This agreement provides funding under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) to missouri state university's ozarks environmental and water resources institute (OEWRI)

Missouri State University's Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI) received a $336,774 Project Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 under the Pollution Prevention Grants Program (CFDA 66.708), effective November 1, 2025, through October 31, 2027. Funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the award supports the delivery of on-site pollution prevention (P2) technical assistance to Missouri manufacturing companies across four targeted industrial sectors: food and beverage, automotive, aerospace, and metal manufacturing and fabrication. Technical assistance services include facility assessments, written recommendations reports, training delivery, and information and tools to help manufacturers develop and adopt source reduction practices that minimize pollutants entering waste streams or being released into the environment.

The project aligns with EPA's national emphasis areas #1 (food and beverage manufacturing), #3 (automotive manufacturing), #4 (aerospace production), and #5 (metal manufacturing and fabrication). OEWRI will provide onsite assistance to help participating manufacturers reduce toxic air emissions, water discharges, water and energy usage, and hazardous materials generation and use. The award includes provisions for college student interns to support implementation of recommended source reduction initiatives at participating facilities. These P2 services help manufacturers achieve cost savings through reduced resource consumption and waste management expenditures while simultaneously reducing environmental footprint and liability exposure.

The recipient 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)). 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 provide onsite pollution prevention technical assistance and training to missouri manufacturing companies in the food and beverage, automotive, aerospace, and metal manufacturing and fabrication industries. Onsite technical assistance will include assessments, written reports of recommendations, and potential opportunities for college student interns to assist with project implementation.activities:the priorities for P2 technical assistance (information, training, and tools) align with one or more of the program's national emphasis areas (NEAS) #1, food and beverage manufacturing and processing; #3 automotive manufacturing; #4 aerospace production; and #5 metal manufacturing. NEA #1 focuses on carrying out P2 technical assistance and projects to support more sustainable food and beverage manufacturing and processing entities in north american industry classification system (NAICS) codes 311 and 3121 resulting in reduced toxic air emissions or water discharges, water or energy usage, hazardous materials generation and use. NEA #3 focuses on carrying out P2 technical assistance and projects with businesses in the automotive industry, normally associated with NAICS codes 3361, 3362, 3363, and 8111 and associated subsectors. NEA #4 focuses on carrying out P2 technical assistance and projects with businesses in the aerospace industry, normally associated with NAICS codes 3364 and subsectors for manufacture and 488190 for maintenance. NEA #5 focuses on carrying out P2 technical assistance and projects with businesses normally associated with NAICS codes 331 and 332, which are businesses associated with primary metal manufacturing and/or fabricated metal manufacturing and subsectors. Specifically, the project(S) activities will address the following: providing onsite pollution prevention technical assistance and training to missouri manufacturing companies in the food and beverage, automotive, aerospace, and metal manufacturing industries.subrecipient:missouri sandt will receive a total of $25,550 for assisting with integration of P2 into a college course and assisting in report development. Outcomes:the technical assistance conducted by the recipient will benefit facilities and 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 anticipated deliverables include three training sessions, fifteen site assessments, one case study, one P2 success story, and eight summer internships. The expected outcomes include reduced water use, reduced hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants released, and money saved. The intended beneficiaries include missouri manufacturing companies in the food and beverage, automotive, aerospace, and metal manufacturing and fabrication industries.