EPA grant to establish Environmental Finance Center

Wichita State University's Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs has been awarded $190,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency to establish an Environmental Finance Center (EFC). The university is eligible to receive up to $2.4 million over the next six years. WSU is one of 10 universities selected nationwide through a competitive process to be an EFC.

The EFC's central goal is to help create environmentally and financially sustainable communities. The center will help communities, tribes and private entities comply with environmental and public health protection requirements.

"I am very pleased EPA has recognized the creativity and initiative at work in the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs at Wichita State University," said Karl Brooks, EPA Region 7 Administrator. "This new EFC will be a powerful resource to help the region's local governments develop partnerships and provide training to help meet the financial requirements of environmental protection."

The nonprofit university-based centers develop financing options for initiatives and projects such as source water protection, drinking water and wastewater treatment, green buildings, energy conservation and environmentally sustainable development.

EFCs also develop and provide financial training, education and other services to local governments in an effort to lower the costs of environmental protection, increase environmental investments and expand financing options.

EPA has a long history of working with community leaders and the public to develop innovative solutions for improving their financial and environmental sustainable efforts. The creation of an EFC expands the capacity of services available to communities in Region 7, which consists of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

» See background on the EFC program (PDF File)