The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is continuing in their efforts to improve environmental conditions in the country, this time setting their sights on brownfields sites. The agency has committed $2.5 million to 13 communities in 10 states for environmental job training as part of their Brownfields Initiative. The job training includes environmental assessment and job cleanup skills and is aimed toward people living in low-income areas. The agency hopes to turn the contaminated properties into functional spaces that can once again be utlitized by surrounding communities. The targeted brownfields sites are in Alabama, California, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Nevada, Oklahoma, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.

"Through brownfields job training grants, EPA is literally putting both people and property back to work," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "By teaching people the skills to revitalize their own neighborhoods, EPA is improving lives and livelihoods in communities across the nation."

The EPA has granted over $23 million to brownfields job training funds over the past decade, and seen more than 4,000 individuals complete the training programs. Over 2,500 of those people went on to land jobs in environmental fields. The program strives to ensure the training benefits remain in the affected communities.

» U.S. Environmental Protection Agency