On Friday, the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration announced 25 North Carolina counties will receive up to $10 million in funding to support disaster cleanup jobs and job training to help the western part of the state recover from Helene.
These counties include Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey.
These funds come from the National Dislocated Worker Grant, which provides funding for temporary disaster relief jobs for both cleanup and humanitarian aid, delivering necessities like food, water, and other basic supplies to people affected by Helene. These jobs are intended to benefit people whose work situations may have been impacted by Helene.
However, disaster cleanup work has proven health hazards. In an investigation last year, the Center for Public Integrity and Futuro Media noted that much disaster cleanup is conducted by poorly compensated day laborers, many of whom report workplace exposure to mold and asbestos and long-term chronic health issues.
OSHA researched the hazards of disaster cleanup after many workers fell ill post-Katrina, and has attempted to create disaster-specific safety rules for about 16 years.