PUCO hazardous materials training grants open for 2025 application period 

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) announced late last week that the application period for the 2025 hazardous materials trainings grants opens Saturday, March 1, 2025. Educational institutions and local governments across the state are awarded grants to provide training on how to best respond to incidents involving hazardous materials.  

The funding offered through the PUCO grants helps awardees provide training on: 

• Courses involving hazardous materials training on various levels, including first  response awareness, operations and technician, highway response specialist, incident command and tank car specialist.  
• Intermodal hazardous materials training.  
• Incident response exercise.  
• Rail hazardous materials response training, including rail/highway incident response training.  
• Hazardous materials planning and survey studies.  

The 2025 grant application period closes on April 30, 2025.  

The PUCO authorized a total of $800,000 to 27 applicants in 2024.  

Funding for these grants comes from fines paid by hazardous material carriers and shippers. To learn more about the grant program or to access the application, visit the PUCO hazardous materials grant webpage.  

Read the PUCO News Bureau article featuring past recipients to learn how organizations have used these grants.