPA senior officials and managers. Those interested in speaking may sign up for a 3-minute speaking slot at the time of registration.

Members of the public who are unable to attend any of the 10 listening sessions can submit comments via the docket at: http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OLEM-2021-0762 until March 16, 2022.

For details on the draft Lead Strategy, the virtual listening sessions, or how to provide public comment, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/lead/draft-strategy-reduce-lead-exposures-and-disparities-us-communities.

Connect with EPA Region 6: On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6    

Activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.htm 

 

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 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Selects Three Bay Area Organizations for Environmental Job Training Grants

Approximately $3.8 Million to be Awarded Nationwide to Build a Skilled Environmental Workforce in Economically Distressed Communities

SAN FRANCISCO (Feb. 2, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the Hunters Point Family in San Francisco, the City of Richmond, Calif. and the City of Pittsburg, Calif., will each receive a $200,000 Brownfields job training grant. Job training and workforce development are important parts of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advance economic opportunities and address environmental justice issues in underserved communities to build a better America. In total, 19 grantees were selected to receive a total of $3,797,102 in grants for job training programs across the country.

“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.” 

“We are thrilled to recognize our Northern California partners with these job training grants,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “The funding will help equip dedicated Bay Area community members with the job skills they need for well-paying jobs that reduce environmental contamination and advance environmental justice efforts.”

Each of the three award recipients will focus their programs on communities where cumulative environmental impacts have persisted for decades. Graduates earn a variety of certifications to ensure that employment opportunities lead to long-term careers with local unions, environmental contractors, private industry, and the public sector.

• Hunters Point Family plans to recruit 60 residents from the neighborhoods of Bayview Hunters Point, Potrero Hill and Visitation Valley. The curriculum will include five certifications and train residents in 40-hour HAZWOPER, underground storage tank, solid and hazardous waste management, confined space, and lead, asbestos, and mold remediation training.
• The City of Richmond, RichmondBUILD, plans to recruit 50 residents to provide training in 40-hour HAZWOPER, refinery safety, 10-hour OSHA workplace safety, and instruction in remediation and utility-scale solar installation technology.
• The City of Pittsburg plans to recruit 80 residents who will receive seven certifications, including 40-hour HAZWOPER, refinery safety, forklift for remediation, solar technology, emergency response, confined space and 10-hour OSHA workplace safety training.

Funded through the Agency’s Brownfields Job Training Program, these grants provide support in communities actively cleaning-up and preparing so called brownfield sites for reuse. Rather than filling local jobs with contractors from distant communities, grant recipients prepare residents to satisfy this job demand. Individuals completing a job training program funded by EPA often overcome a variety of barriers to employment, and many of these individuals are from historically underserved neighborhoods affected by environmental justice issues.

President Biden’s leadership and bipartisan congressional action have delivered the single-largest investment in national brownfields revitalization ever. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) invests more than $1.5 billion through EPA’s Brownfields program. Of that investment, $30 million will be directed into future Brownfields Job Training grants. During the next five years, communities, states, and tribes will have the opportunity to apply for larger grants to expand and enhance environmental job training programs. This investment will help trained individuals access jobs created through brownfields revitalization activities within their communities. EPA anticipates awarding as many as 50 additional grants to job training entities with BIL funding, beginning in federal fiscal year 2023. Application guidelines will be available in Spring/Summer 2022.

Additionally, EPA is 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

For more information on the selected Brownfields Job Training grant recipients, including past grantees, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy22-brownfields-job-training-grants

For more information on this, and other types of Brownfields grants, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-job-training-jt-grants

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Awards $200,000 to Los Angeles Conservation Corps for Environmental Job Training Initiative

Approximately $3.8 Million to be Awarded Nationwide to Build a Skilled Environmental Workforce in Economically Distressed Communities

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 2, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the Los Angeles Conservation Corps will receive a $200,000 Brownfields job training grant. Job training and workforce development are important parts of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advance economic opportunities and address environmental justice issues in underserved communities to build a better America. In total, 19 grantees were selected to receive a total of $3,797,102 in grants for job training programs across the country.

“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.” 

“We are thrilled to award this grant to our long-standing partners at Los Angeles Conservation Corps,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “The funding will help equip dedicated Angelinos with the job skills they need for well-paying jobs that reduce environmental contamination and advance environmental justice efforts.”

With this year’s funds, Los Angeles Conservation Corps plans to recruit 60 residents from South Los Angeles, Watts, and Boyle Heights neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Graduates earn a variety of certifications to ensure that employment opportunities lead to long-term careers with local unions, environmental contractors, private industry, and the public sector. The trainees will have the opportunity to earn six certifications, which include 40-hour HAZWOPER, 10-hr OSHA workplace safety, lead, asbestos and mold remediation, confined space, and solar technology training.

Funded through the Agency’s Brownfields Job Training Program, these grants provide support in communities actively cleaning up and preparing so called brownfield sites for reuse. Rather than filling local jobs with contractors from distant communities, grant recipients prepare residents to satisfy this job demand. Individuals completing a job training program funded by EPA often overcome a variety of barriers to employment, and many of these individuals are from historically underserved neighborhoods affected by environmental justice issues.

President Biden’s leadership and bipartisan congressional action have delivered the single-largest investment in national brownfields revitalization ever. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) invests more than $1.5 billion through EPA’s Brownfields program. Of that investment, $30 million will be directed into future Brownfields Job Training grants. During the next five years, communities, states, and tribes will have the opportunity to apply for larger grants expand and enhance environmental job training programs. This investment will help trained individuals access jobs created through brownfields revitalization activities within their communities. 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.

Additionally, EPA is 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

For more information on the selected Brownfields Job Training grant recipients, including past grantees, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy22-brownfields-job-training-grants

For more information on this, and other types of Brownfields grants, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-job-training-jt-grants

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.