Biden-Harris Administration Selects Pennsylvania State University Hershey Medical Center to Receive $1.19M Pollution Prevention Grant to Advance Environmental Justice
PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 12, 2023) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it selected Pennsylvania State University Hershey Medical Center to receive a $1,199,108 pollution prevention grant under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics. The funding is made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will go to develop and adopt practices that prevent pollution at the source in local communities.
Penn State College of Medicine’s proposed project will provide technical assistance to business sectors within disadvantaged communities in Pennsylvania and New York to develop a partnership that increases the use of 1,900 Safer Choice labeled products. Technical assistance will include engaging with stakeholders to design community‐based solutions and offering Safer Choice training to businesses and end‐users. The proposed project will improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities by reducing human exposure to conventional cleaning chemicals.
“Achieving lasting environmental justice requires community-driven solutions boosted by federal resources,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “President Biden has secured historic levels of funding to address environmental harms in vulnerable communities under his Investing in America agenda. These dollars have supercharged our ability to empower a wide range of businesses from across the country to deploy solutions that prevent pollution while strengthening economic growth.”
“This funding to Penn State’s College of Medicine is yet another investment the Biden-Harris Administration is making to improve the health and future of communities long overburdened by pollution,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “Getting businesses and households to use safer, greener products will help create healthier, stronger and more sustainable communities.”
“Thanks to the infrastructure law, Penn State College of Medicine can create safer, cleaner environments for children, families, and businesses, particularly those in disadvantaged communities,” said U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). “With greater access to cleaning products free of harmful toxins, more Pennsylvanians can lead healthier lives.”
“This pollution prevention grant from the Biden administration is an important step towards preserving our environment. This funding is a significant investment in Pennsylvania business and our planet, that will help businesses manufacture, distribute, and use safer and more sustainable products for the benefit of everyone,” said U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA).
The Environmental Justice Through Safer and More Sustainable Products grant program will assist businesses to increase the supply, demand, and use of safer and more sustainable products, such as those certified by EPA’s Safer Choice program, or that conform to EPA’s Recommendations for Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing.
Ensuring greater availability and use of safer and more sustainable products can reduce harmful chemical exposures and their human health and the environmental impacts in disadvantaged communities and create a more sustainable and accessible marketplace. These efforts will continue to benefit businesses and communities across the nation by capturing what works and what can be adjusted in other communities. Recipients will share successful practices that are new or not widely known, as well as lessons learned, so that future businesses and communities can continue to innovate.
EPA anticipates awarding the grant once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.
Penn State College of Medicine’s proposed project will provide technical assistance to business sectors within disadvantaged communities in Pennsylvania and New York to develop a partnership that increases the use of 1,900 Safer Choice labeled products. Technical assistance will include engaging with stakeholders to design community‐based solutions and offering Safer Choice training to businesses and end‐users. The proposed project will improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities by reducing human exposure to conventional cleaning chemicals.
“Achieving lasting environmental justice requires community-driven solutions boosted by federal resources,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “President Biden has secured historic levels of funding to address environmental harms in vulnerable communities under his Investing in America agenda. These dollars have supercharged our ability to empower a wide range of businesses from across the country to deploy solutions that prevent pollution while strengthening economic growth.”
“This funding to Penn State’s College of Medicine is yet another investment the Biden-Harris Administration is making to improve the health and future of communities long overburdened by pollution,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “Getting businesses and households to use safer, greener products will help create healthier, stronger and more sustainable communities.”
“Thanks to the infrastructure law, Penn State College of Medicine can create safer, cleaner environments for children, families, and businesses, particularly those in disadvantaged communities,” said U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). “With greater access to cleaning products free of harmful toxins, more Pennsylvanians can lead healthier lives.”
“This pollution prevention grant from the Biden administration is an important step towards preserving our environment. This funding is a significant investment in Pennsylvania business and our planet, that will help businesses manufacture, distribute, and use safer and more sustainable products for the benefit of everyone,” said U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA).
The Environmental Justice Through Safer and More Sustainable Products grant program will assist businesses to increase the supply, demand, and use of safer and more sustainable products, such as those certified by EPA’s Safer Choice program, or that conform to EPA’s Recommendations for Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing.
Ensuring greater availability and use of safer and more sustainable products can reduce harmful chemical exposures and their human health and the environmental impacts in disadvantaged communities and create a more sustainable and accessible marketplace. These efforts will continue to benefit businesses and communities across the nation by capturing what works and what can be adjusted in other communities. Recipients will share successful practices that are new or not widely known, as well as lessons learned, so that future businesses and communities can continue to innovate.
EPA anticipates awarding the grant once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.
Biden-Harris Administration Selects Clemson University to Receive $768,950 Pollution Prevention Grant to Advance Environmental Justice
CLEMSON, S.C. (Oct. 12, 2023) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Clemson University in South Carolina was selected to receive a $768,950 pollution prevention grant through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics. The funding, which was made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is intended to develop, and adopt practices that prevent pollution at the source in local communities.
Clemson University’s project will provide technical assistance to midsized businesses in the Greenville, South Carolina (“Upstate, SC”) area to transition to safer packaging products identified by EPA’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels. Technical assistance will include creating a comprehensive educational and community engagement plan with educational materials for business stakeholders, in-person training, webinars, and case studies to help businesses create sustainable transition plans for packaging. The proposed project will improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities by lowering the amount of toxic and persistent plastic waste that accumulates in the environment in businesses located in or adjacent to disadvantaged areas identified using the Climate and Economic Justice Screening tool, the P2 EJ Facility Screening tool, and EJScreen.
“Achieving lasting environmental justice requires community-driven solutions boosted by federal resources,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “President Biden has secured historic levels of funding to address environmental harms in vulnerable communities under his Investing in America agenda. These dollars have supercharged our ability to empower a wide range of businesses from across the country to deploy solutions that prevent pollution while strengthening economic growth.”
“Congratulations to our Region 4 recipient,” said Acting EPA Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “Providing pollution prevention technical assistance to disadvantage communities to advance environmental justice is a one of EPA’s top priorities. This historic investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act is reaching families and communities across the Southeast region.”
"We are very excited about this work to help our communities and businesses transition to safer and more environmentally friendly packaging materials,” said Dr. Paula Agudelo, Associate Dean for Research & Director of CU Experiment Station. “Our college is committed to doing research that has real world and measurable impacts."
