Environmental Finance
Center Network
Tenth Annual Report
2004
University of Southern Maine II Region 5
Syracuse University II Region 6
University of Maryland II Region 9
University of Louisville II Region 10
University of North Carolina I
Cleveland State University
New Mexico Tech
California State University
Boise State University
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2004 EFC ANNUAL REPORT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Acknowledgments
EFC Network Overview
Executive Summary
University of Southern Maine EFC (Region 1)
Syracuse University EFC (Region 2)
University of Maryland EFC (Region 3)
University of North Carolina (Region 4)
University of Louisville (Region 4)
Cleveland State University EFC (Region 5)
University of New Mexico EFC (Region 6)
California State University EFC (Region 9)
Boise State University EFC (Region 10)
EFC Network Directory
Environmental Finance Program Website
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FOREWORD
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It is our great pleasure to present the 2004 Annual Report of EPA' s Environmental Finance
Center Network. The Network consists of university-based Centers which provide finance
training, education, and analytical services designed around the "how to pay" issues of
environmental compliance. Since the creation of the first center thirteen years ago, the EFCs
have expanded into a Network that comprises nine centers strategically located at major
universities in eight Federal Regions:
University of Southern Maine (Region 1)
Syracuse University (Region 2)
University of Maryland (Region 3)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Region 4)
University of Louisville (Region 4)
Cleveland State University (Region 5)
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (Region 6)
California State University at Hay ward (Region 9)
Boise State University (Region 10)
The EFC Network has become a significant force in assisting local governments and small
businesses in meeting environmental standards. A central goal of the Network is to help
create sustainable environmental systems in the public and private sectors. Sustainable
systems have the financial, technical, and institutional resources and capability to operate
indefinitely in compliance with environmental requirements and in conformance with
generally accepted environmental practices. Paying for environmental protection is an
important component of sustainability and continues to be primarily a responsibility of local
governments and the private sector.
For their part, the financial outreach services of the EFCs help meet environmental needs by
identifying ways of cutting costs, lowering and shifting costs, and increasing private sector
investment in environmental systems. The reader will find in the following pages many
innovative and traditional activities the EFCs have undertaken in accomplishing these
objectives. Their work, however, is an ongoing process, and the sum total of the Network's
benefits make an important contribution to environmental progress in this country.
Information about the Environmental Finance Center Network, along with previous years'
Annual Reports, can also be found on our website on EPA's Environmental Finance Program
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/ or http://www.epa.gov/efinpage/.
We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Joseph L. Dillon, Director
Office of Enterprise Technology and Innovation
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
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environmental finance center network
A UNIQUE ASSET FOR THE NATION
The Environmental Finance Center Network is the only
university-based organization that creates innovative solutions
to help manage the cost of environmental protection. The
Network works with both the public and private sectors to
promote a sustainable environment, supporting efforts to
address difficult "how-to-pay" issues.
Core support for the Network is provided by EPA's
Environmental Finance Program in the Office of the Chief
Financial Officer. The Network is comprised of nine
Environmental Finance Centers, all of which attract additional
funds through grants and contracts with other public and
private clients. The Centers, each affiliated with an EPA
Region, are located at the following universities:
The Network Is
Innovative
Neutral
Multi-
Disciplinary
Local,
Regional &
National
The Network shares and integrates
information, tools and techniques
across the country to develop
innovative solutions to difficult
problems.
The Network is housed within nine
Universities and is not governed by
any one public or private agency or
organization and so is neutral by its
very nature.
The Network routinely employs staff
from multiple disciplines including
engineering, business, finance,
planning, economic development,
science, public administration, and
law. For any project, the Network can
access the expertise housed within the
nine universities.
The Network has a proven track
record of working at all project levels
from local to national.
EFC Network Locations
University of Southern Maine
Syracuse University
University of Maryland
Cleveland State University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Louisville
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
California State University at Hayward
Boise State University
The Network Offers
Financial
Expertise
Technical
Transfer
Multi-Media
Capabilities
Partnerships
w/the
Regulated &
Regulators
National
Presence
In solving environmental problems or
addressing environmental issues, the
Network brings a unique financial
perspective.
The Network has worked in forty-eight
states and shares information and
technical expertise among the states and
within the Network to allow a national
transfer of information.
The Network addresses a full range of
environmental issues, including:
hazardous waste, air, water, wastewater,
solid waste, brownfields, environmental
technologies and pollution prevention.
The Network works with both the
regulated community and regulators to
promote efficient and effective
environmental compliance.
The Network routinely partners with
other public and private entities to
complete projects throughout the US and
beyond.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE CENTER
NETWORK TOOLS
The Network provides education, technical assistance and
analyses to state and local governments and the private sector
through various tools, including the following.
* Finance Planning Strategies and Programs
Local & Regional Economic Development
Stakeholder Meetings
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ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE CENTER NETWORK
Role-plays and Simulations
Economic and Fiscal Impact Analysis
Utility Accounting and Financial Reporting
Informal Surveys
Financial Policy and Practice Guides
Information Clearinghouse
Strategic Information Systems
Conferences & Workshops
Charrettes
Process Facilitation
Program Evaluation
Research Publications and Reports, and
Hand-On Assistance
We have adopted these tools to help us navigate the numerous
environmental media in which we work. Some tools apply
across a broad spectrum of issues while others are limited to
specific media.
Finance Planning Strategies and Programs include the
provision of financial expertise in areas such as capital
financing, operating cost management, loan programs,
environmental risk management and strategies and approaches
for the public and private sectors.
Local Economic Development support involves numerous
areas including eco-industrial parks, recycling, open space
preservation, brownfields, greenfields, and green business and
environmental industry support and promotion.
Stakeholder Meetings and Charrettes are implemented in
various situations where input from a variety of stakeholders
and participants is necessary to resolve an environmental
finance problem.
Role-plays and Simulations have been used in brownfields
assistance where stakeholders learn what motivates and
interests the other stakeholders with whom they need to
negotiate, based on real circumstances.
Economic and Fiscal Impact Analyses are frequently
performed for various projects including brownfields
reclamation, rural land conversions and other forms of
development.
Utility Finance models and financial management programs
and software have been developed for water and wastewater
infrastructure projects. These include: utility accounting and
financial reporting, water conservation cost-benefit analysis,
gap financing analysis, and water and wastewater system
budgeting.
Informal Surveys are frequently used for a range of projects
from determining small business incentives for green
manufacturing, to assessing local needs for redevelopment.
Policy and Practice Guides have been developed to assist in
shaping local land use and environmental policies and helping
consumers choose and locate green businesses.
Information Clearinghouse services are provided by all
Centers. The Network serves as a national repository and
clearinghouse for environmental finance-related information,
including information from the USEPA, the national
Environmental Financial Advisory Board, and the national
Environmental Financing Information Network.
Strategic Information Systems have been designed to
improve financial and management capabilities of water
systems.
Conferences & Workshops are offered by the Network
throughout the United States on a range of topics from water
and wastewater, to brownfields redevelopment and
environmental technology transfer.
Process Facilitation is a broad tool designed to help take a
project from concept to reality. Part of that facilitation may
include Internal Partnering Meetings that promote inter-
agency cooperation.
Program Evaluation services help to assess the outcomes of
new environmental finance, economic development, and land
use programs for local and state governments.
Finally the Network offers a wide range of research publications
and reports, and hands-on assistance to national, state, and local
agencies as well as tribes and private sector organizations and
businesses.
SELECTED PROJECTS ACROSS THE
UNITED STATES
Since 1992, the Network has been working to promote
sustainable development throughout the United States. The
following is a selection of projects that best represents our
talents.
Brownfields Remediation and Redevelopment. Network
members have been involved in developing, operating and
evaluating the impacts of state and local brownfield
redevelopment efforts. Key features of state voluntary cleanup
programs have been identified and their impacts on developer
decision making examined. The private market risk transfer
measures available through insurance and their impact on
brownfield project valuations have been documented and
technical assistance to public sector utilization of insurance
continues to be provided. Network members have also been
involved in training programs for potential brownfield
redevelopers and financiers on how the markets and regulatory
standards have been evolving.
Full Cost Pricing of Water and Sewer Services. Small
communities struggle with the challenge of providing safe
drinking water and effective wastewater treatment services to
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A UNIQUE ASSET FOR THE NATION
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ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE CENTER NETWORK
the public. Communities throughout the country have
benefited from low or no-cost assistance from the EFCs in the
areas of rate setting, capital replacement financing, financial
management and assessing the impact of capital investments.
Multi-State Grants and Loans Database. Several
Environmental Finance Centers compile and maintain funding
resource databases. An environmental funding database
currently exists that covers six southeaster states: North
Carolina South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and
Mississippi. This database is available to local governments
and citizens to help them identify low cost financing
approaches for environmental projects. Similar tools for
watershed financing are available in the Region 10 states of
Idaho, Washington and Oregon and are under development in
Region 1, as steps toward creation of a national database.
Environmental Finance Curriculum Development. A set of
course materials on environmental finance, intended to bridge
the gap between existing academic courses on public finance
and existing training programs for government officials has
been developed. The course is available for delivery
throughout the Network and is presented as a series of
modules that can work together for an extended course of
study, or separately for focus on individual topics. A distance
education course on environmental finance based on some of
the materials and topics covered in the course material has
also been prepared.
Business Planning Assistance to Environmental Non-
profit Organizations. A business plan has been prepared to
help guide non-profit environmental organization. The plan
includes an analysis of existing services and pricing structures
and makes recommendations on how an organization can
implement improved business practices and become
financially stable while achieving environmental and
community service objectives.
Environmental Finance Policy Guides. Guides are being
developed throughout the Network to be used by state local
government officials, their associations, and organizations
providing training to officials and community board members.
Topics, readable by people with high school educations,
include the issues of land value 'takings' by regulation,
resources valuation issues in water and wastewater system
mergers/acquisitions, the value of alternative brownfield
subsidies, uses of environmental insurance, the economics of
construction and demotion debris reuse,and the economic and
environmental features of different policy responses to urban
expansion pressures.
Unified Source Water Protection. As part of an EPA pilot
initiative, five EFCs are working with groups of water systems
in 8 states to develop unified source water protection plans.
Unified source water protection plans incorporate the needs of
many water systems that share a water source or potential
contamination threats. The single or unified plan approach:
reduces duplication of effort, allows for a more expansive look
at water resources, increases opportunities for particular
protection measures to be used, and permits side benefits by
bringing water system managers and operators together on an
ongoing frequent basis
Funding and Needs Analyses. The Network frequently
assesses performance of individual programs for funding
environmental improvements or infrastructure development.
A current study is underway to assess the water and sewer
infrastructure needs in the Appalachian region of the United
States and to examine whether existing funding programs and
community practices will be sufficient to protect public health
and the environment in the future. In addition, focus groups
and informant interviews of program representatives and
program beneficiaries or recipients have been conducted, and
strategies recommended for cooperative funding to maximize
opportunities for beneficiaries to obtain financing in the most
cost-effective and politically palatable manner.
Brominated Flame Retardants in Electronics. In response
to growing national interest, a Finance Center program,
including a roundtable and conference, has been planned to
facilitate dialogue between electronics manufacturers, plastics
experts, and community and government stakeholders to
explore alternatives to toxic flame retardant use in consumer
electronics. The program is focused on designing electronics
that are both fire resistant and protect human health and the
environment while ensuring product performance.
Environmental Insurance for Brownfields. Center studies of
environmental insurance products and their utility for
brownfield redevelopment have provided data for provision of
technical assistance to state and local brownfield programs.
Continuing legal education seminars and other training for
brownfields stakeholders has also been provided. Current
efforts include work on designing model insurance programs
for state-led redevelopment programs, UST cleanup funding,
and an update on the environmental insurance market.
Financing Watershed Strategies. Training workshops have
been developed which promote the coordination of funding
and technical assistance programs with innovative financing
techniques to support watershed management. Participants
explore innovative solutions to multi-jurisdictional and multi-
disciplinary issues encountered within a watershed. Network
trainings have been held in EPA Regions 5, 8, and 10. Due to
the popularity of the workshops, twenty were held in Region
10 in 2002-2003.
Green Business Program Facilitation. As part of the effort
to promote Green Business throughout the United States, an
EFC program has been established to help facilitate the
creation of Green Business Programs and Recognition
Projects. In addition to hands-on assistance, a website is being
developed to compile information on planning, implementing,
maintaining and growing a Green Business Recognition
Program.
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A UNIQUE ASSET FOR THE NATION
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ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE CENTER NETWORK
Public Management and Finance Program. A unique
technical assistance and training program has been developed
in which EFCs collaborate with nonprofit, private, and
government entities in the delivery of environmental services
to primarily rural communities. The PMFP provides a forum
that links technical assistance providers and local governments
to enable holistic approaches to rural community problems.
Smart Growth Planning. Network Smart Growth projects
include efforts to help an agricultural community preserve its
rural heritage. Land protection financing initiatives have been
explored through charrettes and comprehensive planning.
Geographic Information System tools are being used to
identify causes of urban spread and economically efficient
public responses.
EnviroLoan & Strategic Goals Program. Projects for the
National Strategic Goals Program included developing the
Access to Capital EnviroLoan Program - a pollution
prevention (P2)loan program for metal finishers. Other work
focused on marketing the Goals Program statewide seeking
legislation to implement a California Strategic Goals Program.
Million Acres Initiative - Open Space Preservation. In a
state effort that may be replicable, support is being provided to
the North Carolina legislature's Million Acres Initiative to
conserve land for open space, farmland preservation, riparian
buffers and other conservation purposes. Surveys and
interviews were used to assess the amount of land already
protected, the rate at which land would be protected over the
next ten years at current funding levels, the size of the revenue
gap needed to complete the million acre goal, and the funding
alternatives potentially available.
Sustainable Infrastructure Development. This project will
define a vision for a Great Lakes regional approach to
prioritizing capital investments which sustain the regional
system of infrastructure.
Multi-State Assistance to State Regulatory Departments.
State Regulatory Departments were assisted in preparing and
implementing Capacity Development strategies in ten
different states. These strategies are intended to improve
water system technical, managerial, and financial capabilities.
