This project will provide technical assistance (e.g., information, training, tools) to businesses to help them develop and adopt source reduction practices (also known as pollution prevention (P2))

EPA Region 6 awarded Delgado Community College $1.413866 million on October 1, 2025, under the Pollution Prevention Grants Program (CFDA 66.708) to provide technical assistance to businesses on source reduction and pollution prevention practices.

The project expands Louisiana's E4 Program (Energy, Environment, Economy, and Equity/Engagement) by connecting regional minority-serving communities and higher education institutions with manufacturers to reduce pollution. Delgado delivers direct on-site technical assistance to chemical, metal, and food and beverage manufacturers throughout Louisiana, with focus on communities impacted by legacy pollution. Deliverables include on-site support for energy and emissions reduction, packaging reduction, hazardous waste reduction, process improvements for material reuse, workshop training, follow-up and coordinating calls, and video guides and marketing materials. The project leverages expertise from four universities: Delgado Community College, Dillard University, Xavier University of Louisiana, and a fourth institution (partially named in source). An equity and engagement assessment deployed in 2023 connects manufacturer profitability and pollution prevention needs with specific community challenges in each manufacturer's surrounding area.

Performance occurs in Louisiana with a completion date of September 30, 2027. This is a project grant assistance type.

P2 means reducing or eliminating pollutants from entering any waste stream or otherwise being released into the environment prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. P2 practices can help businesses save money by reducing their resource use, expenditures, waste and liability costs, while at the same time reducing their environmental footprint and helping to protect human health and the environment. Specifically, the project work will accomplish to expand louisiana's E4 program by connecting regional minority-serving communities and higher education institutions with a workforce development opportunity to support manufacturers in reducing pollution and bettering their communities. Recent efforts to include an equity/engagement assessment (the 4TH e to the energy, environment, and economy program) will benefit from this expansion along with our team's direct technical assistance directed at chemical, metal, and food and beverage manufacturers throughout louisiana. Since deploying the community engagement assessment in 2023, IT has successfully connected business profitability and pollution prevention needs with specific community challenges in each manufacturer's surrounding area. Our proposed direct technical assistance will continue to provide on-site support targeting industries within communities impacted by legacy pollution issues, through the reduction of energy and emissions, reducing packaging, hazardous waste reduction, process improvements to reuse materials in the same production process, workshop training, follow-up and coordinating calls, and video guides and marketing material, leveraging the expertise of four prestigious and community-driven universities in the state: delgado community college, dillard university, xavier university of louisiana, and louisiana tech university. By connecting predominantly-black and historically-black institutions with the experience louisiana tech university and the love your city initiative have in P2, we will augment workforce development opportunities while identifying pollution prevention, equity, and other best practices that inform a stronger partnership between community and industry.activities:the priorities for P2 technical assistance (information, training, and tools) align with one or more of the program's national emphasis areas (neas). Specifically, the project(s) activities will address the following: NEA 1,2, 5: E3 and P2 partnering with minority-serving institutions. Specifically, the project work will expand louisiana's E3 program to include an equity assessment by partnering with major universities and local partners to support direct technical assistance to more chemical, metal, and food and beverage manufacturers in louisiana to reduce pollution in our community while enhancing business profitability.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the technical assistance conducted by the grantee will benefit facilities and, if applicable, may address underserved communities. The recipient is expected to report on P2 performance measures (outputs and outcomes) and note who will benefit from the technical assistance as well as commit to following-up with facilities to find out whether the technical assistance was adopted and implemented. The technical assistance conducted by the grantee will benefit facilities and, if applicable, may address underserved communities. The grantee is expected to report on P2 performance measures (outputs and outcomes) and note who will benefit from the technical assistance as well as commit to following-up with facilities to find out whether the technical assistance was adopted and implemented. Specifically, the grantee anticipates providing: direct technical assistance will