The Environmental Justice in Communities grant program will provide pollution prevention technical assistance to businesses to improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities. The Environmental Justice Through Safer and More Sustainable Products grant program will assist businesses to increase the supply, demand, and use of safer and more sustainable products, such as those certified by EPA’s Safer Choice program, or that conform to EPA’s Recommendations for Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing.
EPA’s Pollution Prevention Grant Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Ensuring greater availability and use of safer and more sustainable products can reduce harmful chemical exposures and their human health and the environmental impacts in disadvantaged communities and create a more sustainable and accessible marketplace. These efforts will continue to benefit businesses and communities across the nation by capturing what works and what can be adjusted in other communities. Recipients will share successful practices that are new or not widely known, as well as lessons learned, so that future businesses and communities can continue to innovate.
EPA anticipates awarding the grants once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
Background:
The United States generates millions of tons of pollution each year and spends billions of dollars per year controlling this pollution. Once in our environment, this pollution harms human and environmental health, which disproportionally impacts underserved communities. Preventing pollution at the source, also known as P2 or source reduction, rather than managing waste after it is produced, is an important part of the solution landscape, and advances a sustainable infrastructure that supports local economies while better protecting public health and the environment. P2 practices can reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, conserve natural resources, and reduce cleanup and financial costs for businesses, particularly for waste management and environmental liability. Practicing P2 is essential for protecting public health and improving environmental conditions in and around disadvantaged communities that have long been overburdened by pollution.
Between 2011-2021, EPA’s Pollution Prevention program has issued nearly 500 grants totaling more than $50 million, which have helped businesses identify, develop and adopt P2 approaches. These approaches have resulted in eliminating 19.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, saving 49 billion gallons of water, reducing 917 million pounds of hazardous materials and pollutants, and saving more than $2.2 billion for business.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure is boosting these efforts by providing a historic $100 million to support the program’s continued efforts. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, state and Tribal programs that are awarded grants will not be required to provide matching funds, which has helped expand access to these resources and broadened the applicant pool.
Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.
Clemson University’s project will provide technical assistance to midsized businesses in the Greenville, South Carolina (“Upstate, SC”) area to transition to safer packaging products identified by EPA’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels. Technical assistance will include creating a comprehensive educational and community engagement plan with educational materials for business stakeholders, in-person training, webinars, and case studies to help businesses create sustainable transition plans for packaging. The proposed project will improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities by lowering the amount of toxic and persistent plastic waste that accumulates in the environment in businesses located in or adjacent to disadvantaged areas identified using the Climate and Economic Justice Screening tool, the P2 EJ Facility Screening tool, and EJScreen.
“Achieving lasting environmental justice requires community-driven solutions boosted by federal resources,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “President Biden has secured historic levels of funding to address environmental harms in vulnerable communities under his Investing in America agenda. These dollars have supercharged our ability to empower a wide range of businesses from across the country to deploy solutions that prevent pollution while strengthening economic growth.”
“Congratulations to our Region 4 recipient,” said Acting EPA Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “Providing pollution prevention technical assistance to disadvantage communities to advance environmental justice is a one of EPA’s top priorities. This historic investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act is reaching families and communities across the Southeast region.”
"We are very excited about this work to help our communities and businesses transition to safer and more environmentally friendly packaging materials,” said Dr. Paula Agudelo, Associate Dean for Research & Director of CU Experiment Station. “Our college is committed to doing research that has real world and measurable impacts."
The Environmental Justice in Communities grant program will provide pollution prevention technical assistance to businesses to improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities. The Environmental Justice Through Safer and More Sustainable Products grant program will assist businesses to increase the supply, demand, and use of safer and more sustainable products, such as those certified by EPA’s Safer Choice program, or that conform to EPA’s Recommendations for Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing.
EPA’s Pollution Prevention Grant Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Ensuring greater availability and use of safer and more sustainable products can reduce harmful chemical exposures and their human health and the environmental impacts in disadvantaged communities and create a more sustainable and accessible marketplace. These efforts will continue to benefit businesses and communities across the nation by capturing what works and what can be adjusted in other communities. Recipients will share successful practices that are new or not widely known, as well as lessons learned, so that future businesses and communities can continue to innovate.
EPA anticipates awarding the grants once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
Background:
The United States generates millions of tons of pollution each year and spends billions of dollars per year controlling this pollution. Once in our environment, this pollution harms human and environmental health, which disproportionally impacts underserved communities. Preventing pollution at the source, also known as P2 or source reduction, rather than managing waste after it is produced, is an important part of the solution landscape, and advances a sustainable infrastructure that supports local economies while better protecting public health and the environment. P2 practices can reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, conserve natural resources, and reduce cleanup and financial costs for businesses, particularly for waste management and environmental liability. Practicing P2 is essential for protecting public health and improving environmental conditions in and around disadvantaged communities that have long been overburdened by pollution.
Between 2011-2021, EPA’s Pollution Prevention program has issued nearly 500 grants totaling more than $50 million, which have helped businesses identify, develop and adopt P2 approaches. These approaches have resulted in eliminating 19.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, saving 49 billion gallons of water, reducing 917 million pounds of hazardous materials and pollutants, and saving more than $2.2 billion for business.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure is boosting these efforts by providing a historic $100 million to support the program’s continued efforts. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, state and Tribal programs that are awarded grants will not be required to provide matching funds, which has helped expand access to these resources and broadened the applicant pool.
Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.
EPA Proposes Approval of Groundbreaking Rule to Reduce Southern California Air Pollution Driven by Warehouse Operations
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to approve a rule by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) that is serving to protect communities from air pollution generated by warehouse operations, including freight vehicle trips to and from warehouses. The South Coast AQMD area covers large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley, and is home to more than 17 million people, approximately 44% of the population of the entire state of California.
By proposing approval of the South Coast rule, we are seeking to better protect overburdened communities from the harmful effects of air pollution,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “I have travelled to the Inland Empire and throughout the South Coast and seen firsthand how Black and Brown communities are bearing the brunt of goods moving through our country, with damaging impacts such as asthma, missed days of school or work, and increased medical bills. This rule is an essential step toward protecting Californians that continue to shoulder a large burden of air pollution for all of us.”
