To the uninitiated, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Program provides grants and technical assistance to states and communities across the country to safely assess, clean up and sustainably reuse contaminated properties.
For the better part of 15 years, Nye County has been actively involved in the Brownfields program, where the entity has received major grant awards, while assessing and mitigating more than 25 area properties, returning them to beneficial use.
Long-distance training
Recently, county staff and individuals from NyE Communities Coalition attended the national Brownfields Training Conference in Alexandria, Virginia, where Workforce Director Tammi Odegard said 2014 Brownfields graduate Wendy Stanfill was also invited to provide remarks on the program.
Stanfill is presently Nye County’s building and fire inspector.
“Nye County was commended for the comprehensiveness of the Brownfields Training Program and for helping with the overall employability with its graduates,” Odegard said. “Our Brownfields graduates are being recruited to help with the cleanup efforts in Texas, following Hurricane Harvey. The graduates have all of the certifications necessary to work for the contractors in that area and we are preparing to mobilize the graduates who are able to travel out of state to work.”
Proper prerequisites
The requirements to apply for the training program are relatively simple, Odegard said.
Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED, be at least 18 years old, and possess the commitment and ability to pass a drug test, including marijuana, to complete the five-week course.
Successful graduates will receive 16 certificates in various fields from asbestos abatement, to areas such as Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, to CPR/First Aid, Solid Waste/Biohazard Management Disposal, Lead-Based Paint Abatement, Electrical Hazard Awareness and other similar fields.
Accelerated hiring process
Odegard noted that local employers involved in the recruitment and selection process have also hired graduates of the program.
As stated on its website, Nye County has set the standard for the redevelopment of rural Brownfield sites by exploring innovative funding and technical assistance approaches to successfully complete the various projects.
“The county sponsored and worked through a collaborative process to develop state legislation that addresses former methamphetamine lab cleanup measures in Nevada,” the site noted. “The county has successfully attracted numerous renewable energy developers to redevelop former Brownfield properties as renewable energy generation sites.”
Moreover, the site noted that the county routinely works with community partners, including Great Basin College, Valley Electric Association, NV Energy, and the Rural Nevada Development Corporation, among others, to promote job-skills training for residents so that as many jobs as possible that are generated by the Brownfields program remain in Nye County.
Solid funding
Earlier this year, Nye County and the Northern Nevada Development Authority received a combined $1.2 million in grants, which are part of a total of $56.8 million awarded nationally to 172 recipients to assess and clean up contaminated properties.
Nye County will receive $600,000 in federal grant funds for Brownfield site revitalization and redevelopment of vacant and unused properties.
Win-win situation
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the agency’s assessment and cleanup grants target communities that are economically disadvantaged and include places where environmental cleanup and new jobs are most needed.
“These grants leverage considerable infrastructure and other investments, improving local economies and creating an environment where jobs can grow,” Pruitt said. “I am very pleased the president’s budget recognizes the importance of these grants by providing continued funding for this important program.”
As Nye County is a member of the Rural Desert Southwest Brownfields Coalition, the county will also use the EPA’s $600,000 allotment to spur economic redevelopment and support renewable energy and food security within a geographic area of over 55,000 square miles.
The redevelopment and reuse of the Brownfield properties will create jobs, increase local tax revenue and diversify the economy, the release stated.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes