EPA to Hold Information Sessions Regarding Free Job Training

EPA to Hold Information Sessions Regarding Free Job Training

Contact: EPA Region 4 Press Office - (404) 562-8400, [email protected]

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (June 3, 2026) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a series of information sessions from June 10 through June 25 regarding free job training for Chattanooga residents interested in careers in environmental cleanup.

The Superfund Job Training Initiative (Super JTI) trains residents for environmental jobs. Participants may earn certifications, including 40-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER), lead worker, CPR/First Aid and OSHA 10-hour construction safety. Residents who are interested in this free job training must attend one hour-long, in-person information session.

WHEN: 

June 10, 11, 16, 17, 24 and 25, 2026

10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. ET

WHERE:

Chattanooga Public Library, Downtown Branch

1001 Broad St.

Chattanooga, TN 37402

Background: 

Super JTI is a national job readiness program that provides free job training and employment opportunities to people living in communities affected by Superfund sites. EPA's goal is to support communities in developing job opportunities that remain long after a Superfund site has been cleaned up.

The Southside Chattanooga Lead Superfund Site in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, consists of residential neighborhoods and non-residential communal areas, including parks, schools, playgrounds, and childcare centers, where soil has been contaminated by lead-bearing foundry material.

In 2011, EPA was contacted by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Exit EPA's websiteregarding a Chattanooga resident reported to have an elevated blood lead level. EPA and TDEC initiated a soil study to determine whether further evaluation and cleanup were necessary.

Extensive soil sampling detected contamination, leading EPA to add the site to the National Priorities List in 2018. As of June 2026, EPA sampled over 4,200 properties and cleaned up over 1,200 properties in eight neighborhoods: Alton Park, Cowart Place, East Lake, Highland Park, Jefferson Heights, Oak Grove, Southside Gardens and Richmond. EPA continues to sample and clean up properties. 

Learn more about the Southside Chattanooga Lead Superfund Site.