The assistance ranged from facilitating the stakeholder-input
process, to writing up strategies, to assisting with partnering
between systems and various options in between.
Intergovernmental and Inter-Agency Cooperation. The first
ever meeting on public funding or watershed restoration
efforts was convened in the state of Idaho. This meeting
included representatives of EPA, USFS, BLM, Bureau of
Reclamation, USACE, USF&W, Bonneville Power
Administration, NRCS, ID Dept of Ag, ID Dept of Fish and
Game, ID Dept of Water Resources, ID Dept of
Environmental Quality and other private foundations. The
purpose of the meeting was to initiate a dialogue on the
various funding sources and the match requirements
associated with the various programs.
Land Trust Assistance. The first Patuxent Land Trust
Exchange was conducted in partnership with the Maryland
Environmental Trust and the Trust for Public Land. The goal
of the Exchange was to develop a more coordinated land
protection strategy in the Patuxent River watershed. Ten
community conservation organizations attended the Exchange.
A number of next steps were identified including developing
joint marketing strategies, list serves, and special events. In
addition, possibilities for organizational funding and capacity
development will be explored.
Financing A Cluster Wastewater System. As part of a
multi-region effort, a charrette was held in Yarmouth MA, to
help locate financing for a "cluster" wastewater treatment
system to replace septic systems that had been nitrogen-
loading the local estuary and its ecosystem. This charrette
helped develop a solution that may also be generalized to fit
other similarly dense seasonal communities on Cape Cod and
other tourist meccas. Additionally, several resource
assessment needs were identified and are currently being
addressed by the State of Massachusetts, and several groups
have expressed interest in collaborating to create the new
community wastewater system, using State revolving loan
funds and other public and private funds.
WHERE HAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE
CENTER NETWORK WORKED?
Haven't heard of us? If you haven't already, you probably will
soon because the Network is continually expanding its range
of services and the states it serves. To date, we've worked on
at least one project in 48 different states, excepting North and
South Dakota. We are looking forward to serving all 50, as
well as our territories.
CONTACT US
Have questions? Please email any one of our
members through our websites below. Any Center
can help you connect to the EFC that can be the most
help on your issue.
Maine efc.muskie.usm.maine.edu
New York www.maxwell.syr.edu/efc
Maryland www.efc.umd.edu
Ohio urban.csuohio.edu/glefc/
N Carolina www.efc.unc.edu
Kentucky cepm.louisville.edu/org/SEEFC/seefc.htm
New Mexico efc.nmt.edu
California www.greenstart.org/efc9
Idaho sspa.boisestate.edu/efc/
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A UNIQUE ASSET FOR THE NATION
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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A great many dedicated people have helped the Environmental Finance Centers (EFCs)
along the way. We particularly want to acknowledge the EPA Regional management and
staff noted in the following listing who have generously provided their skills and time in
managing the cooperative agreements with each of the centers. The EFC network would
simply not exist without the Regions' superb cooperation and support. Additionally, we
appreciate very much the key assistance and support of Headquarters management and
staff in the Program Offices.
We want to express our appreciation to the leadership of the Environmental Financial
Advisory Board (EFAB), particularly Lyons Gray, Chairman of EFAB, who has had a
distinguished career in both business and public service, and Stan Meiburg, the
Environmental Financial Advisory Board's Designated Federal Official, and Deputy
Regional Administrator for Region 4. We are very pleased that both of these highly
respected individuals have brought their considerable knowledge and skills to this
Federal Advisory Board and are looking forward to a continuing working relationship
with them, given the interactive role of the EFC Directors as expert witnesses to EFAB.
Lastly, we want to recognize the staff of the Environmental Finance Program, whose
efforts and dedication prove that resources can be leveraged into far-reaching results.
Vera Hannigan
EFC Network National Coordinator
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE CENTERS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The EFC Network would like to acknowledge the support and working relationships
between the EFCs and the state and local governmental entities they serve. As well, the
EFC Network is greatly indebted to EPA, both Headquarters and the Regional offices, for
providing ongoing expertise and participation.
REGION 1 - UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE EFC
EFC
Prof. Richard Barringer, Director
Dr. Sam Merrill, Projects Director
Prof. Charles Colgan, Faculty Associate
Prof. Jack Kartez, Faculty Associate
Prof. Mark Lapping, Faculty Associate
Prof. Evan Richert, Faculty Associate
Prof. Orlando Delogu, Faculty Associate
Jodi Castallo, Project Manager
Will Johnston, Project Manager
Karen Young, Direcor, Casco Bay Estuary Project
Karl Braithwaite, Dean, Muskie School of Public Service
Tom Woods, Operations Director, Muskie School of Public Service
Sarah Hennessey, Graduate Assistant
Andy DesPres, Graduate Assistant
Jeff Bussell, Graduate Assistant
Rebeccah Schaffner, Graduate Assistant
Judy Gopaul, Graduate Assistant
Melissa Tilton, Administrative Assistant
Sarah Ferriter, Administrative Assistant
EPA Region 1
Robert Varney, Regional Administrator
Carl Dierker, Office of Regional Counsel
Rosemary Monahan, Smart Growth Coordinator
Diane Gould, Program Officer, and Casco Bay Estuary Project Coordinator
Steve Silva, Maine State Office Director
EPA HQ - The Environmental Finance Program Team:
Vanessa Bowie, EFAB Coordinator
Vera Hannigan, EFC Coordinator
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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REGION 2 - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY MAXWELL SCHOOL EFC
The EFC staff would like to expressly thank Kim Farrellfor her seven years of dedication
and service as the co-director of the Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center.
EFC Professional Staff
William Sullivan, Co-Director
- Kim Farrell, Co-Director (1997-2004)
Catherine Gerard, Interim Co-Director
Amy Santos, Assistant Director
Kevin Jacob son, Program Manager
Mary Ellen Gilbert, Administrative Coordinator
Dr. Stuart Bretschneider
Dr. Larry Schroeder
Dr. Susan Senecah
Corey Falter, Research Associate
Madoka Kise, Research Associate
Matthew Zeller, Research Associate
EFC Region 2
- Kathleen Callahan, Acting Regional Administrator
George Pavlou, Deputy Regional Administrator
Stephen Vida, Team Leader, State Revolving Fund Programs
- Elizabeth VanRabenswaay, Chief, Construction Grants, SRF Section
Other Partners
- Patrick Brennan, USDA State Director, New York
- Jim Stearns, New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation
- David Miller, USDA RUS, Syracuse
Jeff Smith, Munistat Financial Services, New York
Pat Scalera, New York Rural Water Association
- Bill Webb, RCAP Solutions
- Scott Mueller, RCAP Solutions
Rob Campany, Bernier Carr Engineers
- Bill Hall, Stearns and Wheler
Kevin Smith, Tug Hill Commission, Watertown, New York
Phil Smith, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Patricia Cerro-Reehil, New York Water Environment Association
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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REGION 3 - UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EFC
EFC
- Jack Greer, Director (outgoing)
- Dan Nees, Director (current)
- Michelle O'Herron, Program Manager
- Jean Holloway, Training Manager
- Michelle Lennox, Project Assistant
- Afsheen Siddiq, Project Assistant
- Stephanie Novello, Project Assistant
- Jennifer Cotting, Project Assistant
Maryland Sea Grant Program, University of Maryland
- Jonathan G. Kramer, Director
- Bonny Marcellino, Assistant Director for Administration
- Theresa Lee, Program Management Specialist
- Dan Jacobs, Information Technology Manager
- Jeanette Connors, Administrative Assistant
Institute for Governmental Service, University of Maryland
- Robin Parker-Cox, Director
- Jeanne Bilanin, Deputy Director
- Philip Favero, Extension Specialist
- Victor Tervala, Government Consultant
- Patti Belcher, Communications
- Sheila Senesie, Business Services Specialist
- Jacqueline Adams, Administrative Assistant
EPA Region 3
- Donald S. Welsh, Regional Administrator
- Mindy Lemoine, Grants Project Officer
- Donna Armstrong, Grant Administrator,
- Ghassan Khaled, Drinking Water Branch
Chesapeake Bay Program
- Rebecca Hamner, Director
- Diana Esher, Deputy Director
Robert Rose, staff
Lois Gartner, staff
- Lori Mackey, staff
- Michael Burke, staff
Lois Woodward, staff
Laura Bodtke, staff
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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Chesapeake Bay Commission
- Ann Swanson, Executive Director
- Pat Stuntz, Maryland Director
National Env. Training Center for Small Communities at W. VA. Univ. (NETCSC)
- John Hoornbeck, Director
- Sandra Fallen, Training Specialist
- Mary Alice Dunn, Training Specialist
West Virginia Rural Water Association
Starla Snead, Capacity Development Program Coordinator
Virginia Rural Water Association
- Ken Coffman, Program Specialist
Small Public Water Systems Tech. Assist. Center (SPWSTAC) at Penn State-Hanisburg
- Charles Cole, Director
- Alison Shuler, Training Coordinator
- Sue Hippie, Administrative Assistant
Northeast Rural Communities Assistance Program
- Don Schwartz, Senior Water Resource Specialist
Delaware Environmental Training Center
- Jerry Williams, Director
Maryland Rural Development Corporation
- Joyce De Laurentis, Community Development Specialist
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources
- J. Scott Rodeheaver, Geologist, Program Manager I
Maryland Department of the Environment
- Danielle Lucid
- Andrew Sawyers, Program Administrator
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Nick Williams
- Frank Dawson
- Mark Bundy
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program
- Wink Hastings
- Emily Clifton
- Amy Handon
The Wilderness Society
- Judy Guse-Noritake
- Fran Hunt
REGION 4 - UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL EFC
EFC
Mike Smith, Dean, School and Institute of Government
Jeff Hughes, EFC Director
Prof. Richard Whisnant, Associate Professor
Lynn Weller, Program Manager
Mike Luger, Director Office of Economic Development
Ben Altz-Stamm, Research Associate
Matt Richardson, Research Associate
Scott Morrissey, Research Associate
Mark Horowitz, Research Associate
Stacey Issac, Research Associate
Kim Tungate, Research Associate
Susan Austin, Director, Community Planning Project
Suho Bae, Research Associate
JackVogt, Professor
EPA Region 4
Stan Meiburg, Deputy Regional Administrator
Linda Rimer, Liaison for the Carolinas
Cory Berish
- Mary Jo Bragan
Dale Froneberger
EPA Headquarters
Tim McProuty
Vera Hannigan
Vanessa Bowie
Alecia Crichlow
Jenny Bielanski
Chuck Job
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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USD A Rural Utilities Service
Jim Maras
Dennis Belong
Appalachian Regional Commission
Greg Bischak
State of North Carolina
Bill Ross, Secretary, N.C. Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources
- Bill Holman, Clean Water Trust Fund
- Richard Rogers, One NC Naturally Land Conservation Program
Jessica Miles, Public Water Supply Section
Sid Harrell, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
- Bobby Blowe, Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Janice Burke, Local Government Commission
John Heron, Local Government Commission staff
Liz Wolfe, Division of Community Assistance
Jean Crews-Klein, NC Rural Center
Small Public Water Systems Technical Assistance Center (SETAC)
- Kim Steil
REGION 4 - UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE EFC
EFC
Peter Meyer, EFC Director
Lauren Heberle, Assistant Director
Russell Barnett, EFC Project Manager
Karen Cairns, Project Associate
Carol Norton, Project Assistant
Susan Opp, Graduate Research Assistant
R. Diane Gossett, Administrative Assistant
EPA Region 4
Stan Meiburg, Deputy Regional Administrator
Cory Berish, Chief, Planning and Analysis
Phil Vorsatz, Chief, Brownfields/State Support
Mary Jo Bragan, Project Officer
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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REGION 5 - CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY EFC
EFC
Kevin E. O'Brien, Executive Director
- Claudette Robey, Assistant Director
Kirstin Toth, Project Manager
- Larry Ledebur, Ph.D., GLEFC Fellow
- Michael Tevesz, Ph.D., GLEFC Fellow
- Wendy Kellogg, Ph.D., GLEFC Fellow
Daniel Baracskay, Ph.D., Research Associate
Michael McGoun, Research Assistant
Vivian Tucker, Administrative Assistant
- John Storey, Graduate Assistant
Karen Johnston, Graduate Assistant
Sarah Hudecek, Graduate Assistant
- Matt Sattler, Graduate Assistant
U.S. EPA, Regions
Lyn Lutner, Region 5 Cleveland Office
- Deborah Orr, Region 5 Brownfield Team, Chicago
- Joseph Dufficy, Region 5 Brownfield Team, Chicago
Brooke Furio, Region 5 Brownfield Team, Chicago and Cleveland
Karla Auker, Region 5 Cleveland Office Brownfield Team
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Douglas Shelby, Director, Cleveland Office
Paul Diegelman, Community Builder
U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Kate Barba, National Estuarine Research Reserve Program Manager
State of Ohio
- John Magill, Deputy Director, Ohio Department of Development
Amy Alduino, Administrator, Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund
Tiffani Robinson, Ohio EPA Voluntary Action Program
Amy Yersavich, Ohio EPA Voluntary Action Program
- Jeff Reutter, Ohio Sea Grant College Program
Yetty Alley, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Linda Feix, Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve
Ohio Water Development Authority
Steve Grossman, Executive Director
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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U.S. EPA Environmental Finance Team
Vanessa Bowie, EFC Team Leader
Vera Hannigan, EFC National Coordinator
- Tim McProuty, EFC Team
REGION 6 - NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY EFC
EFC
Heather Himmelberger, P.E., EFC Director
Susan Butler, Program Manager
Keith Melton, Program Manager
Beverly Rizzolo, Tribal Capacity Development
Matt Ziegler, Water Resource Specialist
Karen Stafford-Brown, Environmental Engineer
Shawn Hardeman, Water Resource Specialist
Sandi Blanton, Program Manager
Cynthia Hernandez, Project Coordinator
EPA Region 6
Blake Atkins, Acting Chief, Drinking Water Section, Water Qual. Protection Div.
David Reazin, Drinking Water Section
William Davis, Drinking Water Section
Andrew Waite, Drinking Water Section
Thomas Poeton, Drinking Water Section
Jose Rodriguez, Drinking Water Section
Freda Wash, State/Tribal Programs Section, Water Quality Protection Division
Betty Ashley, State/Tribal Programs Section
Yulonda Davis, State/Tribal Programs Section
Kim Ngo, Drinking Water Section, Water Quality Protection Division
Teena Scott, State/Tribal Programs Section
Ken Williams, Source Water Protection Section, Water Qual. Protection Division
EPA/HQ-
Debra Gutenson, Source Water Protection, OGWDW
- Roy Simon, Source Water Protection, OGWDW
Region 6 State Agencies
Arkansas
Raymond Thompson, Capacity Development Coordinator, ARDept. of Hlth., LA
T. Jay Ray, Manager, DW Revolving Loan Fund, LA Dept. of Health & Hospitals
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
EFGN
New Mexico
Fernando Martinez, Bureau Chief, Drinking Water Bureau, NM Env. Dept.
Retta Prophet, Capacity Dvp. Coord., Drinking Water Bureau, NM Env. Dept.
Rob Pine, Drinking Water Bureau, NM Environment Department
Ken Hughes, Local Government Divison, NM Dept. of Finance and Adm.
Anne Watkins, Office of State Engineer
Oklahoma
Mike Harrell, P.E., Env. Engineer Spvsr, Water Qual. Div., OK Dept Env. Qual.
Brad Cook, Capacity Development Coordinator
Texas
- Tony Bennett, TCEQ
Buck Henderson, TCEQ
- Doug Holcomb, P.E., TCEQ
- Dorothy Young, TCEQ
REGION 9 - CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, HAYWARD EFC
EFC
Sam Basu, Interim Dean, CSU East Bay
Sarah Diefendorf, EFC Executive Director
Susan Blachman, EFC Associate Director
Ann Blake, EFC Senior Associate
Vicki Vasquez, Programs Coordinator
Jim Nicholas, Website Designer
EPA Region 9
- Laura Yoshii, Deputy Regional Administrator
- Jeff Scott, Solid Waste Division Director
Bill Jones, EFC9 Grant Manager, Solid Waste Division
Eileen Sheehan, Pollution Prevention Coordinator
Leif Magnuson, Pollution Prevention Division
John Katz, Pollution Prevention Division
Jessica Counts, Pollution Prevention Division
Sue McDowell, Solid Waste Division
- Patricia Norton, Solid Waste Division
- Zac Appleton, Solid Waste Division
California EPA
Stan Felipe, Department of Toxic Substances Control
- Bill Ryan, Department of Toxic Substances Control
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
-5-
EF@N
California State Legislature
Maria Armoudian (Senior Staff, Senator Alarcon)
California Green Business Program
- Ceil Scandone, Green Business Coordinator, Association of Bay Area Govts.
Pam Evans, Alameda County Green Business Program
Robin Bedell-Waite, Contra Costa County Green Business Program
- Marcy Barnett, Sacramento County Green Business Program
- Virginia St Jean, San Francisco County Green Business Program
Hawaii
Gail Suzuki-Jones, State Dept. of Business, Economic Development & Tourism
Karl Montoyama, State Department of ealth, Pollution Prevention Coordinator
Dennis Hwang, Coordinator, Hawaii Green Business Program
Arizona
Al Brown, Director, Environmental Services, Maricopa County
Bob Evans, Program Manager, Environmental Services, Maricopa County
Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, Maricopa County
Nevada
Kevin Dick, Director, Business Environmental Pgm., University of Nevada, Reno
Ed Gonzalez, Director, Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network
Industry
Marialyce Pedersen, Disney Corporation
Richard Firth, Firth and Associates
REGION 10 - BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY EFC
Boise State University
Robert Kustra, President
Darryl Jones, Provost (through July 2004)
Sona Andrews, Provost (as of August 2004)
Mark Dunham, Office of the President
Michael Blankenship, Dean College of Social Science & Public Affairs
James B. Weatherby, Chair, Department of Public Policy & Administration
John Owens, Vice President of Research
Lawrence Irvin, Director, Office of Research Administration
Kim Chanley, Sponsored Projects Accounting
George Murgel, P.E., College of Engineering
- Geoff Black, College of Business and Economics
Don Holley, College of Business and Economics
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
EFGN
Amanda Horton, University Counsel
Reba McMillan, Network Admin., College of Social Science & Public Affairs
Congressional
Linda Culver, Staff Assistant/Field Representative (Twin Falls, ID), Office of
Congressman Michael Simpson
EPA/Region 10
William Chamberlain, Office of Water Quality, Drinking Water Unit
Amber Wong, Office of Ecosystems and Communities
Bevin Reid, Office of Ecosystems and Communities
Richard Green, Office of Water Quality, Drinking Water Unit
- Michelle Tucker, CWSRF Specialist
James H. Werntz, Director, Idaho Operations Office
Carla Fromm, Idaho Operations Office
- Alan Henning, Oregon Operations Office
- Teresa Kubo, Oregon Operations Office
Greg Kellogg, Alaska Operations Office
EPA/Region 7
Robert Dunlevy, Groundwater-Drinking Water Branch, Office of Water
Mandy Techau, Office of Water
EPA/HQ
Vera Hannigan, EFC National Coordinator, Environmental Finance Team
Diane Regas, Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds
Tim Jones, Sustainable Finance Team, OWOW
- Gustavo Rubio, Knauss Marine Policy Fellow, Coastal Management Division
- Anne Weinberg, Assessment and Watershed Division
James Bourne, Drinking Water Academy, Office of Water
Jenny Bielanski, Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water, Office of Water
Peter Shanaghan, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
George Ames, Chief, SRF Branch, Office of Water
US Army Corps of Engineers
- Brayton Willis, Walla Walla District
- Debra Willis, Walla Walla District
Barbara Benge, Walla Walla District
- Robert Brochu, Walla Walla District
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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EF@N
NOAA
Rosemary Furfey, Oregon Coast Coho Recovery Coordinator, NOAA Fisheries
Technical Assistance Centers
- Kent Smothers, Midwest Technology Assistance Center
Nicole Duclos, Alaska Training and Technical Assistance Center
State
Lance Nielsen, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) Drinking
Water Program
Bill Jerrel, IDEQ State Revolving Fund Program
Chris Lavelle, IDEQ Capacity Development Coordinator
- Todd Maguire, IDEQ Non-Point Source (319) Manager
Phil Bandy, IDEQ Watershed Protection Program Manager
Jerry Nicolescu, Administrator, Idaho Soil Conservation Commission
- Erv Ballou, Idaho Department of Water Resources
- Terry Blau, Idaho Department of Water Resources
Dan Garner, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
John LaRocque, Washington Department of Community Trade and
Economic Development
Leslie Hafford, Washington Department of Community Trade and
Economic Development
Scott Ruby, Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development
Cathy Tucker-Vogel, Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Jennifer Bunton, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Private Sector and Nonprofit Organizations
Lee Napier, Chehalis Basin Partnership (Grays Harbor County, WA)
- Kent Foster, Executive Director, Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts
Wayne Newbill, Idaho One Plan Coordinator, Idaho Association of Soil
Conservation Districts
Ken Harward, Association of Idaho Cities
Michael Sebastian Hargrove, Nature Conservancy
Don Munkers, Idaho Rural Water Association
Dan Schultz, The Network Group
- Angela Thomas, The Network Group
David Clompton, Information Designs Inc.
- Sherrill Doran, CH2M-H111
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EF©N
The following Executive Summary of the EFC annual report highlights the major
accomplishments of the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) Network for 2004.
The EFC Network is a university-based technical assistance program offering educational
resources and financial outreach services to communities and local governments as well
as the small business community on the how-to-pay issues of compliance with
environmental standards.
Currently, the EFC Network is made up of nine centers located in eight Federal Regions
at the following universities: University of Southern Maine (Region 1), Syracuse
University (Region 2), University of Maryland (Region 3), University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill (Region 4), University of Louisville (Region 4), Cleveland State
University (Region 5), New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (Region 6),
California State University at Hayward (Region 9), and Boise State University (Region
10). The EFCs operate as a national association to foster greater collaboration, enhance
project opportunities and encourage partnerships, as well as to clarify the role of the
Environmental Finance Centers as a collaborative network.
Located in the Office of Enterprise Technology and Innovation within the Office of the
Chief Financial Officer, the Environmental Finance Program works with the EFC
Network to set priorities and coordinate and plan activities. The financial outreach
services of the Network concentrates on identifying ways of building the state and local
financial and managerial capacity necessary to carry out environmental programs and
help create sustainable environmental systems in the public and private sectors as well as
increasing private sector investment in environmental systems.
Each year since 1995 the Network has produced an annual report that documents the
activities and the results achieved by the EFCs. These annual reports are available via the
Office of the Chief Financial Officer's web site at http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/index.htm
or directly on the Environmental Finance Program's website at
http://www.epa.gov/efinpage/efc.htm. This website, and the comprehensive and
innovative information contained within it, has become a highly effective means of
communicating all aspects of the how-to-pay issues confronting the regulated
community.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EFGN
Region 1 - New England Environmental Finance Center at
University of Southern Maine
The EFC at the University of Southern Maine (NE/EFC) serves the six New England
states (U.S. EPA Region 1). The purpose of the NE/EFC is to advance the understanding
and practice of "smart growth" throughout New England. From model ordinances to
financial instruments, a wide variety of smart growth tools are now available to local land
use decision makers and stakeholders. One new tool the NE/EFC, in collaboration with
EPA Region 1, created was the Next Communities Initiative (NCI), which is designed to
address the effective use and implementation of Smart Growth Principles and tools at the
local government level.
Another initiative was a program in water-related finance and outreach programming.
The NE/EFC brought drinking water technical assistance providers together to discuss
services currently provided to small water systems in Maine, identify unmet needs of the
community of technical
assistance providers and,
collaborate on ways to
address these needs.
Other efforts included
development of an online
directory of watershed
funding sources for Region 1, in collaboration with the Region 10 EFC and EPA's
Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. This directory will function in concert with
an existing directory for Region 10 and will be available online in 2005.
In 2004 the NE/EFC published a book: "ChangingMaine, 1960-2070." Topics addressed
include energy, the environment, land use and sprawl, forestry, agriculture, and fisheries.
Also published by the NE/EFC, "Some model amendments to Maine (and other states')
land use control legislation" in the Maine Law Review, which eminated directly from the
NE/EFC's roundtable discussions in 2002 and is designed to address the legal obstacles
to smart growth identified by roundtable participants.
Also in 2004, the NE/EFC developed most of a GIS inventory of protected lands using a
Geographic Markup Tool to allow online upgrades to conservation lands data sets.
From model ordinances to financial
instruments, a wide variety of smart growth
tools are now available to local land use
decision makers and stakeholders.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EF©N
Region 2 - EFC at Syracuse University at the Maxwell School
of Citizenship and Public Affairs
The Public Management and Finance Program (PMFP), a hallmark project of the EFC,
provided assistance to more than fifty communities in New York. The PMFP has served
as a means for municipal professionals and leaders from EPA Region 2 communities to
learn, explore, and discuss public finance and other issues relative to environmental
improvements. The PMFP alliances and collaboration among technical assistance
providers has been instrumental in removing gaps in the delivery of technical assistance
to these communities.
Other services provided by the EFC during 2004 included assistance with rate setting and
analysis, facilitation of processes relative to environmental improvement, training events
focused on environmental issues, and
the EFC has developed a distinctive
niche with respect to generating
public interest in environmental
infrastructure projects.
analyses of funding options. Of equal
importance during 2004 were activities
associated with the Source Water
Protection project, performed under
the leadership of the New Mexico
EFC. The source water activities have led to support from a private foundation to build
upon the work accomplished through EPA support.
With regard to stakeholder outreach and education, the EFC has developed a distinctive
niche with respect to generating public interest in environmental infrastructure projects.
By customizing the outreach strategy for each community, the EFC found that public
education and outreach strategies were successful in relaying an understanding about the
impetus for a project, the process of project development and the derivation of the
household cost.
The EFC has developed a unique role in the provision of customized training. In order to
impart the greatest benefit to communities without duplicating existing training available,
the EFC collaborates with partners, such as the Rural Water Association, RCAP
Solutions, NY Conference of Mayors, Association of Towns and more, to create
customized instructional formats focused on smaller groups and individuals, and
incorporated a multitude of subject areas. During 2004, the EFC invited more than 1,400
local government officials and technical assistance providers to its specialized training
events. The subjects addressed in these trainings included public finance, capital planning
and budgeting, municipal bond issuance, computer finance models, rate setting and
analysis, asset management, environmental conflict management and resolution, project
financing procedures and regulations, and Process Communication Management.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EFGN
Region 3 - EFC at the University of Maryland
On September 1, 2004, the Environmental Finance Center switched from the University's
Sea Grant Program to the Institute for Governmental Service at the University of
Maryland. Leveraging the resources of three established University of Maryland
programs - the EFC, IGS, and Sea Grant - will result in new and innovative approaches
to building sustainable, livable communities throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.
The Maryland EFC continues its focus on providing training and information on
watershed-based financing; investigating new and innovative uses of funding sources and
emerging markets; assisting communities and local governments with capacity
development; developing effective outreach and education tools for innovative and
sustainable environmental finance approaches, and working with the Chesapeake Bay
Program, the University of Maryland Institute for Governmental Service, and Maryland
Sea Grant College.
the EFC shifted its focus from doing rate
analyses to offering individual training
on the rate analysis process itself
Much of the EFC's work has
been to assist community leaders
throughout the region in their
efforts to finance the restoration
and protection of the Chesapeake
Bay. In an effort to identify funding opportunities for financing this challenge, the
governors of the Bay states authorized the formation of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Blue Ribbon Finance Panel and requested the EFC's assistance in staffing the Blue
Ribbon Finance Panel. The Panel was charged with evaluating possible funding sources
and financing mechanisms for reducing nutrient and sediment pollution throughout the
Bay watershed. The EFC played an integral role in developing program strategies,
providing technical support, as well as facilitating and coordinating panelist discussions.
The EFC has been presenting the final report, Saving a National Treasure: Financing
the Cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay, at Tributary Team meetings around Maryland.
The EFC continued to offer rate design and training workshops to elected officials, utility
operators, engineers and others interested in the concepts and technicalities of properly
managing and sustaining utility systems. The previous years' training array was
broadened by the addition of several new courses outlining overall management and asset
preservation practices that can help the utility continue functioning over time. In an effort
to encourage community systems to take ownership of the rate analysis process, the EFC
shifted its focus from doing rate analyses to offering individual training on the rate
analysis process itself, coupled with training and assistance to system personnel as they
perform the analysis process themselves.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EF©N
Region 4 - EFC at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The UNC EFC sees one of its major roles as increasing the capacity of other
organizations to address the financial aspects of environmental protection. As part of that
effort, the EFC has been asked to help integrate environmental management concepts into
the UNC School of Government resulting in a comprehensive two-day course on capital
finance for local government utility, management, and finance officials. As part of that
effort, the UNC EFC developed presentations on using municipal budgets effectively to
encourage and monitor environmental management. Other trainings include capital
planning and budgeting, and capital budgeting with a water and wastewater capital
overview.
Leadership has become a topic of great interest nationally for public water and
wastewater utility managers. The UNC EFC presented financial management sessions
for utility managers from across the country at the Kenan-Flagler Business School's
executive education program designed for public utility leaders.
The EFC participated in an annual work session for Region 4 tribal environmental
managers. After making a presentation about different financial management tools and
strategies available to
communities, the EFC
met with several tribes in
the process of developing
water systems.
the UNC EFC works with decision makers to
assess the effectiveness of environmental
finance policies at a regional or state level
The EFC devoted a significant amount of resources in 2004 to providing direct support to
utility managers and practitioners throughout the Southeast. This technical assistance
included e-mail and phone consultations; management of listservs; site visits; and the
publication of guides and updates on key issues.
In addition to direct community outreach, the UNC EFC works with decision makers to
assess the effectiveness of environmental finance policies at a regional or state level, and
to improve those policies as a way of supporting local efforts. Major policy efforts in
2004 included assessing drinking water and wastewater infrastructure funding in
Appalachia and dissemination of the results; preparation of an inventory of different
funding approaches for on-site wastewater systems; participation in an advisory panel
addressing agricultural waste disposal challenges; participation with the North Carolina
State Revolving Fund Coordinator to present information on disadvantaged community
programs, and developing a statewide model stormwater ordinance.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EFGN
Region 4 - EFC at University of Louisville
The Louisville EFC continued to broaden its training and technical assistance services
with respect to contaminated land revitalization, working with a number of different
cities on brownfield redevelopment, smart growth planning for area development
agencies, and working with municipalities and states on the roles environmental
insurance can play in mitigating risks and attracting investments in reclamation.
The EFC also hosted the international conference on planning for urban sustainability
from which it is preparing a series of papers for dissemination. As part of its work with
EPA, the EFC provided input to EPA's Environmental Financial Advisory Board as it
addressed RCRA financial assurance and ways of providing greater certainty over firms'
financial capacity to remediate after completing ongoing operations.
Another major effort for the EFC is the continued expansion of its Practice Guides series
of briefing papers for local officials and local volunteer and citizen committee members.
The series is focused on aspects of land use planning and information systems for
promotion of urban infill, brownfield redevelopment and other aspects of smarter urban
growth.
The Center also provided direct technical assistance services to clients in Region 4 and
elsewhere, and contributed to providing training and technical assistance through a range
of other publications and presentations. These dissemination products have drawn on
information collection through EFC funding, but, in most instances, also have drawn
from or built on data gathered and research conducted by Center Staff and Associates.
Publications span professional
trade press and
outlets, since all
policy discussions
contribute to more
and cost-efficient
journals,
academic
influence
and can
effective
environmental finance practice
The Louisville EFC is continuing
expansion of its Practice Guides series of
briefing papers for local officials and local
volunteer and citizen committee members
As part of its work with the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB), the EFC
continued work on financial assurance requirements under RCRA regulations in order to
examine some issues associated with adding a new financial obligation for potentially
polluting small businesses.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EF©N
Region 5 - EFC at the Maxine Levin College of Urban Affairs at
Cleveland State University
The Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center (GLEFC) provides technical assistance,
training, and applied research as a resource for state and local governments, and public,
private, and non-profit organizations in EPA's Region 5. Services include financial and
economic analysis and strategies; policy analysis and planning; brownfields community
advisory services; research and information services; and training seminars and
conferences. The GLEFC utilizes many tools to assists clients, including financial and
budget analysis, market and impact analysis, best practice reviews, training seminars and
conferences, focus groups and community visioning/strategic planning processes, and
environmental planning and program evaluation.
GLEFC operations include several new projects, as well as projects that are driven by
continuing partnerships with federal, state and local governments spanning two or more
years, and second and third phases of externally funded projects. Brownfield technical
assistance has been a key program for
the GLEFC, which is in its fourth year
of convening the Brownfields One-
Stop-Shop (BOSS) forum of federal,
Brownfield technical assistance has
been a key program for the GLEFC
state, and local government economic
development and environmental officials, commercial and investment bankers, insurance
executives, foundation officials, and developers to review brownfield redevelopment
projects seeking financial and programmatic support. In 2004, the GLEFC merged the
BOSS Forum with the Ohio Brownfield Finance Partnership convened by the Ohio Water
Development Authority and moved the site of the Forum meetings to capitalize on the
emerging state-wide market for brownfield redevelopment projects.
The GLEFC also focused on several other urban projects designed to reclaim
environmentally contaminated properties. To list just a few: the GLEFC developed an
industrial land bank strategy and business plan for the City of Cleveland to enable the
City to acquire and assemble larger landscapes of property for economic development
purposes. The GLEFC assisted Cuyahoga County in defining the criteria for selecting
environmental engineering firms to conduct brownfield site assessments. At the request
of EPA's Region 5 office, the GLEFC initiated a national best practices scan to identify
innovation in financing lead remediation and abatement programs. The best practice scan
is being conducted for a consortium of local and federal agencies.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EFGN
Region 6 - EFC at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
The New Mexico EFC's core mission is to help state, local, and tribal governments meet
environmental infrastructure needs and regulatory compliance through state and local
capacity building and technical information transfer. Capacity building includes
enhancing technical, managerial, and financial capabilities to achieve consistent and
sustainable regulatory compliance and to develop sustainable infrastructure.
The NM EFC's core mission is to help state, local, and
tribal governments meet environmental needs through
capacity building and technical information transfer.
The NM EFC assists in
local capacity building by
examining alternative
approaches to meeting
regulatory compliance or
environmental infrastructure needs; empowering communities to act as the "drivers" for
their own projects; assisting with the procurement of professional services; presenting
funding alternatives; acting as a bridge between federal, state, local and tribal
governments; presenting neutral analyses of issues or projects, and gathering stakeholder
input.
The NM EFC has been extremely active over the past year and has experienced
significant growth in its program activities. Some major projects included: capacity
development activities for Region 6 states; capacity development program for New
Mexico; capacity development for Tribal water systems; Tribal Operator certification
program; Pilot Project on the feasibility analysis of water supply for small public water
systems; resource-based or unified source water protection project; independent analysis
of FCS leak detection technology for Albuquerque; water system collaboration pilot
project for New Mexico; water system collaboration project for New Mexico; and the
Public Management Finance Program (PMFP).
As an illustration of some of their work with Tribes, in 2004 the New Mexico EFC
continued its efforts to assist Tribal water systems improve public health protection
through stepped up activities involving the Tribal Operator Certification Program. One of
the measurements of the overall effectiveness of the program is the compliance record of
the Tribal water systems.
In addition, the NM EFC intends to introduce several new initiatives for 2005 that build
upon the work efforts of the EFC for the past several years. Among them are advanced
asset management for smaller water systems and work with a Tribal water system to test
a new technology for arsenic removal.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EF©N
Region 9 - EFC at California State University at Hayward
The Environmental Finance Center located at California State University is working for
greener communities through cleaner business by advancing the environmental industry
and promoting pollution prevention and source reduction. The EFC's mission is three-
pronged: 1) to encourage business to adopt source reduction and pollution prevention; 2)
to encourage consumers to choose green business and green business products, and 3) to
help communities promote cleaner business.
To that end, working with both the private and public sectors, EFC9 pursues its mission
through numerous tools including green business development, environmental mediation,
environmental business incubation, finance programs & directories, charrettes,
conferences & workshops, research publications and reports, and hands-on assistance to
small business.
The Region 9 EFC is working for greener
communities through cleaner business by
advancing the environmental industry and
promoting pollution prevention
Throughout the past year
EFC9 has continued to work
with both the public and
private sectors to promote
cleaner business. After laying
the groundwork for several
new initiatives, EFC9 has accomplished much in 2004 on the following projects: Western
States green business program coordination, business and environment in Hawaii,
environmentally beneficial behavior in television, continued follow-up to the Phoenix
Arizona brickyard charrette, Region 9 Tribal initiative, and the Western Regional
Pollution Prevention Network conference workshops and sessions.
Looking forward to 2005, the EFC will be undertaking several major new initiatives. The
EFC will conduct two Green Business Program (GBP) summits to establish guidelines
and a hierarchy for operating a statewide GBP program. Another effort involves product
placement on TV and in the film industry known as ACT Environmentally. The EFC will
expand on its successful work to date and increase its ability to place environmental
products in more productions as well as showcase how these products are beneficial to
the environment. The EFC also expects to work with salons and cosmetology schools in
California to determine the potential health and environmental impacts of products used
in salons. The focus of this pilot will be on common toxic salon products and potential
alternatives. The EFC will identify available alternatives to key toxic chemicals and
assess the barriers and opportunities within salons to adopt these alternatives.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EFGN
The major theme for the EFC this year
has been the development of additional
innovative software financing tools
Region 10 - EFC at Boise State University
The Boise State EFC serves the Region 10 communities of the Pacific Northwest and the
Intermountain states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The EFC creates
computer-based techniques and programs that provide important information for decision
makers to use in financing environmental systems. Because of its specialized services
and tools, the Boise State EFC has also served other communities throughout the country.
The major theme for the EFC this year has been the development of additional innovative
software financing tools to respond to the needs of water and wastewater systems, as well
as stakeholders involved in addressing non-point source water pollution challenges. The
following are some of the new
software tools made available to the
regulated community throughout the
country: Rate Checkup - a full-cost
pricing model for water systems;
System Development Fee Model -
created to help water systems calculate the impact of new development and to design
impact fees to recover those costs; Electronic Sanitary Survey - a sanitary survey data
collection system operated on hand-held PDAs; Plan2Fund for Idaho - a financing and
implementation model for application to the Clean Water Act Section 319 financing
program; One Plan BMP Financing Model - identifies opportunities for watershed
stakeholders to purchase additional BMPs to optimize water quality on privately-owned
land; Arsenic Exemption Tool - assists staff unfamiliar with financial analysis by
automatically generating a financial capacity report and, Capacity Tracker - supplies an
annual "report card" on a utility system's financial capacity and provides trend analysis
as well.
Another important focus of the EFC has been on watershed financing activities. The EFC
presented ten watershed funding workshops throughout Region 10 in 2004. Some of
these workshops were at the intermediate level (focused on watershed stakeholders who
are familiar with the watershed process but lack the knowledge and skills needed to
weave together a funding strategy) and several were tailored to communities that have
unique funding challenges. As part of the comprehensive financing tools made available
to stakeholders working on watershed protection and restoration, workshop participants
were provided with the Environmental Finance Center's database of funding resources,
which demonstrated how to acquire information on EPA and other federal, state, local
and private funding sources. Among the tools developed by the EFC is a Directory of
Watershed Resources, a database of funding sources that is being expanded nationally.
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NEW ENGLAND EFC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE
f
EFGN
je
.chool
2004 Annual Report of the Environmental
Finance Center Network
Region 1 - New England Environmental
Finance Center at University of Southern Maine
The University of Southern Maine "was established in 2000 as
the Region 1 New England Environmental Finance Center
INTRODUCTION
The EFC at the University of Southern Maine (NE/EFC) serves the six New England
states (U.S. EPA Region 1). The purpose of the NE/EFC is to further the joint goals
of the U.S. EPA and the Muskie School of researching, publishing, and extending
creative approaches to environmental protection and management, especially
respecting the associated "how-to-pay" questions. In particular, the Center works to
advance the understanding and practice of "smart growth" throughout New England;
in building local capacity to deal with related issues; and in developing and applying
techniques that go "beyond compliance" with government regulations.
The NE/EFC at the University of Southern Maine, housed in the Muskie School of
Public Service, has a primary focus on land use and conservation issues. The NE/EFC
began its activities 2001, and has undertaken a broad range of initiatives in the
intervening four years. Calendar year 2004 was a period of considerable activity in
numerous areas.
REGION 1
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NEW ENGLAND EFC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE
*
EFGN
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
NEXT COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE
From model ordinances to financial instruments, a wide variety of smart growth tools
are now available to local land use decision makers and stakeholders. Among the
primary lessons of the NE/EFC experience is not that people are generally unfamiliar
with these tools and the principles on which they are based; rather, the problem arises
when people try to implement them at the local level. In other words, the real
obstacles to smart growth in New England are not technical or knowledge-based, but
attitudinal, institutional, and ultimately political in nature. This observation led the
NE/EFC, in collaboration with EPA Region 1, to create the Next Communities
Initiative (NCI), to address the effective use and implementation of Smart Growth
Principles and tools at the local government level. NCI is training motivated
community leaders and lay planners to make smart growth-oriented change happen in
their cities and towns.
The first step, in calendar year 2004, was development of a 3-day Interactive and
case-based workshop series to help concerned citizens to 1) learn that change toward
more sustainable land use is both desirable and possible; 2) gain an understanding of
the intricacies and subtleties of local government and politics; and 3) explore
obstacles to smart growth and how they may be overcome at the local level. In fall
2004, the NE/EFC conducted two pilot workshops in collaboration with partner
organizations in northern and southern New England (Maine, Massachusetts and
Rhode Island). The pilot workshops were evaluated as extremely successful by
participants. The next expected step is a "Train the Trainer" program and workshops
series, including a complete training manual to be posted on the NE/EFC website.
