EPA Selects Auberle, Coalfield Development Corporation to Receive $1M in Brownfields Job Training Grants

PHILADELPHIA— Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the selection of Auberle and Coalfield Development Corporation to each receive nearly $500,000 each in Brownfields Job Training Grant funding. These grants will help recruit, train, and place workers for community revitalization and cleanup projects at Brownfield sites in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. EPA's Brownfields Program helps grow local economies and support efforts to assess and clean up contaminated sites and return blighted properties to productive use. 

“These grants reflect our dedication to improving quality of life for American families by achieving both the environmental stewardship and economic vitality that help Power the Great American Comeback,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Land and Emergency Management John W. Busterud. “These grants lift up communities by giving local people the tools they need to shape their own futures. They help neighborhoods clean up and transform contaminated sites into places that support jobs, small businesses, and more. Together with our state and local partners, we are building lasting opportunities close to home.” 

“The Brownfields Job Training Program is yet another example of how we can rebuild our communities, protect the environment, and grow the economy at the same time,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Amy Van Blarcom-Lackey. “These time-tested, boots-on-the-ground investments change lives, not just for those in the Program, but for their families and neighbors as well.” 

Auberle (Allegheny County, Pennsylvania): Through its Brownfield Job Training Program, Auberle places unemployed and underemployed individuals on a path to economic security through hazardous materials training as well as job placement in the Brownfield/environmental remediation field. Not only do participants earn in-demand certifications and obtain employment in this high priority field, but they also improve the environmental disparities caused by deindustrialization often faced in communities across Allegheny County, PA, through their employment placements. This is Auberle’s fifth Brownfield Job Training cooperative agreement since 2016, and the organization has maintained a 90% job placement rate through its first three completed awards.  

Coalfield Development Corporation (Cabell County, West Virginia): The model for Coalfield’s Workforce Development program uses a flexible, multi-level approach designed to engage and develop individuals’ skills and provide wraparound services, while also supporting employers. This is Coalfield’s third job training cooperative agreement since 2015, and it has achieved an 80% job placement rate for graduates. These graduates help fill roles which increase the capacity of environmental assessment and cleanup contractors to assess and clean up Brownfields sites in West Virginia. A locally sourced skilled workforce trained in environmental assessments, inspections, and cleanups will help reduce risks to the community and foster redevelopment, improving the economy and addressing environmental issues that affect the health of these communities. 

These two job training grants will provide nearly $500,000 to each grantee to help train and grow the skilled workforce in communities where Brownfield site assessment, cleanup, and preparation for reuse activities are underway. Participants often overcome various employment barriers and graduate with certifications that enhance their marketability, ensuring long-term environmental careers. Certifications include: 

For more information on the selected Brownfields Job Training Grant recipients, including past grant recipients, please visit EPA’s Grant Factsheet Tool. 

Background 

EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.9 billion in grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, Brownfields investments have leveraged more than $42 billion for cleanup and redevelopment and have created more than 220,500 American jobs. Since 1998, EPA has awarded 456 grants totaling over $119 million through Brownfield Job Training Programs. With these grants, more than 23,400 individuals have completed training and over 17,400 individuals have been placed in careers related to land remediation and environmental health and safety. Over the last five years, the average starting wage for these individuals is approximately $23 per hour. If your organization is considering applying for or has a question related to Brownfields Job Training Grants, submit a technical assistance request to EPA at https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/forms/brownfields-job-training-program-technical-assistance-inquiry-form.  

For more information on this and other types of Brownfields Grants, please visit https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-funding.