Kaptur: Ohio Union Receives $336,157 for National Hazardous Material Training

July 19, 2016

Washington, DC — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) today announced that the Akron-based International Chemical Workers Union Council will receive $336,157 to train “instructors to conduct hazardous materials response training programs for individuals with statutory responsibility to respond to hazardous materials accidents and incidents.” The funds are from the Department of Transportation under a competitive grant program.

“We should be grateful for the work of the International Chemical Workers Union Council/UFCW in effectively training those who will be the first to respond to chemical spills and other tragic incidents involving hazardous materials,” Kaptur said. “They too are first responders on a regular, if not daily basis, and their work is often overlooked. They protect us, in unheralded and modest ways, and this grant is credit to their dedication to protect the rest of us in the case of an accident or chemical spill.”

Frank Cyphers, the President of the International Chemical Workers Union Council/UFCW added: “We’re pleased to continue to train our members and members of the United Auto Workers and the American Federation of Government Employees who handle a range of dangerous materials that are regulated by the Department of Transportation. This grant develops these members to become worker trainers who in turn train workers on how to work safely and ensure that their employers have the appropriate controls in place. This is a cost effective measure to build the resources within their companies of staff who understand directly the hazards of their jobs.”

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is an agency within the Department of Transportation and is authorized to award up to $4 million this fiscal year on a competitive basis. These funds support a national training program.

Background from the Department of Transportation:

PHMSA is awarding $3,706,538 in Hazardous Materials Instructor Training (HMIT) and Supplemental Public Sector Training (SPST) grants.
The HMIT Grant Program was created under P.L. 109-59, August 10, 2005 and PHMSA is authorized to obligate up to $4 million in FY 2016 for program purposes (See 49 U.S.C. §§ 5107(e) and 5128(c)). HMIT is a competitive program whereby Grantees use funds to train instructors who then train private-sector hazardous materials (hazmat) employees. OHMS awards funds through a competitive process to nonprofit organizations that demonstrate: 1) expertise in conducting training programs for hazmat employees and 2) the ability to reach and involve in a training program a target population of hazmat employees.
The SPST Grant Program was created under P.L. 103–311, August 26, 1994 and PHMSA is authorized to obligate up to $1 million in FY 2016 for program purposes (See 49 U.S.C. §§ 5116(i) and 5128(b)(4)). SPST grant funding is provided to national nonprofit fire service organizations for the purpose of training instructors to conduct hazardous materials response training programs for individuals with statutory responsibility to respond to hazardous materials accidents and incidents. Since FY 2000, PHMSA has provided SPST grants to increase the number of hazmat training instructors available to conduct training programs for local responders.
Well-trained first responders play a critical role in any hazardous materials incident. The train-the-trainer grants are a force multiplier in getting more local first responders and employees prepared for when hazmat transportation incidents happen.
Hazardous Materials Instructor Training grants fund the training of instructors who then train private-sector hazardous materials employees. HMIT grants are open to non-profit hazmat employee organizations demonstrating expertise in conducting train-the-trainer programs for employees. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) authorized DOT/PHMSA to offer the grant to all non-profit organizations that demonstrate expertise in conducting a training program for hazmat employees and the ability to reach and involve, in a training program, a target population for hazmat employees. Prior to MAP-21 the grants were only open to a total of four recipients. Four million dollars per year is available for the HMIT program.
PHMSA’s Supplemental Public Sector Training grant funds national nonprofit fire service organizations to train instructors to conduct hazardous materials response training programs for local responders. The grants aids national non-profit organizations in training instructors to conduct hazardous materials response training programs for individuals with a statutory responsibility to respond to hazardous materials accidents and incidents. The SPST grant award amounts prior to 2009 were $250,000; award amounts thereafter were increased to one million dollars.

Kaptur is a senior member the House Appropriations Committee that funds and has oversight responsibilities for the Department of Transportation.

For more information:

The Department of Transportation press release: https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/dot-announces-over-3-7m-in-instructor-and-public-sector-hazardous-materials-safety-training-grants

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration: https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/grants-program

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