EPA Regional Chief Honors Brownfields Job Training Graduates in Rochester

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Michael Martucci joined Rochester Mayor Malik Evans and other city leaders Monday evening to celebrate the newest graduates of the EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Program. Sixteen individuals received diplomas and connected with potential employers during the ceremony, marking the beginning of their careers through a program that boasts a 100% job placement rate.

The ceremony honored the achievements of 16 Rochester residents who completed the intensive 2025 Rochester Environmental Job (REJob 3.0) Training Program. This tuition-free initiative, backed by multiple partners, links dislocated and unemployed workers to sustainable, long-term careers in construction and environmental remediation.

"These graduates are living proof that environmental restoration and economic opportunity go hand in hand," said Martucci. "Through the Brownfields program, Rochester is equipping its residents with the skills for well-paying, skilled jobs that will help build a stronger, healthier community."

Congressman Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) highlighted the program's positive impact on the local economy.

"Rochester’s Environmental Job Training Program is not just creating pathways to stable, good-paying careers—it’s helping to revitalize our neighborhoods and fuel our economic growth," Morelle said. "I’m proud to support these efforts and the hardworking individuals shaping a cleaner, stronger Rochester."

Mayor Evans also praised the program’s ongoing success.

“We are proud that REJob is recognized by the EPA as one of the most successful brownfield job training programs nationwide,” Evans said. “This initiative is helping our citizens gain valuable skills for growing industries while turning once-contaminated properties into assets ready for future investment."

The EPA’s Brownfields job training grants empower nonprofits, local governments, and other organizations to recruit, train, and place unemployed and underemployed residents from areas affected by brownfield sites. Participants develop expertise in fields like hazardous and solid waste management, sustainable site cleanup and reuse, and chemical safety—playing a vital role in reducing environmental contamination and promoting sustainable community redevelopment.

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

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