New York Construction Report staff writer
Four organizations including the City of Rochester will share a $500,000 grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Job Training Program to clean up and transform blighted brownfield sites in the city. The federal grant is the single-largest investment in brownfields infrastructure under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Rochester will establish a new brownfields environmental skills training program that would build upon the success of its Rochester Environmental Job (REJob) program.
“This federal grant is an important investment for the City of Rochester and its residents,” said Mayor Malik Evans. “I am extremely grateful to the EPA for helping us pursue our goals of creating a greener and more sustainable Rochester and working toward environmental justice.
“Cleaning up brownfields in our community for future investment and supplying the environment-construction field with a trained workforce will greatly enhance our efforts to create a safe, equitable and prosperous Rochester, and to provide city residents with employment opportunities.”
The new training program will train up to 100 participants and place 80 percent in environmental remediation careers. Training includes OSHA’s 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, Asbestos Handler/Worker Certification, Air Monitor/ Asbestos Project Monitor Certification, OSHA’s 10-hour Construction Site Safety, and Construction Inspection. Students who complete the program will earn up to one state and three federal certificates.
Rochester has received four grants under the EPA Brownfields Job Training program to-date, totaling $1.1 million in funding.
