(AGENPARL) – Tue 10 February 2026 EPA Selects Two Louisiana Organizations for Brownfields Job Training Grants to Boost State’s Economy and Clean Up Communities
DALLAS, TEXAS (February 10, 2026) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the selection of Southern University at Shreveport and Limitless Vistas Inc. of New Orleans to receive a total of $1,000,000 in Brownfields Job Training Grant funding. This funding will help recruit, train, and place workers for community revitalization and cleanup projects at Brownfield sites. EPA’s Brownfields Program helps grow local economies and support efforts to assess and clean up contaminated sites and return blighted properties to productive use.
“These grants reflect our dedication to improving quality of life for American families by achieving both the environmental stewardship and economic vitality that help Power the Great American Comeback,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Land and Emergency Management John W. Busterud. “These grants lift up communities by giving local people the tools they need to shape their own future. They help neighborhoods clean up and transform contaminated sites into places that support jobs, small businesses, and more. Together with our state and local partners, we are building lasting opportunities close to home.”
“With funding from EPA’s Brownfields program, the Southern University and Limitless Vistas job training programs show how we can power the economy and job growth by cleaning up contaminated sites,” said Regional Administrator Scott Mason. “Leveraging this funding is an investment that will create compounding dividends for the students, the community, and the environment.”
EPA has selected Limitless Vistas, Inc. for a $500,000 Brownfields Job Training Grant. Limitless Vistas, Inc. plans to train 160 students and place 60 in environmental jobs. The training program includes 158 hours of instructional training, as detailed in the chart below. Students who complete the training will earn up to three federal certifications. Limitless Vistas, Inc. is targeting unemployed or underemployed individuals aged 18-plus with a focus on veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals, and opportunity youth not currently in school from the Greater New Orleans Area.
EPA has selected Southern University at Shreveport for a $500,000 Brownfields Job Training Grant. The Southern University at Shreveport plans to train 54 students and place 51 in environmental jobs. The training program includes 410 hours of instructional training, as detailed in the chart below. Students who complete the training will earn up to three state and 11 federal certifications. Southern University at Shreveport is targeting ex-offenders, veterans, and unemployed or underemployed individuals who have dropped out of high school, as well as residents of at-risk, polluted neighborhoods who meet established program eligibility criteria. The program will serve individuals living in the Allendale, Ledbetter Heights, Lakeside, Cedar Grove, Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK), and Queensborough neighborhoods of Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana.
Limitless Vistas, Inc. and the Southern University at Shreveport job training grants will provide opportunities to help train and grow the skilled workforce in communities where Brownfield site assessment, cleanup, and preparation for reuse activities are underway. Participants often overcome various employment barriers and graduate with certifications that enhance their marketability, ensuring long-term environmental careers. Certifications include:
· Lead and asbestos abatement;
· Hazardous waste operations and emergency response; 
· Mold remediation;
· Environmental sampling and analysis; and
· Other environmental health and safety training. 
Background
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Environmental Protection Agency, 1201 Elm Street, Suite 500, Dallas, TX 75270 United States