Resources for Revitalization

EPA’s FY2025 Job Training Grant is anticipated to open soon!

These grants provide funding to nonprofits, units of government, and other eligible entities to recruit and train local community members and place graduates into employment. The purpose of the grant is to provide training that supports secure, full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental field and prioritizes unemployed and underemployed community members living in areas impacted by environmental contamination.

All trainings supported by the program must relate to facilitating the inventory of brownfields sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfields sites, community involvement, or site preparation. The Requests for Applications is expected to be open for 90 days.

Read the fact sheet and review these important updates from EPA to prepare for the Job Training Grant solicitations.

Need more support? Schedule a meeting with CCLR and send us your Job Training Grant application. We’ll review it and provide feedback on how you can make it more responsive, impactful, competitive. 

On CCLR's Blog:

Mycoremediation Successes in Los Angeles

Plants and fungi are proving to be effective, fast, and affordable methods to remove contamination from soil. CCLR Brownfield Revitalization Specialist Sebastian Harrison teamed up with biological remediation expert Danielle Stevenson, PhD and Environmental Scientist at the University of California in Riverside to provide an update on Stevenson’s research on mycoremediation on brownfields. Read about it in their article Functional Fungi: How Mycelium Can Help Remove Soil Contamination

Success Stories: Brownfields to Affordable Housing

May is National Affordable Housing Month. The US lacks more than 7 million affordable housing units, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. This problem is worse on the west coast, with California suffering the greatest disparity of affordable housing availability.

As CCLR Brownfield Revitalization Specialist Jim Bergdoll, AICP writes, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)’s Equitable Community Revitalization Grant (ECRG) is helping to bridge the gap. Read his article on brownfield affordable housing success stories from the golden state.

Arizona Workshops: Building Community on Brownfields

CCLR and EPA Region 9 hosted three brownfields workshops in April April 23-25. These workshops took us to Willcox, Phoenix and Flagstaff where we trained over 100 new and returning brownfields practitioners on available grants, AZ brownfields success stories, and best practices. We also had a little fun, hosting giveaways of locally-grown pistachios and prickly pear treats for attendees, and enjoying tours of local brownfields success stories. Read the article

CCLR Senior Program Associate Devyn Rainwater attends North Richmond Earth Day with Greenbelt Alliance!

The Greenbelt Alliance partnered with local and regional organizations in North Richmond to host an Earth Day event in celebration of the urban greening project at Shields-Reid Park.

Park-goers browsed booths full of information on local services, provided their input on the design of future park features, poured over site plans, and gathered in a tent to hear from local government leader John Steere, who was named Greenbelt Alliance’s 2023 Hidden Hero.



CCLR’s Devyn Rainwater soaked in the excellent display of community activation and shared information on CCLR’s Technical Assistance services to local nonprofits and community groups with brownfield redevelopment goals.

Do you have a brownfields success story you'd like CCLR to feature in an upcoming newsletter? Email details to AnnaMaria.Camardo@cclr.org

UPCOMING CCLR WEBINARS!

You might be familiar with mushrooms on a tree stump or your pizza, but did you know mushrooms can be used for pollution cleanup? As nature’s decomposers, this is the job fungi were made for! Join CCLR Revitalization Specialist Sebastian Harrison and mycoremediation expert Danielle Stevenson, PhD as they discuss innovative approaches to brownfield site clean-up, the crucial role fungi can play in healing our soils, and Danielle’s groundbreaking research undertaking phyto-mycoremediation studies at three brownfields across the LA area. 

This webinar is for Brownfields cooperative agreement recipients (CAR) and FY24 EPA Brownfields Grants applicants seeking clarity on how to effectively develop and/or modify a Work Plan for your project. CCLR will delve into the essential components of crafting a comprehensive Work Plan that aligns with EPA guidelines and maximizes the impact of your grant. Learn why Work Plans are crucial, how to tailor them to your unique needs, and why they serve as dynamic documents meant to evolve alongside your project. This webinar is excellent for those who have never created a Work Plan before, or those seeking a refresher/support on the process.

EVENTS

TAG Lunch and Learns

Applications for California's Department of Toxic Substances Control’s (DTSC) new Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) program are now open! The TAG program provides vulnerable CA communities with grants up to $150,000 to become active participants, leaders, and advocates in the investigation and cleanup of contaminated sites that affect them. 

SDSU’S Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice, the Environmental Protection Network and CCLR are hosting two short interactive sessions to introduce you to this new grant opportunity. 

Wednesday, May 8th at 12:00 p.m. PT

Part 1: Introducing DTSC’s New Technical Assistance Grant Program!

Wednesday, May 22nd at 12:00 p.m. PT

Part 2: Building a TAG Budget

Kansas State University TAB: EPA Job Training Grant Webinar

Thu, May 23 2024, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. CDT

Join Kansas State University TAB for a Job Training webinar on May 23rd! This is an excellent opportunity to hear about how vocational training and other educational organizations can operate Brownfields Job Training Programs to recruit and train unemployed and underemployed individuals with the skills needed to secure long-term employment in the environmental field. Register now!

2024 California Land Recycling Conference:

From the Ground Up

Register today to take advantage of early bird pricing!

The 5th California Land Recycling Conference will be the Southwest's most comprehensive brownfields training event of the year! CALRC will spotlight the passion driving redevelopment projects, showcase the partnerships created, and help practitioners gain valuable insights into available funding opportunities that support these transformative programs.

EPA ACRES Training for Brownfields Grantees, May 14, 2:00 p.m. ET. Learn more.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES