EPA Regional Administrator Celebrates Brownfields Job Training Graduates in Rochester, N.Y.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Michael Martucci joined Rochester Mayor Malik Evans and other city officials Monday evening to celebrate the latest class of graduates from the EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Program. Sixteen graduates received diplomas and met with potential employers at the ceremony, marking a new chapter in their careers through a program boasting a 100% job placement rate.

Students from the Cornerstone Training Institute graduating from the Brownfields Program in Rochester, NY. 

The event recognized the accomplishments of 16 Rochester residents who completed the intensive 2025 Rochester’s Environmental Job (REJob 3.0) Training Program. The tuition-free, multi-partner initiative connects dislocated workers and unemployed individuals with long-term, sustainable careers in construction and environmental remediation.

"These graduates are proof that environmental cleanup and economic opportunity go hand in hand," Martucci said. "Through this Brownfields job training program, Rochester is preparing residents for good-paying, skilled careers that will build a stronger, healthier community for the future."

Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., praised the program’s impact on the local economy.

"Rochester's Environmental Job Training Program is not only opening doors to good-paying, sustainable careers—it’s revitalizing our neighborhoods and strengthening our local economy," Morelle said. "I'm proud to support this program and the hardworking individuals who are helping build a cleaner, more resilient Rochester."

Mayor Evans also emphasized the program’s success and significance.

“We are proud that REJob is recognized by the EPA as one of the most successful brownfield job training programs in the country,” Evans said. “Together, we are creating opportunities for citizens to obtain the skills they need for good-paying jobs in a growing industry while also addressing contaminated properties in our neighborhoods for future investment.”

Brownfields job training grants allow nonprofits, local governments and other organizations to recruit, train and place unemployed and underemployed residents of areas affected by brownfield sites. Participants gain skills to secure full-time employment in hazardous and solid waste management, sustainable site cleanup and reuse, and chemical safety — contributing to reduced environmental contamination and more sustainable community development.

Since 1998, the EPA has awarded 371 Brownfields job training grants, resulting in the placement of more than 15,000 individuals into careers related to land remediation and environmental health and safety.

For more information on Brownfields job training grant recipients, visit the Brownfields Grant Fact Sheet Search page.

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