In 2021, the South Coast AQMD adopted a rule that requires large warehouses to offset pollution from the truck traffic they attract. The South Coast rule, known as the Warehouse Indirect Source Rule, serves to reduce harmful air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, from warehouse operations. The rule also addresses related mobile sources of pollution, such as trucks that deliver goods to and from the facilities, yard trucks, and transport refrigeration units. Additional emissions sources can include onsite stationary equipment such as diesel backup generators or manufacturing equipment.
The South Coast rule creates a point system known as Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE). The rule allows warehouses to earn WAIRE points by completing actions such as investing in zero emission (ZE) and/or near-zero emission technologies, using solar power, installing onsite ZE charging or fueling infrastructure, or installing filtration systems in qualified buildings such as schools. Other options to earn WAIRE points include developing a custom WAIRE plan or paying mitigation fees. By 2025, all warehouses over 100,000 square feet will be subject to the rule.
Pollution from mobile sources – ships, trucks, and trains – contribute to poor air quality in the greater Los Angeles region. If finalized as proposed, the Warehouse Indirect Source Rule, which is part of a larger multi-prong strategy to reduce emissions from mobile sources and improve public health, will become federally enforceable.
In addition to this rule from the local air district, EPA’s national-level actions to tighten engine emission standards for new vehicles, including heavy duty trucks, will improve Southern California’s air quality. These regulatory actions to bring about cleaner air are complemented by unprecedented federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which together are making historic investments in accelerating the country towards a zero-emission economy, tackling climate change, and creating a more equitable future.
The proposed approval reflects EPA Pacific Southwest Region’s commitment to environmental justice and civil rights -- to make progress in historically overburdened and underserved communities, ensuring fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income in developing and implementing environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Read more about the EPA Pacific Southwest Region Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights Implementation Plan and the South Coast AQMD WAIRE Program.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on X.
By proposing approval of the South Coast rule, we are seeking to better protect overburdened communities from the harmful effects of air pollution,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “I have travelled to the Inland Empire and throughout the South Coast and seen firsthand how Black and Brown communities are bearing the brunt of goods moving through our country, with damaging impacts such as asthma, missed days of school or work, and increased medical bills. This rule is an essential step toward protecting Californians that continue to shoulder a large burden of air pollution for all of us.”
In 2021, the South Coast AQMD adopted a rule that requires large warehouses to offset pollution from the truck traffic they attract. The South Coast rule, known as the Warehouse Indirect Source Rule, serves to reduce harmful air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, from warehouse operations. The rule also addresses related mobile sources of pollution, such as trucks that deliver goods to and from the facilities, yard trucks, and transport refrigeration units. Additional emissions sources can include onsite stationary equipment such as diesel backup generators or manufacturing equipment.
The South Coast rule creates a point system known as Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE). The rule allows warehouses to earn WAIRE points by completing actions such as investing in zero emission (ZE) and/or near-zero emission technologies, using solar power, installing onsite ZE charging or fueling infrastructure, or installing filtration systems in qualified buildings such as schools. Other options to earn WAIRE points include developing a custom WAIRE plan or paying mitigation fees. By 2025, all warehouses over 100,000 square feet will be subject to the rule.
Pollution from mobile sources – ships, trucks, and trains – contribute to poor air quality in the greater Los Angeles region. If finalized as proposed, the Warehouse Indirect Source Rule, which is part of a larger multi-prong strategy to reduce emissions from mobile sources and improve public health, will become federally enforceable.
In addition to this rule from the local air district, EPA’s national-level actions to tighten engine emission standards for new vehicles, including heavy duty trucks, will improve Southern California’s air quality. These regulatory actions to bring about cleaner air are complemented by unprecedented federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which together are making historic investments in accelerating the country towards a zero-emission economy, tackling climate change, and creating a more equitable future.
The proposed approval reflects EPA Pacific Southwest Region’s commitment to environmental justice and civil rights -- to make progress in historically overburdened and underserved communities, ensuring fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income in developing and implementing environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Read more about the EPA Pacific Southwest Region Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights Implementation Plan and the South Coast AQMD WAIRE Program.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on X.
EPA awards over $1M in grants to advance Environmental Justice in Oregon, Washington
SEATTLE - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced entities in Oregon and Washington will receive $1,128,821 in pollution prevention grants.
The funding, available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will develop and implement practices that prevent pollution at the source in local communities.
In Oregon, Portland State University’s will receive $716,494. The project, a partnership between PSU’s Community Environmental Services unit, PSU’s Institute on Tribal Governance, the Northwest Native American Chamber of Commerce and the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, will provide technical assistance to Native‐owned/‐serving businesses. Technical assistance will include culturally relevant sustainable product curriculum, industry‐specific procurement resources, support for implementing new technologies and webinars.
“This project is a great example of how the federal government can partner with higher education and non-profits to improve people’s lives, especially in Tribal communities that have greater exposure to toxics and experience more health impacts due to environmental pollution,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller during an event announcing the grant today at PSU Native American Student and Community Center.
From left to right: Portland State University President Ann Cudd, Northwest Native Chamber Executive Director James Parker, PSU Community Environmental Services Director Christa McDermott, EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention Jennie Romer and EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. "PSU's motto is ‘Let Knowledge Serve the City’ and Community Environmental Services has exhibited that ethos for decades," said PSU President Ann Cudd. "I am thrilled to celebrate this grant and the capacity it will add to our work with Indigenous communities and to promote environmental justice."
“PSU's Community Environmental Services has a legacy of putting our expertise in sustainable materials management to use to benefit all people. We're excited about this opportunity to connect with and learn from Native American businesses in this mission,” said PSU Community Environmental Services Director Christa McDermott.
Additionally, Washington State Department of Ecology will receive a grant for $412,327 to provide technical assistance to the Hispanic/Latino community in central Washington, in partnership with the Commission on Hispanic Affairs. The project will encourage the supply and use of safer products, develop outreach toolkits and hold workshops for community-based organizations.
Background:
Between 2011-2021, EPA’s Pollution Prevention program has issued nearly 500 grants totaling more than $50 million, which have helped businesses identify, develop and adopt P2 approaches. These approaches have resulted in eliminating 19.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, saving 49 billion gallons of water, reducing 917 million pounds of hazardous materials and pollutants, and saving more than $2.2 billion for business. Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.
EPA Region 10 (Pacific Northwest) - Serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and 271 Tribal Nations. Visit us online, follow us on Twitter and Facebook and subscribe to our RSS feed.
The funding, available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will develop and implement practices that prevent pollution at the source in local communities.
In Oregon, Portland State University’s will receive $716,494. The project, a partnership between PSU’s Community Environmental Services unit, PSU’s Institute on Tribal Governance, the Northwest Native American Chamber of Commerce and the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, will provide technical assistance to Native‐owned/‐serving businesses. Technical assistance will include culturally relevant sustainable product curriculum, industry‐specific procurement resources, support for implementing new technologies and webinars.
“This project is a great example of how the federal government can partner with higher education and non-profits to improve people’s lives, especially in Tribal communities that have greater exposure to toxics and experience more health impacts due to environmental pollution,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller during an event announcing the grant today at PSU Native American Student and Community Center.
From left to right: Portland State University President Ann Cudd, Northwest Native Chamber Executive Director James Parker, PSU Community Environmental Services Director Christa McDermott, EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention Jennie Romer and EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. "PSU's motto is ‘Let Knowledge Serve the City’ and Community Environmental Services has exhibited that ethos for decades," said PSU President Ann Cudd. "I am thrilled to celebrate this grant and the capacity it will add to our work with Indigenous communities and to promote environmental justice."
“PSU's Community Environmental Services has a legacy of putting our expertise in sustainable materials management to use to benefit all people. We're excited about this opportunity to connect with and learn from Native American businesses in this mission,” said PSU Community Environmental Services Director Christa McDermott.
Additionally, Washington State Department of Ecology will receive a grant for $412,327 to provide technical assistance to the Hispanic/Latino community in central Washington, in partnership with the Commission on Hispanic Affairs. The project will encourage the supply and use of safer products, develop outreach toolkits and hold workshops for community-based organizations.
Background:
Between 2011-2021, EPA’s Pollution Prevention program has issued nearly 500 grants totaling more than $50 million, which have helped businesses identify, develop and adopt P2 approaches. These approaches have resulted in eliminating 19.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, saving 49 billion gallons of water, reducing 917 million pounds of hazardous materials and pollutants, and saving more than $2.2 billion for business. Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.
EPA Region 10 (Pacific Northwest) - Serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and 271 Tribal Nations. Visit us online, follow us on Twitter and Facebook and subscribe to our RSS feed.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Largest Ever Clean-up under EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to Address Milwaukee Area of Concern
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced funding for the largest cleanup project to ever be implemented under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Great Lakes Legacy Act, thanks to historic resources from President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. Under a new project agreement between EPA and five non-federal sponsors, an estimated investment of $450 million will go toward the cleanup of nearly two million cubic yards of contaminated sediments from the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern.
This long-awaited cleanup will greatly advance the environmental, community, and economic revitalization of Milwaukee-area communities and will help lead to the ultimate removal of the Milwaukee Estuary from the list of 25 remaining U.S. Areas of Concern (AOCs) — highly environmentally degraded areas found across the Great Lakes basin.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced this effort alongside U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at Discovery World, a science and technology museum on the shore of Lake Michigan. Administrator Regan and Senator Baldwin joined project partners, state and local officials, community leaders and students from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences for the event.
“President Biden’s historic Investments in America continue to boost our efforts to restore and protect our treasured waters and the communities of the Great Lakes basin,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today, we’re building on this progress to restore this economic engine with our partners in Wisconsin as we work to clean up the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern for good. Together, these investments will support cleanup of 610 Olympic-sized swimming pools of contaminated sediments from Milwaukee Harbor and the three rivers in the urban Milwaukee area.”
“Protecting the Great Lakes is not just an environmental goal for Wisconsin communities, it's an economic imperative for the Badger State. I've been proud to support the Great Lake Restoration Initiative, which has transformed our fight to protect and restore our greatest freshwater resources, accelerating cleanup efforts to reverse decades of legacy pollution,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin. “Today's funding announcement puts us on a path to expedite cleaning up the Milwaukee Estuary, ensuring that generations to come can reap the health, economic, and environmental benefits of a safer, more sustainable Lake Michigan watershed.”
“Every Wisconsinite deserves access to safe, clean drinking water, but for far too long communities that surround the Milwaukee Estuary have been impacted by water pollutants and dangerous contaminants,” said Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. “This groundbreaking $450 million investment from the Biden Administration will accelerate our efforts to remediate the Milwaukee Estuary so we can remove it from the list of Areas of Concern, revitalize the local economy, and ensure clean water for Milwaukee and the greater region.”
“With this important funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative - an effort I have long championed - President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is helping make Milwaukee a better place to live, work, and visit,” said Congresswoman Gwen Moore. “Nearly four decades after being designated as an Area of Concern, the EPA and local stakeholders can now move forward to permanently address this public health threat, protect Lake Michigan, and again allow Milwaukeeans and visitors to our city to enjoy these waters.”
The new project agreement reflects a partnership between EPA and five non-federal sponsors, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, We Energies, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the City of Milwaukee, and Milwaukee County Parks, to complete the cleanup of harbor and river sediments contaminated with PCBs, petroleum compounds, and heavy metals, including mercury, lead and chromium, in the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern. These five partners will contribute more than $170 million to implement the project — the largest non-federal sponsor contribution to a Great Lakes Legacy Act cleanup. EPA will contribute an estimated $275 million in funds from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to cover the approximately $450 million project, with final project cost estimates to be determined following the bidding and procurement process.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity to remove contamination that has gone unaddressed for more than 150 years,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager Debra Shore. “By cleaning and opening up this waterway, EPA and our partners will restore ecosystems, increase opportunities for recreation and community and economic revitalization.”
Many decades of industrial activity throughout this predominantly urbanized watershed have resulted in significant pollution accumulation in the Milwaukee Estuary AOC, especially in sediments found at the bottom of Milwaukee harbor and the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers. Addressing these contaminated sediments will lead to improved water quality, healthier fish and wildlife, and improved recreational opportunities, in addition to community revitalization.
In February 2022, President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan announced a $1 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to significantly accelerate cleanup and restoration of the Great Lakes. EPA projected that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, combined with funds from annual Great Lakes Restoration Initiative appropriations and funding from other sources will enable the agency and its partners to bring work to completion at 22 of the 25 remaining AOCs, with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding directly supporting 11 of these sites, including the Milwaukee Estuary AOC.
Here's what our partners are saying about this historic agreement:
“The State of Wisconsin is thrilled that all five project partners have signed the historic Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern (AOC) project agreement. To help address the extensive contamination in the area, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency, together with over 20 partner organizations, formed the Waterway Restoration Partnership. I am grateful for their collaboration and am encouraged that the historical investments by the partners will result in a cleaner environment for all future generations to enjoy in Milwaukee,” said Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Adam N. Payne.
“The City of Milwaukee is extremely proud to collaborate with our partners at the US EPA,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson. “The cooperation between Federal, State, and local partners is unprecedented and will lead to cleaner beaches, restored habitat, and contamination being removed from our waterways. The goal of swimmable and fishable waterways in our sights.”
“Milwaukee County Parks is excited to continue our successful GLLA partnership as we enter the next phases of this landmark clean-up effort,” said Guy Smith, Executive Director of Milwaukee County Parks. “Remediation will improve over 30 acres of floodplain and support the larger effort to restore habitat and delist the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern. This work will help ensure safe enjoyment of our waterways and parkland within the Milwaukee River Greenway, one the most loved and highly used recreational areas in the County!”
“Today’s announcement is historic and shows action by President Biden to protect public health, provide jobs, and help protect Lake Michigan,” said Kevin Shafer, Executive Director of Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. “Now that hard work begins by removing contaminated sediments, improving habitat, and making the Milwaukee region a safer, cleaner place to live. We owe many people our warmest and sincere gratitude for getting us this far. We will deliver!”
"We are pleased to support this historic effort to clean up the Milwaukee Estuary. Our work to remediate nearly 45,000 cubic yards of impacted sediment from the bottom of the Milwaukee River is an important first step in restoring our waterways,” said Liz Stueck-Mullane, WEC Energy Group Vice President. “This coalition is making a positive impact and our participation is a part of our commitment to a bright, sustainable future.”
“THE WORK TO CLEAN UP OUR WATERWAYS IS COMPLICATED BUT IMPORTANT. This funding will provide the much needed funding and leverage to change the course of history,” said David Frazer, a member of the Community Advisory Council. “As a small group who serves as the voice of the community in the process of cleaning up Milwaukee’s Area of Concern, we are looking forward to continuing to create and facilitate conversation between the community and the regulatory authorities in charge of completing this work, ensuring the community’s concerns and ideas are recognized and prioritized going forward.”
Learn more information about the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern.
Learn more information about the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
This long-awaited cleanup will greatly advance the environmental, community, and economic revitalization of Milwaukee-area communities and will help lead to the ultimate removal of the Milwaukee Estuary from the list of 25 remaining U.S. Areas of Concern (AOCs) — highly environmentally degraded areas found across the Great Lakes basin.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced this effort alongside U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at Discovery World, a science and technology museum on the shore of Lake Michigan. Administrator Regan and Senator Baldwin joined project partners, state and local officials, community leaders and students from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences for the event.
“President Biden’s historic Investments in America continue to boost our efforts to restore and protect our treasured waters and the communities of the Great Lakes basin,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today, we’re building on this progress to restore this economic engine with our partners in Wisconsin as we work to clean up the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern for good. Together, these investments will support cleanup of 610 Olympic-sized swimming pools of contaminated sediments from Milwaukee Harbor and the three rivers in the urban Milwaukee area.”
“Protecting the Great Lakes is not just an environmental goal for Wisconsin communities, it's an economic imperative for the Badger State. I've been proud to support the Great Lake Restoration Initiative, which has transformed our fight to protect and restore our greatest freshwater resources, accelerating cleanup efforts to reverse decades of legacy pollution,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin. “Today's funding announcement puts us on a path to expedite cleaning up the Milwaukee Estuary, ensuring that generations to come can reap the health, economic, and environmental benefits of a safer, more sustainable Lake Michigan watershed.”
“Every Wisconsinite deserves access to safe, clean drinking water, but for far too long communities that surround the Milwaukee Estuary have been impacted by water pollutants and dangerous contaminants,” said Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. “This groundbreaking $450 million investment from the Biden Administration will accelerate our efforts to remediate the Milwaukee Estuary so we can remove it from the list of Areas of Concern, revitalize the local economy, and ensure clean water for Milwaukee and the greater region.”
“With this important funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative - an effort I have long championed - President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is helping make Milwaukee a better place to live, work, and visit,” said Congresswoman Gwen Moore. “Nearly four decades after being designated as an Area of Concern, the EPA and local stakeholders can now move forward to permanently address this public health threat, protect Lake Michigan, and again allow Milwaukeeans and visitors to our city to enjoy these waters.”
The new project agreement reflects a partnership between EPA and five non-federal sponsors, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, We Energies, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the City of Milwaukee, and Milwaukee County Parks, to complete the cleanup of harbor and river sediments contaminated with PCBs, petroleum compounds, and heavy metals, including mercury, lead and chromium, in the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern. These five partners will contribute more than $170 million to implement the project — the largest non-federal sponsor contribution to a Great Lakes Legacy Act cleanup. EPA will contribute an estimated $275 million in funds from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to cover the approximately $450 million project, with final project cost estimates to be determined following the bidding and procurement process.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity to remove contamination that has gone unaddressed for more than 150 years,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager Debra Shore. “By cleaning and opening up this waterway, EPA and our partners will restore ecosystems, increase opportunities for recreation and community and economic revitalization.”
Many decades of industrial activity throughout this predominantly urbanized watershed have resulted in significant pollution accumulation in the Milwaukee Estuary AOC, especially in sediments found at the bottom of Milwaukee harbor and the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers. Addressing these contaminated sediments will lead to improved water quality, healthier fish and wildlife, and improved recreational opportunities, in addition to community revitalization.
In February 2022, President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan announced a $1 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to significantly accelerate cleanup and restoration of the Great Lakes. EPA projected that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, combined with funds from annual Great Lakes Restoration Initiative appropriations and funding from other sources will enable the agency and its partners to bring work to completion at 22 of the 25 remaining AOCs, with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding directly supporting 11 of these sites, including the Milwaukee Estuary AOC.
Here's what our partners are saying about this historic agreement:
“The State of Wisconsin is thrilled that all five project partners have signed the historic Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern (AOC) project agreement. To help address the extensive contamination in the area, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency, together with over 20 partner organizations, formed the Waterway Restoration Partnership. I am grateful for their collaboration and am encouraged that the historical investments by the partners will result in a cleaner environment for all future generations to enjoy in Milwaukee,” said Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Adam N. Payne.