The curriculum now exists as three eight-hour, highly interactive and experiential
sessions:
Session One: Participants come to understand "sprawl" not as a technical
problem, but as (in Maine terms) a "wicked" problem - one that is ill- and
variously-defined, features a lack of consensus on its causes, and lacks obvious
solutions that don't involve challenging trade-offs and (often) fierce, value-based
opposition. Participants gain insights to become informed leaders in the
discussion of sprawl, and advocates of solutions that seek a wider public good
without undue injury to private interests and concerns. Participants leave the
session with a mindset that smart growth is an objective worthy of pursuit, and
ready to explore how to navigate change through the local political system.
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Session Two: This session educates individuals about local government processes,
both formal and informal. It helps those interested in changing local land use
policies understand the twists and turns of local government, what motivates and
constrains it, how to mobilize and support the town's opinion leaders and citizens,
and how to navigate the system to effect change.
Session Three: Conflict most often attends change. This session teaches
community leaders basic skills to deal constructively with conflict over both basic
values and perceived interests. It prepares them to treat both personal and social
conflict in the community setting. It also includes a final capstone game where the
skills, ideas, and information learned in the previous sessions are applied to a
practical case.
Building on the successful delivery of the first set of workshops, the NE/EFC aims to
move the NCI curriculum into a train-the-trainer format. By equipping organizations
with these curriculum materials and a comprehensive instructor's manual, it should be
possible to reach a broader audience and make a substantial contribution to smart
growth-oriented local land use change.
WATER PROGRAM
In 2004 the NE/EFC initiated a program in water-related finance and outreach
programming.
The first event of the year was in March, in which the NE/EFC brought drinking
water-related technical assistance providers together to 1) discuss services currently
provided to small water systems in Maine; 2) identify unmet needs of the community
of technical assistance providers; and, 3) collaborate on ways to address these needs.
This was done in collaboration with the Region 2 EFC.
A subsequent task was to provide an evaluation of stormwater finance options for a
group of municipalities working collaboratively under an interlocal stormwater
agreement. The report from this effort is publication #04-05 at
(http://efc.muskie.usm.maine.edu/docs).
Other efforts included development of an online directory of watershed funding
sources for Region 1, in collaboration with the Region 10 EFC and the EPA Office of
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Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds. This directory, which will function in concert
with an existing directory for Region 10, will be available online in 2005.
Other water-related initiatives under development in 2004 included investigation of
software training needs in basic financial management for water system managers;
organization of several utility finance meetings and conferences for the first half of
2005; and developing a beach closure finance workshop series with EPA Region 1 for
early 2005.
IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN MAINE'S
RURAL ECONOMY AND THE NATURAL RESOURCES-BASED INDUSTRIES
ON WHICH THEY ARE BASED
In 2004 the NE/EFC provided chairmanship of a "Steering Committee to Oversee
Implementation of Recommendations from the Elaine House Conference on Maine's
Natural Resource-based Industries." The November 2003 Elaine House Conference
produced 75 recommendations for action in the agriculture, aquaculture, forestry,
fisheries, and tourism sectors that are the foundation of Maine's rural economy and
landscape. As documented in its December 2004 report to the Governor (which can
be viewed at http://www.state.me.us/spo/natural/gov), the Steering Committee
oversaw significant progress on implementation of 60 of these recommendations by
the Executive agencies directly responsible.
ELAINE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON THE CREATIVE ECONOMY
In 2004 the NE/EFC served on the steering committee (and as the guiding force) for a
"Elaine House Conference" on the Creative Economy, the goal of which was to
create an action plan to maximize contributions of the creative arts and artists to the
revitalization of Maine's service centers and downtowns. The NE/EFC also led the
development of a pathbreaking report describing measurement and analysis of the
creative economy in Maine, available as publication #04-02 at
http://efc.muskie.usm.maine.edu/pubs.htm.
CHANGING MAINE, 1960 - 2010
In 2004 the NE/EFC published a book: "Changing Maine, 1960-2010," designed to
formulate and give circulation to a new, basic understanding of Maine and its place in
the world today, and to guide civic life and dialogue in the coming decade. The focus
of each chapter is on policy and policymaking as they have exerted influence on
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events. Topics addressed include energy, the environment, land use and sprawl,
forestry, agriculture, and fisheries, and many others. Chapters are based on lectures
from a series broadcast by Maine Public Radio to a listening audience of
approximately 15,000 persons in Atlantic Canada, Maine, New Hampshire, and
northern Massachusetts. The book summary can be viewed as publication #04-05 at
http://efc.muskie.usm.maine.edu/pubs.htm.
LAND USE LAW PROVISIONS
In 2004 the NE/EFC published "Some model amendments to Maine (and other
states') land use control legislation" in Maine Law Review. This document is
available as publication #04-06 at http://efc.muskie.usm.maine.edu/pubs.htm. It
emanated directly from the NE/EFC's roundtable discussions in 2002 and is designed
to address the legal obstacles to smart growth identified by roundtable participants.
Also the NE/EFC assisted (and continues to assist into 2005) the Community
Preservation Advisory Committee of the Maine Legislature, GrowSmart Maine, and
others in researching options for a legislative agenda based upon these model
amendments.
LAND FOR MAINE'S FUTURE EVALUATION
In 2004 the NE/EFC released a report evaluating the State of Maine's "Land
for Maine's Future" program (LMF), which had spent $85 million in state
bond proceeds for open space acquisition and protection. The report found the
LMF program to be well-conceived, wisely administered, and widely
supported among citizens. Participants and observers from across the state
agreed that its mission and practices are solidly grounded; that it has avoided
becoming politicized; and that it has evolved thoughtfully to respond to new
understandings of the role of land conservation and economic development in
Maine. The general perception is that LMF well and truly serves the people of
Maine. In general, it was observed to be a fine example of a public learning
organization: open and transparent in its processes; welcoming of public
participation and input; careful and strategic in its investment of public
monies to optimize among the highest public values; and reflective and
adaptive to changing circumstances and public needs.
The NE/EFC evaluation concluded that Maine land conservation especially under
LMF is rightly to be viewed as a basic infrastructure investment in the future of
Maine's environment, economy, and cultural heritage. Like our rail and highway
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systems, it is a foundation upon which coming generations of Maine people will build
their economy and culture, to reflect Maine values, needs, priorities, and diversity. To
realize the greatest return on this investment, Maine people might best regard the
LMF not as an end in itself, but as a tool or instrument of their larger, abiding
purposes: sustainable economic development, environmental stewardship, and
community building. The NE/EFC observed that there continues to be urgent need for
a state-funded land conservation effort in Maine, for which there is broad public
support; that LMF both deserves and needs to continue its efforts for the foreseeable
future; and that new funding is needed at this time, to continue this important effort.
The LMF report is available as publication #04-01 at
http://efc.muskie.usm.maine.edu/pubs.htm.
GIS INVENTORY OF PROTECTED LANDS DATA
In 2004 the NE/EFC developed most of a Geographic Markup Tool to allow online
upgrades to conservation lands data sets. Moving into the beginning of 2005,
complementary applications and analysis products are being incorporated into the
tool, to contribute to the establishment of a unified framework for capturing
conservation lands data in Maine and EPA Region 1 as a whole. The NE/EFC will
work with government agencies and spatial technology firms to develop technical and
data partnerships applicable to conservation lands data capture in EPA Region 1.
OTHER EFFORTS
Continued development of an online course in conservation finance, which will be
made available online in 2005.
Continued a scoping effort for costs of sprawl database for New England. Held
several planning meetings, reviewed literature, and formulated an approach and
timeline for producing deliverables.
Continued an inventory of state innovations in smart growth policy in New
England. Contacted numerous program administrators in each New England state,
began writing a document that will provide state policymakers a reference tool.
Continued work on a smart growth video project, including providing staff
support to the filming of interviews and scheduling filming days for case study
projects.
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Began work on the "Forum on Residential Density", including identifying expert
categories for the Directorate to be convened, and revising a document that will
be used to launch the Forum.
Through teleconferences and work on joint documents, served on several
workgroups for EPA's Environmental Finance Advisory Board.
APPENDIX 1
OUTPUT MEASURES FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2004
We use three categories of output measures, according to EPA's "Measurement Fact
Sheet" at: www.epa.gov/region09/funding/rcra measurements.html. These categories are
activities, outcomes, and impacts. We expanded the second category to include outcomes
specific to the type of work we do in Region 1.
ACTIVITIES
Media produced
Books and Articles posted on our website (http://efc.muskie.usm.maine.edu/pubs.htm).
1. Land for Maine's Future Program: Increasing the Return on a Sound Public
Investment (#04-01; Executive Summary; Full Report).
2. The Creative Economy in Maine: Measurement and Analysis (#04-02).
3. Changing Maine: 1960 - 2010 (#04-03).
4. Smart Growth, State Policy and Public Process in Maine: the Dunstan Crossing
Experience (#04-04).
5. Stormwater Utility Fees: Considerations & Options for Inter local Stormwater
Working Group (#04-05).
6. Some model amendments to Maine (and other states') land use control legislation
(#04-06).
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Workshops held
Freeport, Maine. Organized a meeting of 15 drinking-water related technical assistance
providers in Maine to discuss the services that are currently provided to small water
systems in Maine; to identify unmet needs; and to identify ways to address these needs.
Worked in collaboration with the EFC in Region 2 (Kim Farrell from Syracuse
University attended and gave a presentation).
Portland, Maine. Through efforts of a Muskie School graduate student working with the
Finance Center, the NE/EFC organized, hosted, and presented at the conference "Using
Sustainable Development as a Tool for Responsible Decision Making: A Land Use
Perspective." Over 100 people attended including planning board members, town
planners, architects, developers, transportation planners, and leaders from civic and
environmental non-profits (4/8/04)
Southwest Harbor, Maine. Moderated a forum and facilitated a public input session, on
the question of how much recreational use will be allowed on newly acquired
conservation lands (for the Appalachian Mountain Club, 10/2/04).
Portland, Maine. Spoke about Working Waterfronts and moderated a forum titled
"Development, conservation, and preservation of land and buildings: strategies for
successful co-existence". (Greater Portland Neighborhoods Coalition, 12/8/04).
Portland, Maine. Moderated a forum titled "Sprawl: It's not just a Cumberland County
phenomenon". (Greater Portland Neighborhoods Coalition, 12/8/04).
Augusta, Maine. Moderated a forum titled "Getting to Regionalization" (Grow Smart
Maine Summit, 12/10/04).
Other (media events, press releases, etc.
Regular postings of events and publications on our website.
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Outcomes
Customer satisfaction/awareness
Reports from events we coordinated or assisted with in 2004 were generally outstanding.
For example, in one review from a conference where we spoke and moderated several
sessions (Greater Portland Neighborhoods Conference, Portland, Maine), we heard
"overwhelming accolades for directing a large group of people through a seamlessly
delivered performance." Similarly, another group we assisted wrote us this note: "Your
work at the annual meeting was a significant turning point for the organization. The
survey you devised and the way you presented it made it easy for AMC Maine Chapter
annual meeting participants to express their position on wilderness protection. The results
were clear, important and significant."
Changes in customer behavior
Our work would not generally result in trackable behavior changes (see note under
'Impacts' below).
Improved regulatory compliance
Similarly, our work to date has had little to do directly with compliance issues.
Improved legislation with respect to land use
See "Mediaproduced' above. In 2004 we appeared before the Community Preservation
Advisory Committee of the Maine Legislature to describe the land use law provisions we
proposed. Discussions about how these provisions might be further improved are
ongoing.
Number of smart growth-oriented technical assistance responses provided
Eleven technical assistance responses were provided to individuals or organizations
requesting assistance or information about finance or planning of smart growth-oriented
projects in New England.
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Impacts
Note: The NE/EFC does not focus on achieving the types of impacts given as examples
in an EPA fact sheet on outcome measures (recycling, solid waste reduction, and energy
conservation; at: www.epa.gov/region09/funding/rcra_measurements.html). Our work is
focused on reducing sprawl, so impacts of our activities are about encouragement of good
development and preventing bad development. For example we help identify and
recommend modifications in land use policy at the state level. Impacts of some of these
changes might only be observable as a decline in the number of standard subdivisions in
the state over a long period of time. Thoroughly quantifying these impacts would require
years and a study design capable of separating out many nested influences. Our view is
that an annual estimate of "planning outcomes" is not a realistic goal, because results of
systemic changes in land use planning and policy take much longer than one year to
transpire, track, and interpret.
With this caveat understood, below are our broad estimations of the types of impacts
(benefits) that our 2004 activities may have had.
1. A clearer understanding of tradeoffs involved in choosing various methods for
financing stormwater utilities.
2. A clearer understanding of the need for public investment in open space acquisition.
3. A wider understanding of the role that the creative economy has in supporting
downtown revitalization efforts.
4. A broader understanding of the social, political, and other changes that have
transpired in Maine in the last 40 years and how they should shape current policy
discussions.
5. A broader understanding among land trusts and other conservation groups of the need
for incorporation of growth-related criteria in their land acquisition prioritization
systems.
6. Similarly, a wider understanding of the role that a vibrant natural resource-based
economy plays in the protection of the landscape, the restraint of sprawl, and the
promotion of smart growth.
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7. A greater chance that novel, comprehensive innovations in land use law might be
adopted in Maine and throughout New England.
Summary
We feel that in the categories of activities, outcomes, and impacts, we are progressing
toward the goals of the NE/EFC and contributing in a tangible way to the goals of the
EFCN.
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Region 2
Environmental Finance Center
MAXWELL SCHOOL OF SYRACUSE UNIVERS ITY
2004 Annual Report of the
Environmental Finance Center Network
Region 2 - EFC at Syracuse University
at the Maxwell School of Citizenship
and Public Affairs
The EFC at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University "was
established in 1993 as the Region 2 Environmental Finance
Center. The EFC serves the States of New York and New
Jersey as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
INTRODUCTION
The EPA Region 2 Environmental Finance Center (EFC) at Syracuse University's
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs was established in 1993.
During 2004, the Maxwell EFC continued to build a considerable record of
accomplishment. The Public Management and Finance Program (PMFP), a hallmark
project of the EFC, continues to thrive along with requests for other EFC services.
Over the course of the past year, the PMFP provided assistance to more than fifty
communities, and has been very well-received in New York because it enables
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communities to better understand the relationship environmental finance has with
other areas of government business, particularly economic or community
development. The alliances and collaboration among technical assistance providers
has been very instrumental in removing the gaps in the delivery of technical
assistance, although all partners of the PMFP are cognizant that the cumulative of
needs among communities exceed the resources available. Other services provided
by the EFC during 2004 included assistance with rate setting and analysis, facilitation
of processes relative to environmental improvement, training events focused on
environmental issues, and analyses of funding options.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has continued to contribute
support for the water and wastewater related activities of the PMFP, awarding
$205,300 to the Region 2 EFC for 2003-4 program activities. The bulk of activities
performed under the USDA grant involved specific municipal water or wastewater
projects in which there was a need to facilitate the processes involved in the planning,
financing, and implementation phases. These processes involved community-specific
public outreach and education strategies relative to the costs associated with water or
wastewater projects, a critical link needed to generate public awareness and support.
In addition to the process facets of specific projects, the EFC targeted the smallest
communities of New York State for training and capacity building initiatives. The
EFC ended the year with the submission of a proposal to the USDA Technical
Assistance and Training Program (TAT), including seven other EFCs (KY, ME, MD,
NC, CA, ID and NM) in the PMFP water and wastewater activities. It is hopeful that
the USDA will see the value and have the means to support a project implemented by
the Environmental Finance Center Network, although it is understood that funding for
such programs has declined due to homeland security and other national budgetary
priorities.
Of equal importance during 2004 were activities associated with the Source Water
Protection project, performed under the leadership of the New Mexico EFC. The
source water activities have led to support from a private foundation to build upon the
work accomplished through EPA support. Additionally, the EFC planned and
implemented a unique series of training events, the "Panels on Wastewater for Local
Representatives", which were developed in collaboration with the NYS Department
of Environmental Conservation, the NY Rural Water Association, and the NY Water
Environment Association. The EFC expects 2005 to be a year in which past and
present efforts will be built upon and continue to flourish, thus enhancing the services
it provides to EPA Region 2.
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ON-GOING ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS
Attendance at professional association meetings and presentations about the EFC
Network, and topic-specific issues including capital planning and financing, the
concepts of water and wastewater rate setting, collaborative planning, capacity
building, and sustainable community development.
Participating in planning prospective projects with government, nonprofit, and
private sector partners of the Public Management and Finance Program. This
includes projects that can receive support from private foundations.
Collaborating with other technical assistance organizations to provide assistance
to rural communities seeking to address environmental infrastructure
improvement projects.
Serving as a content provider to government and non-profit organizations that
provide assistance and conduct workshops for municipal decision-makers.
Continued emphasis on collaborating with other universities and non-profit
organizations to develop proposals addressing environmental concerns,
particularly those relating to water issues but also including brownfields
redevelopment, lead contamination and more.
Responding to requests from communities for assistance ranging from how to
finance major water system repairs and how to develop capital budgets for
environmental improvements to conducting focus groups to elicit public input or
assess public awareness and support of environmental projects.
Continuation of tasks and activities relative to specific projects, such as the
Source Water Project, rate analysis, and customized forms of assistance in cost
recovery.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
PUBLIC MANAGEMENT AND FINANCE PROGRAM
Since EFC 2 was established at the Maxwell School, it has become a resource for
municipal professionals and other community representatives through a variety of
presentations, workshops, and interactive forums. The Public Management and
Finance Program (PMFP), officially launched in April 2001, has served as a means
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for municipal professionals and leaders from EPA Region 2 communities to learn,
explore, and discuss public finance and other issues relative to environmental
improvements. The PMFP has received support from the United States Department
of Agriculture to continue working with rural communities struggling with water or
wastewater infrastructure development projects.
During 2004, the PMFP responded to requests from local government officials to
hold a topic-specific forum for local officials for the purpose of learning pertinent
environment-related information. The forum was held in February 2004 at the Town
of Alexandria Municipal Building. A representative of the New York Office of the
State Comptroller (NYS OSC) spoke with more than twenty five municipal
representatives about implementing intermunicipal agreements as a means to provide
enhanced or expanded services to their constituencies. Representatives of abutting
communities found that if water and wastewater projects are planned cooperatively,
the costs can be substantially less. The February forum consisted of a presentation by
the NYS OSC regarding the basics of intermunicipal agreements, including
successful and unsuccessful attempts to create such agreements, and was followed by
a facilitated discussion during which municipal representatives shared their thoughts
and community-specific concerns. Due to the success of this event, the EFC plans to
host additional forums for local representatives in 2005. The EFC hopes to engage
private sector engineering and finance firms to contribute to the sponsorship of these
forums. Aside from the monetary value of providing support to the forums, the
private sector has significant expertise to offer and will be asked to supplement some
of these sessions with presentations and discussions about their experiences as
appropriate and fitting to selected topics.
There is little change in the primary functions of the PMFP to facilitate partnerships
among technical assistance community, provide public outreach and education
relative to environmental improvements, and training to local government officials
and technical assistance providers. These three functions, or components, of the
PMFP can be critical links to the ability of a community to successfully develop a
project. The sub-sections below identify those links. (Refer to the 2002 and 2003
Annual reports for additional information about the components.)
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PARTNERSHIPS
The EFC sponsors quarterly "Technical Assistance Partnership Forums" for the
purpose of promoting and sustaining collegial relationships among technical
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assistance providers (TAPs). During 2004 the Forums were attended by an average
of 30 TAPs representing an average of 22 nonprofit, public, private and academic
organizations that serve New York as well as other states. The Forums have created
an environment in which an exchange of information reduces duplication of efforts,
thereby maximizing technical assistance resources available to other communities,
and promotes efforts that complement one another, enhancing the ability of the
communities they serve to access new or additional resources. It is the only vehicle
available to all TAPs to meet on a regular basis to 1) share information about projects
without interruptions; 2) discuss solutions to particular situations and "brainstorm"
relevant ideas; 3) learn about new statutes, procedures, or guidelines relative to their
fields; and 4) receive new or advanced training. There are immense values contained
in this activity if one considers the benefit to small communities that is imparted
when TAPs communicate with one another about project planning and
implementation. The Forums provide ample opportunity for TAPs to "connect" with
one another and facilitate communication about community infrastructure projects
and ideas. The Forums begin in the morning with each TAP briefly mentioning
projects or issues s/he is working with, followed by a specific topic of discussion -
alternative financing, funding procedures, conflict management, and stormwater
management were among the topics at the 2004 Forums. During the lunch hour, the
EFC invites a guest speaker who addresses another topic of interest and then engages
TAPs in an interactive discussion. The afternoon hours are set aside for open
discussions about a range of issues, concerns, or projects with ample opportunity for
people to network and share information.
STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
The EFC has developed a distinctive niche with respect to generating public interest
in environmental infrastructure projects; public outreach and education activities are a
critical link for a community to generate public awareness and support. Over the past
several years, the EFC has received calls from municipal leaders who have worked to
develop a much-needed project but fear that, ultimately, it may be rejected by voters
due to a lack public understanding. It is not uncommon for the public to vote against
a project due to misperceptions, particularly related to household cost issues.
The EFC has found that public education and outreach strategies have been successful
in relaying an understanding about the impetus for the project, the process of project
development and the derivation of the household cost. The EFC approaches each
community as a distinct entity in which no "one-size-fits-all" model of outreach and
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education can be applied. EFC staff meet with community leaders to learn the
historical elements of a prospective project as well as the current conditions
prompting the planning for the project. Information concerning the extent to which
groups have formed in favor or opposition to the project is obtained as well as all
information concerning estimated costs.
The EFC customizes the outreach strategy for each community. In some
communities, the EFC will develop a community-specific survey to gauge the level of
public interest and identify public perceptions. Alternatively, or in tandem with the
surveys, the EFC may conduct a series of focus groups to elicit input from
homogenous factions within the population and to get insight into any concerns that
might exist, what information (accurate or inaccurate) people have received, and what
the general perceptions are. These tools enable the EFC to create a sensible strategy
for the public outreach and education process. Depending on the community, the
EFC might create materials for display and/or distribution in which information, such
as the cost of wells/septic systems, is effectively depicted using graphic and verbal
methods. Other material might include information concerning the costs associated
with getting water from source to tap. While there is a myriad of information
available in which such facets of water are illustrated, it is usually very generic and
communities can be unresponsive - it is not "their" community and therefore
"inaccurate". EFC material is created to be specific to the community and
consequently enjoys an element of responsiveness from community members that
generic material cannot provoke.
Another outreach tool is the Community Roundtable. The EFC uses public property
or voter lists from the local government to randomly invite up to 50 people to attend.
To date, all Roundtables attract more than the number of people who responded that
they would attend. The EFC brings a light meal in the early evening and creates a
panel of "experts" at the front of the room. The panels are typically comprised of at
least one local government official, an engineer, and a representative from a
government-sponsored funding agency. The meetings begin with all present
introducing themselves and stating what motivated them to attend. The EFC
facilitator provides a set of "rules" concerning the purpose of the meeting and giving
assurance that all views are valid and worthy of discussion. The facilitator then leads
the panel through a brief series of questions concerning the impetus for the project,
the technical feasibility of the project, and the anticipated costs per household. The
panel provides information on how financing takes place, the length of time it will
take for the project to be built, and other issues the EFC believes appropriate. The
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audience is then engaged in a facilitated discussion in which they are provided the
opportunity to express their concerns. The Roundtables have always resulted in
positive and highly constructive discourse focused on the project. Public officials
frequently glean insight they previously did not have and the public always gets
information that is accurate and framed in terms they can understand.
TRAINING
The EFC has a developed a unique role in the provision of customized training. As
the PMFP was being developed, the EFC sought to ensure that its trainings
complemented the training provided by its partners, including organizations such as
Rural Water Association, RCAP Solutions, NY Conference of Mayors, Association
of Towns and more. In order to impart the greatest benefit to communities without
duplicating existing training available, the EFC has collaborated with its partners to
create customized instructional formats, focused on smaller groups and individuals,
which take place over a three to four day period and incorporate a multitude of
subject areas. This allowed for the EFC to "fill the gaps" that were believed to exist
in the delivery of technical assistance and training among smaller communities.
During 2004, the EFC invited more than 1,400 local government officials and
technical assistance providers to its specialized training events. Furthermore, the
EFC made itself available to provide content to the trainings held by its partner
organizations as needed and appropriate.
The launching event for the PMFP took place in April 2001 at Syracuse University's
Minnowbrook Conference Center, located in the Adirondacks. In 2002, there were
two PMFP events held at Minnowbrook; in 2003, there were three. In 2004, three
separate multiple-day training events, consisting of six distinct trainings, were held.
A minimum of three training events are scheduled to take place in 2005. The topic
areas presented at the training events were determined primarily by responses from
TAPs and community representatives. The EFC staff makes every attempt to respond
to the expressed interests of participants. The subjects addressed in the 2004 trainings
included public finance, capital planning and budgeting, municipal bond issuance,
computer finance models, rate setting and analysis, asset management, environmental
conflict management and resolution, project financing procedures and regulations,
and Process Communication Management.
Each training event integrated "case simulations" into the format. The simulations are
developed using real case studies as the basis of the role assignments and training
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material. Participants assume new "roles", which are opposite of their professional
roles, to enable them to experience other perspectives. Each group is comprised of an
equal distribution of technical assistance providers and government officials, which
supports the ability of individuals to explore all perspectives of a given situation. The
simulation community members spend the majority of their time solving the
problem(s) at hand using the training material for reference and guidance with
techniques and methods. The last section of the training events is dedicated to
presentations from the simulation communities. During this time, all training
participants discuss alternative solutions as well as share real experiences they have
had with similar situations. This highly interactive format encourages "peer-to-peer"
learning, applied learning, and "shared" learning as simulation group members form
teams to solve problems under constrained time and resource conditions. Unlike
many training or learning methods, the simulation method is steeped in team building
and reliance on the strengths of individuals within the group - everyone participates
in the learning process without feeling inhibited or intimidated by unfamiliar
information or any lack of skills.
The EFC staff will continue to elicit participants for additional topics of interest and
attempt to incorporate those interests into future trainings. Consistently, community
representatives and technical assistance providers alike highly rate the PMFP training
in terms of both format and content. The training events have continued to expand
the clientele of the EFC, as many community leaders have requested specific
assistance or asked to be put in contact with partners' technical assistance services.
The trainings are a significant accomplishment, "bridging the gaps" in terms of
having a means for technical assistance providers and local governments to interact in
a comprehensive manner, using a variety of methods to promote learning,
networking, and the delivery of solid expertise relative to environmental
improvements. The PMFP will continue to use highly interactive and participatory
methods of delivering all of its components.
SOURCE WATER PROTECTION PROJECT
Under the leadership of the University of New Mexico EFC and in cooperation with
EPA Region 2, the EFC has been working with communities in Chenango County,
NY with common concerns for potential drinking water contamination. To achieve
an outcome that combines both process facilitation and direct technical expertise, the
EFC continued enjoying a collaborative relationship with the Water Resources
Institute to carry out the activities of the project. The project was completed in June
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2004, but the EFC has continued to work with the Chenango County Water
Operator's Council. Through the Council, the EFC secured a $6,000 grant from the
Altria Group, a private foundation, to work on a project in the County aimed at
raising awareness of drinking water sources and protection among private water
system users. The following activities were completed on behalf of the Source Water
Protection Project during 2004:
Built upon the successes of the project by obtaining a grant of $6,000 from the
Altria Group, parent corporation of Kraft Foods. Several Kraft water operators
are Water Operators Council members and it is through their efforts that the EFC
successfully applied for the funding. The grant will be used to conduct focus
groups and community meetings and develop outreach material to promote source
water protection practices among homeowners. This work will set the stage for
later work to promote actual testing of source water.
Facilitated monthly meetings of the Chenango County Water Operator's Council,
a group of public and private water system operators and representatives from the
County Health and Planning Departments, Soil and Water Conservation District
and the local Environmental Education Center.
Developed Council meeting agendas in conjunction with Co-Chairs and
scheduled speakers and presentations on the following topics:
o USDA' s Conservation Enhancement Program
o EPA's Disinfectant Byproduct Rule
o U.S. Geological Service and underground aquifers
o NYS Department of Health (NYS DOH) and Community Environmental
Management as it relates to source water protection
o Well maintenance
o Hydrant maintenance and repair
o Sample, testing and system maintenance
o Susquehanna River Basin Commission Groundwater Management Plan
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o
Water system security and financing
o NYS DOH operator grades and certificates
o NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Storm Water
Management
Assisted the Council in developing and compiling a survey of public water system
equipment in the County that is available for emergency loan, thereby helping to
ensure that all municipal water systems are able to provide uninterrupted service
to the public.
Published the Council Update, the Council's quarterly newsletter distributed to all
system operators and elected officials in the County.
Completed or planned source water assessments to supplement the NYS DOH
assessments to identify potential sources of contamination to drinking water.
Distributed meeting notes and agendas to all water system operators and other
interested parties in the County (there are 63 system operators and 37 elected
officials-congressmen, mayors, supervisors, state senators and assembly
representatives).
The Source Water Protection Project is based on the notion that communities working
proactively to protect their health and resources will prevent contamination of their
drinking water sources. A proactive approach can help a community avoid serious
health risks associated with drinking water contamination. It can also be an
economical approachpreventing contamination can be much less expensive than
cleaning a contaminated source. The brochure the EFC developed in 2002 for
distribution to water systems, customers, community groupsanyone interested in
protecting their drinking water, continues to enjoy broad distribution and effectively
provides basic information about source water protection.
RATE SETTING ASSISTANCE
During 2004 the EFC continued to work with communities attempting to create
equitable user rates as they pursued water and wastewater system improvements.
During 2002 and 2003, the EFC developed a more customized system of delivering
training and assistance to communities because workshops and instruction at training
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events did not appear as valuable to the actual learning process for many
practitioners. What the EFC learned through evaluations was that the training events
often resulted in "information overload" and municipal representatives derived
greater benefit from more one-on-one methods of instruction.
Providing individual assistance requires more time on the part of EFC staff, however,
it results in the delivery of more comprehensive information to communities and
ensures their ability to develop a stronger internal capacity to work with rate
structures. In turn, this assures that the government's investment in the EFC will
have the longer term impact it seeks. Over the past decade, the EFC has recognized
that rate setting training delivered in the classroom to groups of practitioners does not
have the same long term value, particularly when consideration is given to changes in
political administrations responsible for rate setting decisions. Human nature inhibits
many individuals in a group setting from asking specific questions relative to their
circumstances, or otherwise fails to recognize differences in learning styles. By
working with communities on an individual basis, the EFC is not only facilitating
capacity-building within a community, it is complementing the broader training
provided by other technical assistance providers, such as the Rural Water
Association, which continues to deliver training using classroom methods.
During 2004, the EFC provided either comprehensive rate analyses or customized
training to many communities including the Village of Watkins Glen, Town of
Fenton, Town of Westport, Town of Kirkwood, Town of Jasper, Village of
Springville, Town of Inlet, City of Dunkirk, Village of Bergen and Village of
Harrisville. Other communities have contacted the EFC expressly about assistance
with rate structures. The EFC anticipates working with several of those communities
but cannot do so until specific data is made available.
PANELS ON WASTEWATER FOR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES
Developed and implemented in 2004, the "Panels on Wastewater for Local
Representatives" are the product of a collaborative approach involving NY Water
Environment Association (NYWEA), NY Rural Water Association (NYRWA), NYS
Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the EFC. While many
think of the Chief Operator as the responsible party for a municipal wastewater
system, the overall success or failure of the system largely depends upon the local
officials and other non-technical staff. Informational sessions were specifically
designed to reach out to local officials and other non-technical staff; the target
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audience was comprised of local representatives who contribute to the management
of their wastewater facility including mayors, supervisors, clerks and sewer board
members. Each session was filled to capacity, involving a total of 75 attendees which
included mayors, supervisors, clerks, treasurers, sewer board members and
wastewater operators.
Municipal wastewater treatment plants represent a huge capital investment that
provides a critical public service. This program enabled participants to better
understand and manage this investment by conveying technical information in layman
terms. All sessions were held in the evenings and began with a light dinner,
sponsored by NYWEA and NYRWA, to give participants the opportunity to network
with funding agency representatives, NYSDEC Regional Water representatives and
other technical assistance staff. A basic overview of wastewater "lingo" and
treatment processes was presented to encourage officials to communicate with
technical operators about management and operational issues on a routine basis. The
importance of protecting, maintaining and providing adequate financial support was
emphasized. Participants left with a clear sense of environmental administrative
responsibilities, the need to maintain compliance and educate the public.
A key component of each session focused on funding sources for wastewater
infrastructure improvements. Representatives from NYS Environmental Facilities
Corporation, USDA Rural Development, NYS Energy Research and Development
Authority, and NYS Department of State Appalachian Regional Commission spoke
about potential sources of funding for wastewater projects and provided a wealth of
information for participants.
Several factors were instrumental to the success of this project including: free-of-
charge evening sessions, an interactive agenda, and conveyance of technical
information in laymen terms. Additionally, a comprehensive marketing approach,
using printed and electronic media buttressed by personal contact, was implemented
to reach the target audience throughout New York State. A pre-session questionnaire
focused on participants' needs and key issues, coupled with a facilitated roundtable
discussion, allowed each session to be responsive and individualized. Participants
were afforded the opportunity to network with both funding agency representatives
and technical staff. Overall, participants gained an enhanced understanding of
wastewater treatment including the financial, managerial, and environmental
responsibilities of elected representatives.
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All sessions were very well attended, confirming a clear need to continue this
outreach effort. Topics for future events were identified by participants during the
roundtable discussion to maintain responsiveness to community needs. Evaluations
showed that participants supported the content and structure of the Panel. Most were
able to pinpoint their community's key issues, and planned to become more involved
in wastewater management. Plans to continue this successful collaborative effort in
2005 are underway.
EFC COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES SUMMARY
EFC NETWORK
The Public Management and Finance Program mentioned previously in its own
section was the most significant collaborative activity during 2004, as it was in
2001, 2002 and 2003. EFCs located in Kentucky, North Carolina, New Mexico,
Idaho, California, Maine and Maryland were included in a proposal submitted to
the USDA in December 2003 to fund the water and wastewater work of the
PMFP.
Through the leadership of the New Mexico EFC and in collaboration with four
other EFCs, the EFC 2 will continue to collaborate on the Source Water Project
mentioned previously. The EPA funding for the project officially ended in June
2004; however, the EFC 2 sustained the project through support from a private
foundation. A continuation of EFC 2 activities is planned through 2005.
Through the leadership of the EFC@UNC (North Carolina) and in collaboration
with the EFC at the University of Maryland, the EFC 2 prepared environmental
finance case studies relative to the Appalachian region, focused on Appalachian
community infrastructure funding gaps and Appalachian communities that have
successfully provided adequate levels of infrastructure investment.
The New Mexico EFC (lead), in collaboration with five additional EFCs,
provided an opportunity for the EFC 2 to participate in a Water System Security
project which will address the "how to pay" issues surrounding water system
security measures. EFC 2 staff will receive training and impart this knowledge to
communities and appropriate technical assistance partners throughout EPA
Region 2. The project received funding and is scheduled to begin in early 2005.
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The EFC 2, in collaboration with two other EFCs, submitted "Capacity Building
for Morocco NGOs and the Department of the Environment" in August 2004.
The purpose of this proposal is to provide training and outreach for Moroccan
environmental NGOs and the Department of Environment in order to improve
their capacity to protect the environment and enhance their enforcement efforts.
Notification of grant funding is pending.
Other
The "Panels on Wastewater for Local Representatives", mentioned previously in
its own section, are a collaborative effort involving the EFC, New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation, NY Rural Water Association, and
NY Water Environment Association. The EFC plans to build upon this project
throughout 2005 with additional funding from the NYS DEC, anticipated in
spring 2005.
Continued developing concepts and proposals with the Water Resource Institute
of Cornell University to work with communities seeking environmental
improvements. WRI has immense technical strengths and the EFC has immense
financial and process-oriented services that, when combined, make a
complementary team. During 2004 WRI and EFC discussed numerous
prospective opportunities to consider for the future.
The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (NYSEFC), RCAP
Solutions, Inc. and EFC staff collaborated on several occasions in 2004 to provide
comprehensive assistance to communities in need of drinking water and
wastewater systems. RCAP and NYSEFC provided assistance in developing the
applications for grants and loans while the EFC focused on methods to generate
community support and customize public education efforts concerning the costs
of systems and issues surrounding the impetus for the projects.
INITIATIVES FOR 2005
Develop new projects in collaboration with the Center of Excellence in
Environmental Systems, led by Syracuse University and the New York Indoor
Environmental Quality Center, an umbrella organization that channels the efforts
of 12 research institutions, targeted research centers, and nearly 50 businesses and
economic development organizations that are participating in this regional
initiative.
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Develop projects in New Jersey and other areas within EPA Region 2. This
entails continuing to work with the New Jersey Pinelands Commission on a waste
management district project. The Commission contacted the EFC in 2004 to
assist them in public outreach and education for a special district to manage septic
systems in this environmentally sensitive area. New construction in the Pinelands
is required to include advanced septic systems to reduce the potential of nitrogen
and other contaminants entering the environment. The Commission is concerned
that these systems be properly maintained and would like the EFC to work with
them on determining public knowledge and acceptance of waste management
districts. The EFC has proposed a series of focus groups and other outreach
methods to identify stakeholder concerns about potential districts. The EFC will
build on this project by continuing to identify potential partners and projects in
New Jersey.
Implement and build upon the "next stage" of the Source Water Protection
Project. In 2004, the EFC received funding from a private foundation to support
focus groups and community information meetings which were held in late 2004,
with plans to continue these efforts in 2005. Additionally, the EFC has submitted
a proposal for funding to expand these efforts; anticipated activities include
supplemental trainings and the development of customized community outreach
and education materials. This work will pave the way for additional project
activities and growth. Thus, the intent of the EPA to provide "seed" funds to
enable a broader project will be achieved.
Continue to develop the "Panels on Wastewater for Local Representatives" in
collaboration with the NYS DEC, NYRWA and NYWEA, expanding upon the
subject matter presented and incorporating additional partnering organizations as
appropriate. Supplemental funding from the NYS DEC is anticipated in 2005.
Continue to develop the Public Management and Finance Program, particularly
with respect to pilot testing the concept in at least two other states served by an
EFC. This will involve coalescing technical assistance providing organizations,
identifying two communities, and sponsoring travel to New York for
representatives of those communities to receive training at one of the EFC's three-
day training events. This will, first, show the commitment to the collaborative
element of the PMFP, and, second, it will enable the PMFP to elicit data on the
needs of communities outside of New York and, thus, be able to develop
proposals for funding accordingly.
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Support graduate student projects to research environmental finance issues for
communities and other nonprofit or government associations. It is anticipated that
various capstone projects will be carried out in May 2005.
PRESENTATIONS, CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS
In addition to the aforementioned projects, the EFC regularly participates in national,
state-wide, regional and local professional events. The following summarizes these
activities and also includes representative examples of project activities.
January 2004 - Traveled to New Mexico to meet with USDA representatives and
NM EFC staff to plan for the development and implementation of the PMFP in
New Mexico.
February 2004 - Presented information about the EFC Network and the PMFP at
the New York State Association of Towns Annual Meeting in New York City.
February 2004 - Traveled to North Carolina to meet with the USDA
representatives and EFC@UNC staff to plan for the development and
implementation of the PMFP in North Carolina.
February 2004 - Facilitated PMFP Partnership Forum for technical assistance
providers; primary topic: municipal financing.
March 2004 - Attended Environmental Finance Advisory Board meeting in
Washington, DC, which preceded the EFC Director's meeting that took place
immediately thereafter.
March 2004 - Presented information about the EFC Network and facilitated a
roundtable discussion in Freeport, Maine to assist the New England EFC with the
"Technical Assistance Issues in Maine Towns" meeting.
March/April 2004 - Conducted training event at Syracuse University's
Minnowbrook Conference Center for local government officials and technical
assistance providers.
May 2004 - Conducted training event at Syracuse University's Minnowbrook
Conference Center for local government officials and technical assistance
providers.
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May 2004 - Presented four public outreach sessions in Dunkirk, NY about the
value of municipal drinking water.
May 2004 - Presented at the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control
Commission conference in Lake George, NY about financing watershed
protection.
June 2004 - Facilitated PMFP Partnership Forum for technical assistance
providers; primary topic: stormwater management.
June 2004 - Received an additional one week of training in Process
Communication Management in Little Rock, Arkansas for the purpose of
providing such training to local government officials.
July 2004 - Presented at the 2004 Society for Conservation Biology Conference
in New York City about the EFC Network with the New England EFC (and other
EFCs).
August 2004 - Attended Environmental Finance Advisory Board meeting in San
Francisco, CA.
September 2004 - Facilitated PMFP Partnership Forum for technical assistance
providers; primary topic: EFCN as a community resource.
September 2004 - Presented rate analysis options to board members of the
Village of Bergen, NY.
September 2004 - Facilitated two "Panels on Wastewater for Local
Representatives" in collaboration with the NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation, NY Rural Water Association and NY Water Environment
Association.
October 2004 - Conducted training event at Syracuse University's Minnowbrook
Conference Center for local government officials and technical assistance
providers.
October 2004 - Facilitated the third "Panel on Wastewater for Local
Representatives" in collaboration with aforementioned partners.
