On April 2nd, IUPAT DC 57 hosted a press conference at the Carnegie hall and training center to announce Pennsylvania DEP’s $475 million RISE PA Community Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) application to the EPA. The grant proposal seeks to decarbonize Pennsylvania’s heavy industry, one of the traditionally harder industries in which to reduce carbon emissions. Because the Shapiro administration took care to involve labor from the early stages of the grant process, there will be fair labor bonuses, prevailing wage, and apprenticeship standards attached to all projects under this grant should the Commonwealth receive the money from the EPA.

Speakers at the presser included Acting Interim DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley, Dr. Brian Regli from the Shapiro administration, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, Ohio River Valley Institute’s executive director Joanne Kilgour, environmental activist Vanessa Lynch, and DC 57’s Director of Training Brian Herbinko. As many noted, this proposal is a common sense approach that helps business, the environment, and labor. While labor and environmental groups don’t always see eye to eye, this proposal, which would put our members to work on energy efficiency measures without restricting current energy production facilities, gives us an unprecedented opportunity to work together to make our communities cleaner and more equitable. Stay tuned for award announcements this summer!