“The City of Milwaukee is extremely proud to collaborate with our partners at the US EPA,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson. “The cooperation between Federal, State, and local partners is unprecedented and will lead to cleaner beaches, restored habitat, and contamination being removed from our waterways. The goal of swimmable and fishable waterways in our sights.”
“Milwaukee County Parks is excited to continue our successful GLLA partnership as we enter the next phases of this landmark clean-up effort,” said Guy Smith, Executive Director of Milwaukee County Parks. “Remediation will improve over 30 acres of floodplain and support the larger effort to restore habitat and delist the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern. This work will help ensure safe enjoyment of our waterways and parkland within the Milwaukee River Greenway, one the most loved and highly used recreational areas in the County!”
“Today’s announcement is historic and shows action by President Biden to protect public health, provide jobs, and help protect Lake Michigan,” said Kevin Shafer, Executive Director of Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. “Now that hard work begins by removing contaminated sediments, improving habitat, and making the Milwaukee region a safer, cleaner place to live. We owe many people our warmest and sincere gratitude for getting us this far. We will deliver!”
"We are pleased to support this historic effort to clean up the Milwaukee Estuary. Our work to remediate nearly 45,000 cubic yards of impacted sediment from the bottom of the Milwaukee River is an important first step in restoring our waterways,” said Liz Stueck-Mullane, WEC Energy Group Vice President. “This coalition is making a positive impact and our participation is a part of our commitment to a bright, sustainable future.”
“THE WORK TO CLEAN UP OUR WATERWAYS IS COMPLICATED BUT IMPORTANT. This funding will provide the much needed funding and leverage to change the course of history,” said David Frazer, a member of the Community Advisory Council. “As a small group who serves as the voice of the community in the process of cleaning up Milwaukee’s Area of Concern, we are looking forward to continuing to create and facilitate conversation between the community and the regulatory authorities in charge of completing this work, ensuring the community’s concerns and ideas are recognized and prioritized going forward.”
Learn more information about the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern.
Learn more information about the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Biden-Harris Administration Selects California Entities to Receive Over $1.5 Million in Pollution Prevention Grants to Advance Environmental Justice
SAN FRANCISCO - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the California Department of Public Health and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have been selected to receive a total of $1,576,636 in pollution prevention grants through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. EPA has selected these two entities to receive the funding, which was made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to develop and adopt practices that prevent pollution at the source in local communities.
“These grants will improve public health and reduce exposure to potentially harmful pollutants in disadvantaged communities across California,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “EPA is proud to support projects like these that prevent pollution at the source and advance environmental justice.”
Dr. Kevin Riley PhD, MPH, Director, UCLA Labor Occupational Safety & Health Program said: “Women of color who work in hair and nail salons face well documented increased health risks from exposure to harmful chemicals in the products they use. This project builds on existing Labor Occupational Safety & Health partnerships with two community-based organizations—the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative (CHNSC) and Black Women for Wellness (BWW)—to train workers and owners in California on chemical hazards in beauty products and to support the adoption of safer alternatives. We’re excited about the model of community-led pollution prevention and environmental stewardship that this project will help to promote, and we hope it can serve as a roadmap for other communities.”
Information on the grants:
California Department of Public Health ($776,636): The California Department of Public Health’s proposed project will provide technical assistance to 111 general aviation airports in California located in disadvantaged communities to support the transition from leaded aviation gasoline (avgas) to unleaded avgas. Technical assistance will include business roundtable discussions, training, and developing educational materials and case studies. The proposed project will improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities by reducing harmful lead emissions in communities where residents are exposed to excessive ozone levels, fine particulate matter, toxic releases, lead from housing, and other pollution sources identified through CalEnviroScreen.
The Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles ($800,000): The UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program will partner with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative and Black Women for Wellness to provide technical assistance to nail and hair salons to promote the adoption of safer products, P2, and overall environmental stewardship. Technical assistance will include outreach and training, environmental sampling, and pilot projects that track safer product use and impacts over time. The proposed project will improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities by lowering workers’ exposure to chemicals linked to chronic and acute illnesses, respiratory and skin issues, memory loss, cancer, and reproductive harm in California nail salons that are primarily owned and operated by Vietnamese migrants, and in hair salons that are primarily owned and operated by Black individuals.
The Environmental Justice in Communities grant program will provide pollution prevention technical assistance to businesses to improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities. The Environmental Justice Through Safer and More Sustainable Products grant program will assist businesses to increase the supply, demand, and use of safer and more sustainable products, such as those certified by EPA’s Safer Choice program, or that conform to EPA’s Recommendations for Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing.
EPA’s Pollution Prevention Grant Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Ensuring greater availability and use of safer and more sustainable products can reduce harmful chemical exposures and their human health and the environmental impacts in disadvantaged communities and create a more sustainable and accessible marketplace. These efforts will continue to benefit businesses and communities across the nation by capturing what works and what can be adjusted in other communities. Recipients will share successful practices that are new or not widely known, as well as lessons learned, so that future businesses and communities can continue to innovate.
EPA anticipates awarding the grants once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
Background:
The United States generates millions of tons of pollution each year and spends billions of dollars per year controlling this pollution. Once in our environment, this pollution harms human and environmental health, which disproportionally impacts underserved communities. Preventing pollution at the source, also known as P2 or source reduction, rather than managing waste after it is produced, is an important part of the solution landscape, and advances a sustainable infrastructure that supports local economies while better protecting public health and the environment. P2 practices can reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, conserve natural resources, and reduce cleanup and financial costs for businesses, particularly for waste management and environmental liability. Practicing P2 is essential for protecting public health and improving environmental conditions in and around disadvantaged communities that have long been overburdened by pollution.
Between 2011-2021, EPA’s Pollution Prevention program has issued nearly 500 grants totaling more than $50 million, which have helped businesses identify, develop and adopt P2 approaches. These approaches have resulted in eliminating 19.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, saving 49 billion gallons of water, reducing 917 million pounds of hazardous materials and pollutants, and saving more than $2.2 billion for business.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure is boosting these efforts by providing a historic $100 million to support the program’s continued efforts. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, state and Tribal programs that are awarded grants will not be required to provide matching funds, which has helped expand access to these resources and broadened the applicant pool.
Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on X.
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“These grants will improve public health and reduce exposure to potentially harmful pollutants in disadvantaged communities across California,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “EPA is proud to support projects like these that prevent pollution at the source and advance environmental justice.”
