News Releases from Region 09

EPA awards nearly $200,000 to Fresno, Calif., for environmental job training

SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a $192,300 environmental workforce development grant to the Fresno Area Workforce Investment Corporation. Fresno will use the federal grant to train 70 students and place at least 60 graduates in local environmental jobs including recycling and solid waste management, hazardous waste cleanup, wastewater treatment, and environmentally safe pest control.

"We're pleased to see Fresno is helping community members gain the skills and experience needed for good-paying, green jobs that help protect our environment," said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA's Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. "EPA is proud to provide this support for Fresno."

Fresno's environmental job training program will focus on unemployed and underemployed residents of Fresno County, with an emphasis on at-risk youth, veterans, and disadvantaged job seekers with barriers to training and employment. Students will receive 40-hour HAZWOPER training and choose from among three tracks in solid waste management or cleanup, wastewater treatment certification and integrated pest control advisor. Graduates will earn state-recognized certificates or licenses, including UCLA's recycling and solid waste management certificate, California wastewater treatment certificate, or California pest control advisor license.

EPA has also invested over $1.3 million in grants to help Fresno clean up and redevelop contaminated properties - also known as brownfields. In 2012 Fresno was selected under the White House's Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative. Through this federal interagency collaboration, EPA took the lead in Fresno to increase the capacity of city government to implement plans for economic growth and revitalization. The benefits of this federal investment can be seen today through these increased grant awards.

EPA's Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grants are provided to nonprofit organizations and other eligible entities to recruit, train, and place residents from pollution-impacted communities, including low-income and minority, unemployed, and underemployed individuals. EPA has funded 239 job training grants totaling over $49 million through the job training program. More than 13,800 students have completed training and more than 10,000 have obtained employment in the environmental field.

More information on EPA's Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Program: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/job.htm

More information on the Fresno Area Workforce Investment Corporation: http://www.workforce-connection.com/index.cfm?pg=index

More information on the Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative in Fresno: http://www2.epa.gov/sanjoaquinvalley/fresno-strong-cities-strong-communities-initiative