Kansas State University recently received a $350,000 competitive grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support pollution prevention.
The grant continues the university’s Pollution Prevention Institute partnerships with Kansas companies and government entities in pollution prevention efforts. It funds a 10-week internship program for students to get hands-on experience with small businesses and provide recommendations on how to lessen their environmental impact.
Pollution prevention specialist Lynelle Ladd says in a release that they’ll help hundreds of businesses with such efforts and help save companies thousands of dollars. These efforts will reduce water usage, hazardous waste, air emissions and energy. Ladd says the institute has been hosting its grant-funded internship program for 15 years.
“The Pollution Prevention Institute’s program work is 100% grant-funded,” said Nancy Larson, co-lead on the project and institute director. “Without this award from EPA, we would not be able to provide the free, expert technical assistance to Kansas companies, or hire experienced environmental staff to provide the assistance or run the program.”
Other collaborators on the grant, all from K-State, include Arthur Fink, Leena Divakar and Allison Crowther, pollution prevention specialists with the institute; Trisha Moore, associate professor and Peggy and Gary Edwards Cornerstone teaching scholar in the Carl and Melinda Helwig Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering; and LaVerne Bitsie-Baldwin, director of the Multicultural Engineering Program.
Interested companies and college students can apply to the summer 2021 program at sbeap.org.