Dr. Kevin Riley PhD, MPH, Director, UCLA Labor Occupational Safety & Health Program said: “Women of color who work in hair and nail salons face well documented increased health risks from exposure to harmful chemicals in the products they use. This project builds on existing Labor Occupational Safety & Health partnerships with two community-based organizations—the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative (CHNSC) and Black Women for Wellness (BWW)—to train workers and owners in California on chemical hazards in beauty products and to support the adoption of safer alternatives. We’re excited about the model of community-led pollution prevention and environmental stewardship that this project will help to promote, and we hope it can serve as a roadmap for other communities.”
Information on the grants:
California Department of Public Health ($776,636): The California Department of Public Health’s proposed project will provide technical assistance to 111 general aviation airports in California located in disadvantaged communities to support the transition from leaded aviation gasoline (avgas) to unleaded avgas. Technical assistance will include business roundtable discussions, training, and developing educational materials and case studies. The proposed project will improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities by reducing harmful lead emissions in communities where residents are exposed to excessive ozone levels, fine particulate matter, toxic releases, lead from housing, and other pollution sources identified through CalEnviroScreen.
The Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles ($800,000): The UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program will partner with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative and Black Women for Wellness to provide technical assistance to nail and hair salons to promote the adoption of safer products, P2, and overall environmental stewardship. Technical assistance will include outreach and training, environmental sampling, and pilot projects that track safer product use and impacts over time. The proposed project will improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities by lowering workers’ exposure to chemicals linked to chronic and acute illnesses, respiratory and skin issues, memory loss, cancer, and reproductive harm in California nail salons that are primarily owned and operated by Vietnamese migrants, and in hair salons that are primarily owned and operated by Black individuals.
The Environmental Justice in Communities grant program will provide pollution prevention technical assistance to businesses to improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities. The Environmental Justice Through Safer and More Sustainable Products grant program will assist businesses to increase the supply, demand, and use of safer and more sustainable products, such as those certified by EPA’s Safer Choice program, or that conform to EPA’s Recommendations for Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing.
EPA’s Pollution Prevention Grant Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Ensuring greater availability and use of safer and more sustainable products can reduce harmful chemical exposures and their human health and the environmental impacts in disadvantaged communities and create a more sustainable and accessible marketplace. These efforts will continue to benefit businesses and communities across the nation by capturing what works and what can be adjusted in other communities. Recipients will share successful practices that are new or not widely known, as well as lessons learned, so that future businesses and communities can continue to innovate.
EPA anticipates awarding the grants once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
Background:
The United States generates millions of tons of pollution each year and spends billions of dollars per year controlling this pollution. Once in our environment, this pollution harms human and environmental health, which disproportionally impacts underserved communities. Preventing pollution at the source, also known as P2 or source reduction, rather than managing waste after it is produced, is an important part of the solution landscape, and advances a sustainable infrastructure that supports local economies while better protecting public health and the environment. P2 practices can reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, conserve natural resources, and reduce cleanup and financial costs for businesses, particularly for waste management and environmental liability. Practicing P2 is essential for protecting public health and improving environmental conditions in and around disadvantaged communities that have long been overburdened by pollution.
Between 2011-2021, EPA’s Pollution Prevention program has issued nearly 500 grants totaling more than $50 million, which have helped businesses identify, develop and adopt P2 approaches. These approaches have resulted in eliminating 19.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, saving 49 billion gallons of water, reducing 917 million pounds of hazardous materials and pollutants, and saving more than $2.2 billion for business.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure is boosting these efforts by providing a historic $100 million to support the program’s continued efforts. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, state and Tribal programs that are awarded grants will not be required to provide matching funds, which has helped expand access to these resources and broadened the applicant pool.
Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on X.
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EPA Visits Brownfields Job Training Site in Pittsburgh; Highlights Conservation Work
PITTSBURGH (October 12, 2023) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz visited the Beechview-Seldom Seen Greenway in Pittsburgh today to witness firsthand the work of Landforce, a land stewardship and workforce development organization.
EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz stands with Brownfields Job Training Grant Program graduates.Landforce is one of two Allegheny County organizations selected by EPA for funding under its fiscal year 2023 Brownfields Job Training Grant competition. EPA selected Landforce and Auberle to each receive approximately $500,000 to recruit, train, and retain local, skilled individuals. The recruitments will prioritize unemployed or under-employed adults who have faced barriers to stable, family- sustaining employment.
“The Brownfields Job Training Grant Program not only improves communities, it has the power to change lives,” said EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “Graduates develop the skills needed to secure full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental field - a win across the board.”
Established in 2015, Landforce has received a total of $700,000 from two EPA brownfield remediation and workforce development multi-year grants to recruit and train adults with barriers to employment, using a rigorously designed curriculum that covers both hard and soft skills, combined with actual employment stewarding Pittsburgh's degraded lands.
In the past eight years, Landforce has trained 147 people and brought 126 of them on as crew members. In addition to this year’s job training grant, they are also the recipient of a $149,336 Solid Waste Infrastructure Grant, which will allow them to divert 625 tons of urban wood waste annually from landfills.
“We’re grateful for federal investments from our partners at US EPA for helping us turn a vision into a reality. With these funds, not only can we continue our current programming - we can now expand to year-round opportunities. In addition to job training, our portfolio will now include the full life cycle management of trees, diverting wood waste from landfills, and giving fallen trees new life,” said Ilyssa Manspeizer, Ph.D. Executive Director, Landforce.
Based in McKeesport, Auberle plans to train 130 students and place at least 95 in environmental jobs amongst their 130 employing partners and 100 referral agencies through the region. The training program includes 115 hours of instruction in 40-Hour HAZWOPER, 32-Hour Asbestos, Lead Renovation and Repair, Confined Space Entry, OSHA-10, Bloodborne Pathogens, and CPR/ First Aid. Students who complete the training will earn up to one state and seven federal certifications. Auberle is targeting students within Allegheny County, specifically chronically underemployed, unemployed, and at-risk individuals.
“Auberle’s Brownfields Job Training Program changes lives by putting local people to work in places that have been impacted by industry, helping to revitalize their own communities while lifting themselves and their families out of poverty. We are grateful to the EPA for providing this impactful funding,” said Abby Wolensky, Auberle’s Director of the Employment Institute.
