EPA Emphasizes Transformative Nature of Cleanups and Job Training During Brownfields Week
San Juan, P.R. – This week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Michael Martucci traveled to Puerto Rico to focus on the benefits to people and local economies during EPA’s Annual Caribbean Brownfields Week. EPA hosted events across Puerto Rico during the week and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The events supported the EPA’s mission of ensuring clean land, air and water to the public.
“The Brownfields program changes communities and changes lives,” said EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci. “We called on local leaders, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations to join us in turning contaminated and abandoned places into spaces of opportunity and growth.”
During this week, the EPA and its partners trained and advised entities interested in applying for funding under EPA’s Brownfields program. The events helped promote the funding and technical assistance available through the program to help assess and clean up contaminated sites, as well as the training available for individuals to prepare for good-paying careers in the environmental field.
Work under the Brownfields program transforms abandoned and underused properties into vibrant community assets while training residents to undertake this work. One area that requires attention are vacant housing units. Puerto Rico has more than 255,000 vacant housing units, and the U.S. Virgin Islands has over 7,000—all with untapped potential to serve their communities. EPA’s Brownfields program equips communities with tools and technical assistance to advance local redevelopment efforts.
Regional Administartor Martucci also noted that this effort aligned with EPA’s broader mission: “Revitalizing Brownfields directly supports the Powering the Great American Comeback initiative. By breathing new life into previously impacted sites, we preserve land, and secure cleaner air, land, and water for all residents.”
The week’s activities included a Workforce Development Forum and Brownfields Job-Training Application Workshop in Puerto Rico, a graduation ceremony for graduates of the Pathstone job training program, and Revitalization Resources Summits in both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
To learn more about the EPA’s Brownfields Program and explore how EPA’s tools can assist in your community please visit the EPA Brownfields page.
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