Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

Montclair State University received a $500,000 Cooperative Agreement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 under the Brownfields Job Training Cooperative Agreements program (CFDA 66.815), effective March 1, 2026, through February 28, 2030. Funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the award supports workforce development services designed to recruit, train, and place unemployed and underemployed residents from Essex and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, into environmental remediation careers. The university will deliver comprehensive technical training and certification programs including OSHA courses, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) 40-hour certification, asbestos and lead abatement training, and specialized courses in environmental health and safety, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for environmental technology, blueprint reading, brownfield remediation, and ASTM Phase I/II environmental site assessments.

Beyond mandatory technical certifications, the project incorporates professional development instruction in soft skills, including interview preparation, resume building, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution, with curriculum tailored to New Jersey-specific environmental laws and regulations. The university will track and report interim progress and final accomplishments through EPA's Assessment, Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES). No subrecipient awards are included in this assistance agreement.