"Witnessing the EPA Brownfields Job Training Grants unfold at the Beechview-Seldom Seen Greenway is symbolic of the transformative, hands-on environmental and employment work occurring in Pittsburgh. Organizations like Landforce and Auberle are making our communities stronger and more resilient. They're cleaning up our environment and, at the same time, giving people who need jobs the training they need to get them. It's about taking care of our neighborhoods and each other at the same time. This is not only a revitalization of our lands, but a direct investment in our people, providing them not just with jobs, but with careers that uplift them, their families, and our communities. Together, we're fixing our environment and giving people good, strong job skills for the future. What we're doing now in Allegheny County and all over the region will make things better for our kids and grandkids, and I'm excited to help heal our environment and our neighbors at the same time," said U.S. Congresswoman Summer Lee.
Background:
President Biden’s leadership and bipartisan Congressional action have delivered the single-largest investment in U.S. brownfields infrastructure ever through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which invests more than $1.5 billion over five years through EPA’s highly successful Brownfields Program. The Brownfields Jobs Training Program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40 percent of the benefits of certain government programs to disadvantaged communities.
The EPA’s Brownfields Job Training (JT) grant program is a unique employment and training program. The grants allow nonprofit and other eligible organizations to recruit, train, and retain a local, skilled workforce by prioritizing unemployed and under-employed, including low-income individuals living in areas impacted by solid and hazardous waste in environmental jobs. Students learn the skills and credentials needed to secure full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental field, including brownfields assessment and cleanup. These jobs reduce environmental contamination and build more sustainable futures for communities. Communities have the flexibility to deliver eligible training that meets the local labor market demands of the environmental sector in their communities.
Since 1998, EPA has awarded 400 job training grants. With these grants, more than 20,600 individuals have completed training and over 15,300 individuals have been placed in careers related to land remediation and environmental health and safety.
Learn more on EPA’s Brownfields Program.
EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz stands with Brownfields Job Training Grant Program graduates.
EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz stands with Brownfields Job Training Grant Program graduates.Landforce is one of two Allegheny County organizations selected by EPA for funding under its fiscal year 2023 Brownfields Job Training Grant competition. EPA selected Landforce and Auberle to each receive approximately $500,000 to recruit, train, and retain local, skilled individuals. The recruitments will prioritize unemployed or under-employed adults who have faced barriers to stable, family- sustaining employment.
“The Brownfields Job Training Grant Program not only improves communities, it has the power to change lives,” said EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “Graduates develop the skills needed to secure full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental field - a win across the board.”
Established in 2015, Landforce has received a total of $700,000 from two EPA brownfield remediation and workforce development multi-year grants to recruit and train adults with barriers to employment, using a rigorously designed curriculum that covers both hard and soft skills, combined with actual employment stewarding Pittsburgh's degraded lands.
In the past eight years, Landforce has trained 147 people and brought 126 of them on as crew members. In addition to this year’s job training grant, they are also the recipient of a $149,336 Solid Waste Infrastructure Grant, which will allow them to divert 625 tons of urban wood waste annually from landfills.
“We’re grateful for federal investments from our partners at US EPA for helping us turn a vision into a reality. With these funds, not only can we continue our current programming - we can now expand to year-round opportunities. In addition to job training, our portfolio will now include the full life cycle management of trees, diverting wood waste from landfills, and giving fallen trees new life,” said Ilyssa Manspeizer, Ph.D. Executive Director, Landforce.
Based in McKeesport, Auberle plans to train 130 students and place at least 95 in environmental jobs amongst their 130 employing partners and 100 referral agencies through the region. The training program includes 115 hours of instruction in 40-Hour HAZWOPER, 32-Hour Asbestos, Lead Renovation and Repair, Confined Space Entry, OSHA-10, Bloodborne Pathogens, and CPR/ First Aid. Students who complete the training will earn up to one state and seven federal certifications. Auberle is targeting students within Allegheny County, specifically chronically underemployed, unemployed, and at-risk individuals.
“Auberle’s Brownfields Job Training Program changes lives by putting local people to work in places that have been impacted by industry, helping to revitalize their own communities while lifting themselves and their families out of poverty. We are grateful to the EPA for providing this impactful funding,” said Abby Wolensky, Auberle’s Director of the Employment Institute.
"Witnessing the EPA Brownfields Job Training Grants unfold at the Beechview-Seldom Seen Greenway is symbolic of the transformative, hands-on environmental and employment work occurring in Pittsburgh. Organizations like Landforce and Auberle are making our communities stronger and more resilient. They're cleaning up our environment and, at the same time, giving people who need jobs the training they need to get them. It's about taking care of our neighborhoods and each other at the same time. This is not only a revitalization of our lands, but a direct investment in our people, providing them not just with jobs, but with careers that uplift them, their families, and our communities. Together, we're fixing our environment and giving people good, strong job skills for the future. What we're doing now in Allegheny County and all over the region will make things better for our kids and grandkids, and I'm excited to help heal our environment and our neighbors at the same time," said U.S. Congresswoman Summer Lee.
Background:
President Biden’s leadership and bipartisan Congressional action have delivered the single-largest investment in U.S. brownfields infrastructure ever through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which invests more than $1.5 billion over five years through EPA’s highly successful Brownfields Program. The Brownfields Jobs Training Program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40 percent of the benefits of certain government programs to disadvantaged communities.
The EPA’s Brownfields Job Training (JT) grant program is a unique employment and training program. The grants allow nonprofit and other eligible organizations to recruit, train, and retain a local, skilled workforce by prioritizing unemployed and under-employed, including low-income individuals living in areas impacted by solid and hazardous waste in environmental jobs. Students learn the skills and credentials needed to secure full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental field, including brownfields assessment and cleanup. These jobs reduce environmental contamination and build more sustainable futures for communities. Communities have the flexibility to deliver eligible training that meets the local labor market demands of the environmental sector in their communities.
Since 1998, EPA has awarded 400 job training grants. With these grants, more than 20,600 individuals have completed training and over 15,300 individuals have been placed in careers related to land remediation and environmental health and safety.
Learn more on EPA’s Brownfields Program.
EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz stands with Brownfields Job Training Grant Program graduates.
India-US Indamex 2 service drops Norfolk call as demand pressure persists
Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM jointly opened the IN2 in September 2021 as a complementary loop to their sought-after Indamex service to capitalize on pandemic-linked demand swings.