The TMC Department of Energy Grant Program: Looking ahead at 2025

Tony Mazzocchi Center (TMC) worker-trainers continue to play a critical role in ensuring safe and effective cleanup operations at Department of Energy (DOE) sites across the nation. With the support of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) via DOE grants, and grants from DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM), TMC worker-trainers are providing invaluable education and training to workers involved in the cleanup of hazardous and radioactive materials across the DOE complex. TMC health and safety training in the atomic sector is essential for protecting workers, the environment and surrounding communities.

Currently, the TMC has established training programs at five DOE sites across the complex, including: 

1. Hanford Site in Hanford, Wash.
2. Idaho National Laboratories (INL) in Idaho Falls, Idaho 
3. Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS) in Erwin, Tenn.
4. Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) in Paducah, Ky.
5. Portsmouth Site in Piketon, Ohio

Since 2017, the TMC has substantially expanded its training to meet the needs of specific DOE sites. Below are 2025 updates on the TMC’s DOE grant program, focused on training and supporting the cleanup workers across the industry.

Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Refresher

In the fall of 2024, the TMC finalized new curriculum for the HAZWOPER Refresher training which is facilitated at all five of the DOE sites listed above. In this edition, revisions were focused on more interactive, hands-on activities. The TMC believes that engaging, hands-on activities ensure that workers are retaining essential information and can apply this knowledge on the job. The new HAZWOPER Refresher curriculum was rolled out at the sites at the beginning of 2025. This year, the TMC is facilitating about 20 HAZWOPER Refresher classes per month across the complex.

HAZWOPER 40-Hour

In the summer of 2024, the 40-hour HAZWOPER curriculum was updated. It includes current information and scenarios that illustrate key concepts in each of the modules. New electives in the curriculum were added in response to input from worker-trainers at the site. This new curriculum is being rolled out at the PGDP and Portsmouth Sites.

Industrial Hygiene Technician Program

In the fall of 2024 at the Portsmouth Site, the TMC rolled out a new IHT program under the DOE EM grant program. This program was developed in response to a shortage of IHTs at the site and is designed to qualify students to work as IHTs for DOE. This was a 240-hour program. On March 31, 2025, 20 students will graduate from the IHT program.

Radiological Control Technician Program

This upcoming April, a new cohort of students will start in the RCT program at the Portsmouth Site. This will be the fifth RCT program facilitated at the site. This is a 240-hour program designed to qualify students to work as junior RCTs for DOE. The TMC plans to have between 20 and 30 students in this upcoming 2025 cohort.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration Courses

DOE worker-trainers regularly facilitate OSHA courses for different organizations within their local communities, including high schools and community colleges. Worker-trainers at INL and PGDP have been facilitating OSHA 30-hour General Industry courses for local community colleges and will continue to in 2025. In partnership with a local high school, worker-trainers from NFS teach OSHA 10-hour General Industry classes to every high school senior as a requirement of graduation. Their next cohort of students will begin classes this spring.

Upcoming TMC DOE Events

The TMC will host four DOE-specific events in 2025: 

• DOE Training Fundamentals Course (TFC) in March
• HAZWOPER Refresher PILOT in May
• DOE Safety Representative Training in June
• DOE Trainer Enhancement Exchange (TEE) in July

This year is the first year that the TMC will be hosting a DOE-specific TFC and TEE. The TMC is excited about this change and is looking forward to the information and skills that the Center will be able to share with worker-trainers at these events!

Looking Ahead

The TMC remains committed to its mission of preventing work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities through effective health and safety training across the complex.

“The worker training program is thriving at the INL,” said Steve Higdon, the DOE lead trainer from the site. “I have nine worker-trainers with an average of nearly five years of experience”

“We are looking forward to the increasing number of HAZWOPER classes we teach this year,” said Steve. “We will also be teaching more OSHA 10 classes locally.”

As TMC looks ahead to the year to come, everyone is excited for all of the opportunities, partnerships and new training initiatives that await in DOE. The TMC and all of the worker-trainers continue growing, learning and innovating together!