EPA funds Massachusetts youth environmental job skills initiative

Using a $5,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) hosted four youths in a summertime job skills program at the Lowell, Massachusetts Regional Wastewater Utility.

"EPA is very gratified to work so closely for so long with NEIWPCC, the Lowell Regional Wastewater Utility and the Career Center of Lowell to make this summer job program available for economically disadvantaged youth," Regional Administrator of EPA's New England Office Curt Spalding said. "This innovative program helps introduce young people to a possible career path that is also a great benefit to their local community."

This year marked the program’s 25th anniversary, as it began providing exposure to environmental careers to inner city youth in 1990. Throughout the program, four young people from Lowell were able to rotate through different stations at the utility, including laboratory, pretreatment, maintenance and process control, amongst others. They also worked on a project to create a floating wetland system and took field trips to learn more about science, water quality and wetland systems. Through the program, they learned about environmental hazard, water quality monitoring and how the utility minimizes threats to public health.