November 2004 - Attended Demographic Analysis Workshop in New York City
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for the purpose of improving research skills with US Census data and GIS
systems.
November 2004 - Presented at the NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation's "Manager's Forum" in Syracuse, NY about the EFC and the
"Panels on Wastewater for Local Representatives".
December 2004 - Facilitated PMFP Partnership Forum for technical assistance
providers; primary topic: alternative financing through underwriting and other
means.
CONTACT INFORMATION
For more information, please visit our website: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/efc
or contact the Syracuse EFC at (315) 443-9994.
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Environmental
Finance Center
THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
OF MARYLAN D
2004 Annual Report of the
Environmental Finance Center Network
Region 3 - EFC at the University of
Maryland
The University of Maryland focuses on "watershed issues,
especially in the Chesapeake Bay region
INTRODUCTION
With support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the
Environmental Finance Center at the University System of Maryland was created to
assist local communities in identifying innovative and equitable means of paying for
environmental projects. The mission of the Environmental Finance Center is to
provide communities with the tools and information needed to manage change for a
cleaner environment and an enhanced quality of life. In an effort to encourage
communities to make informed choices related to the protection of the environment -
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especially watersheds - the EFC works to promote an atmosphere of respectful,
innovative, and creative communication.
NEW PARTNERSHIP
On September 1, 2004, the Environmental Finance Center officially joined the
Institute for Governmental Service at the University of Maryland. The EFC is excited
about the opportunities that this new partnership will bring. It will allow
communities throughout the region to leverage the resources of three established and
successful University of Maryland programs - EFC, IGS, and Sea Grant - and will
certainly result in new and innovative approaches to building sustainable, livable
communities throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.
Coinciding with the new IGS partnership, there have been several EFC staffing
changes. After 12 years of distinguished service, Dr. Jack Greer - of Maryland Sea
Grant - stepped down as EFC Director on December 31, 2004. Though Jack's
leadership will be missed, he has agreed to serve as Senior Advisor to the EFC. The
following is a complete staff listing:
- Dan Nees, Director
- Michelle O'Herron, Program Manager
- Jean Holloway, Training and Education Manager
- Dr. Jack Greer, Senior Advisor
- Michelle Lennox, Project Assistant
- Jennifer Cotting, Project Assistant
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
In order to help communities and local governments participate in effective and
responsible environmental management on a watershed scale, the Environmental
Finance Center continued to develop and deliver effective, innovative technical
assistance and training for financing environmental protection and restoration. To
carry out this goal, the Environmental Finance Center focused on the following key
objectives throughout 2004:
Delivered training and information on watershed-based financing.
Investigated new and innovative uses of funding sources and emerging markets.
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Assisted communities and local governments with capacity development.
Developed efficient and effective outreach and education tools for reaching a
broad clientele with information about innovative and sustainable environmental
finance approaches.
Worked with key partners, especially the Chesapeake Bay Program, the
University of Maryland Institute for Governmental Service, and Maryland Sea
Grant College.
Technical Assistance
Chesapeake Bay Blue Ribbon Finance Panel
A significant focus of EFC's work over the past decade has been to assist community
leaders throughout the region in their efforts to finance the restoration and protection
of the Chesapeake Bay, our nation's largest estuary. The funding and financing
challenges are significant. In order to solve the primary cause of the Bay's decline -
excess nutrients from farms, wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, city streets,
suburban lawns, even from the air - communities will be required to implement best
management practices (BMPs) far above those currently in place. The costs
associated with implementing these BMPs are staggering - upwards of $30 billion by
some estimates. In an effort to identify funding opportunities for dealing with this
enormous financing problem, the governors of the Bay states authorized the
formation of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Blue Ribbon Finance Panel. The
Chesapeake Bay Program requested the Environmental Finance Center's assistance in
staffing the Blue Ribbon Finance Panel as it undertook its important work.
The Panel was charged with evaluating possible funding sources and financing
mechanisms for reducing nutrient and sediment pollution throughout the Bay
watershed. The Chesapeake Executive Council, which establishes the policy
direction for the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay, asked the panel to
"consider funding sources to implement the tributary strategies basin-wide, and to
make recommendations regarding other actions at the federal, state and local level to
the Executive Council."
Fifteen distinguished individuals were selected to serve on the Blue Ribbon Finance
Panel. Panel Members included high-level business leaders of major companies,
financial and economic experts; stakeholders with experience in storm water,
agriculture, air emission and wastewater treatment plant funding and pollution
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control; and current and former local, state, and federal officials with financing
expertise. Additionally, experts and presenters from various fields of expertise
provided invaluable information to the panel.
The EFC played an integral role in developing program strategies, providing technical
support, as well as facilitating and coordinating panelist discussions. Each of the
Blue Ribbon Finance Panel Meetings addressed a particular sector that delivers
nutrients and sediment to the Bay. The sectors covered included Municipal and
Industrial Wastewater, Agriculture, as well as Developed Lands, Forests and Air
Deposition. The Panel's recommendations are contained in the 40-page final report,
Saving a National Treasure: Financing the Cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay. The
report is available on the EFC web site: www.efc.umd.edu.
In addition, the EFC has been presenting the results of the Blue Ribbon Panel at
Tributary Team meetings around Maryland including: Upper Western Shore,
Patuxent River, Patapsco River, and Upper Potomac River, in addition to the
Tributary Team Leaders in Annapolis, MD.
The Interagency Technical Assistance Committee on Wastewater Systems
in Maryland (ITAC)
In December of 2000, the leadership of the Maryland House and Senate, the Chairs of
the Economic and Environmental Affairs and the Environmental Matters Committees,
and the Chair of the Maryland Delegation to the Chesapeake Bay Commission wrote
to then Governor Parris N. Glendening about the wastewater needs of the State. In
March 2001 an Executive Order created the Task Force on Upgrading Sewerage
Systems to assess wastewater infrastructure needs and to identify other challenges to
the successful planning, design and construction of wastewater facilities to
accommodate existing and projected population. The previous EFC Coordinator
served on this Task Force and contributed substantially to its findings and
recommendations. The Task Force produced a report in December 2001 identifying
the need for $4.3 billion in capital funds to address wastewater treatment plants and
collection systems. The report made several other recommendations, including
evaluating and improving the Water and Sewerage Planning process.
In a follow-up to this effort, House Bill 659 was passed in the 2002 session of the
Maryland General Assembly. This bill was a combination of three bills before the
legislature, which called for the study of a wide variety of water security and
wastewater systems topics. HB 659 created the Advisory Council on Water Security
and Sewerage Systems and the Interagency Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC).
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The Interagency Technical Assistance Committee on Wastewater Systems in
Maryland (ITAC) was charged with implementing a recommendation of the
Governor's 2001 Task Force on Upgrading Sewerage Systems by advising local
jurisdictions on the efficient operation and financial management of wastewater
treatment systems. Currently, the EFC Training and Education Manager sits on this
committee.
In the course of initial joint meetings of the ITAC and the Advisory Council on Water
Security and Sewerage Systems (Advisory Council), it was determined that the ITAC
would be responsible for updating the 2001 Task Force report, as well as certain tasks
outlined in HB 659 originally assigned to the Advisory Council, specifically the
finance, public awareness and technical assistance recommendations from the 2001
Task Force Report. The ITAC was required to report its findings to the Advisory
Council on or before November 1, 2004, with the final report to be presented to the
legislature by the end of calendar 2004. The Advisory Council's work will be
complete with the submission of their report, but the ITAC will continue to review
and implement recommendations made by the 2001 report as well as new ones arising
in the course of the current deliberations and report from 2004.
To accomplish these initial tasks, several subcommittees were formed including a
Finance Subcommittee, chaired by the EFC Training Manager and a Public Education
and Technical Assistance Subcommittee, of which the Training Manager was a
member. The EFC Training Manager also assisted in the drafting of several sections
of the final report at the request of the Advisory Council chair and MDE staff. This
new committee concluded, among other things, that funding needs are now estimated
at approximately $5.3 million, and that funding currently committed may be
sufficient to meet those needs for the short term provided changes are made in the
way those funds are allocated and utilized. The committee's report, issued in
December 2004, also recommended that more effort be directed towards training for
local officials to enhance system capacity and sustainability, and that there appears to
be a need for better education on what balanced system operation entails. The ITAC
will continue to meet throughout 2005 to elaborate further on its findings and to make
recommendations for implementation of specific areas of its report.
Financial and management capacity training
Utility rates offer a mechanism for capturing most of the costs of operating and
maintaining water and waste water systems and can ensure that they are self-
supporting. Good financial management and sustainability for water and wastewater
systems entails prudent long range planning, especially Capital Improvements
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Planning (CIP) and Asset Management skills in addition to sound overall
management practices.
The EFC continued to offer rate design and CIP training workshops to elected
officials, utility operators, engineers and others interested in the concepts and
technicalities of properly managing and sustaining utility systems. The EFC made
use of the CAP Finance program developed by EFC 10 to illustrate sound capital
expenditure planning methods in its applicable training sessions, and to assist
communities individually when needed.
Since there is more to sustainability than just the ability to provide financial services,
the previous years' training array was broadened by the addition of some new courses
outlining overall management and asset preservation practices that can help the utility
continue functioning over time. One new offering focuses on the basics of Asset
Management for water and wastewater utilities. This course targets small systems
without formal asset management procedures and illustrates how to set up and
maintain a good program that will sustain the utility's infrastructure throughout its
useful life, as well as save on operating and replacement expenses in the long run.
The second new offering is aimed at non-technical, decision-making personnel
involved in small drinking water systems and provides an overview of the issues,
requirements and responsibilities for those who provide community drinking water.
This Small System Training unit focuses on issues like record and bookkeeping,
liability and risk management, self-evaluation of capacity, the need for written
procedures in certain areas, security measures and requirements, legal, financial and
administrative responsibilities and the basics of a system operations and maintenance
manual.
The addition of these new training programs has allowed the EFC to increase its
impact throughout the region. The EFC Training and Education Manager conducted
20 training sessions throughout Region 3, reaching 200 people representing 100
organizations. Training topics included: asset management, financial management
basics, and capital improvement planning. In addition, the Training Manager
participated in a panel discussion sponsored by the National Association of Towns
and Townships in Washington, D.C. The title of the discussion was, "Responding to
Environmental Challenges-Regulation Update, Asset Management, and Capacity
Development in Smaller Communities" The Training Manager also participated in
the Annual Training Institute at NESC by presenting two training sessions and acting
as a panelist/presenter in a third session. The Annual Institute is attended by trainers
and assistance providers from across the country and the Maryland EFC has been one
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of its co-sponsors for the past 5 years. The Training Manager also attended Rural
Water conferences in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, presenting one or more
training sessions at each one.
Utility Rate Studies
Much of EFC's work is based on the belief that full cost pricing and sound rate
setting practices are essential to sound financial management of a sustainable utility.
In an effort to encourage community systems to take ownership of the rate analysis
process, the EFC is shifting its focus from doing rate analyses to offering individual
training on the rate analysis process itself, coupled with training and assistance to
system personnel as they perform the analysis process themselves. It was felt that
this method would yield more long-term enhancement to systems' capacity than
actually performing this essential management function for them. Systems are also
instructed in the use of the various spreadsheets that the EFC Training Manager has
developed for rate analysis and are left with usable copies of these Excel documents.
Watershed Financing
Local officials and community leaders often focus watershed protection efforts on
one or two funding sources, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's Section
319 funds. This approach to funding is understandable given the complexity of the
problems, issues, and potential solutions available. Finding public funds - usually in
the form of grants - is often the easiest and least politically costly financing solution
to very entrenched issues and problems. Yet there is not enough public funding or
private grants to pay for the recovery of watersheds and habitat areas. The
Environmental Finance Center continues to work with community leaders in creating
watershed-financing plans that identify and leverage several types of sustainable
funding sources, the key to successful implementation of any community effort,
including watershed restoration and protection.
The Sustainable Financing Initiative
In the fall of 2004, the EFC expanded its watershed financing programs with the
development of the Sustainable Financing Initiative. The goal of this Initiative is to
provide communities with the tools they need to effectively finance and implement
watershed protection plans and strategies. This program is funded through a grant
from the Environmental Protection Agency.
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Over the next year and a half the EFC will hold four to five workshops around the
region focused on helping communities overcome barriers to implementing their
watershed plans. This past year the EFC, in partnership with the Maryland
Department of Natural Resources (DNR), set up a steering committee comprised of
representatives from a cross section of communities in Maryland who had been, or
were just becoming, involved in the Watershed Restoration Action Strategy (WRAS)
process through the state. The EFC convened the first meeting of the steering
committee in November to discuss the issues that needed to be at the forefront of the
Maryland workshop. The workshop for Maryland is currently being planned based
on the issues identified by the steering committee.
Chesapeake Watershed Dialogues
The National Parks Service (NFS) Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance
(RTCA) program, in partnership with the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania and
Virginia, has initiated a collaborative effort to foster local watershed management in
the Chesapeake Bay basin. The first stage of this effort will consist of a series of
dialogues aimed to teach local governments, organizations and other stakeholder
groups about watershed planning, and how these plans need to be incorporated into
local land use decisions and other conservation practices. Three to five high priority
watersheds from each state will be targeted for assistance from RTCA. After the
dialogue, an RTCA staff member will be assigned to assist each watershed with the
completion and implementation of their watershed plan.
The EFC participated in two of these dialogues over the past year. Last January the
EFC Director and Project Manager gave a general presentation on watershed
financing and participated in the workshop and discussions at the Maryland dialogue.
In November, the EFC again partnered with RTCA on a dialogue workshop held in
the Cacapon and Lost Rivers watershed in the northeastern part of West Virginia.
The West Virginia dialogue brought together state and federal agencies as well as
staff from the local Congressional district to discuss how to work collaboratively on
land preservation issues in this rapidly developing part of the Bay watershed.
Smart Growth in Maryland
Maryland's Eastern Shore in under significant development pressure as a result of
population increase. The Eastern Shore has become a popular place to live because
of its proximity to major cities, water-based recreational opportunities, low cost of
living and low crime rate. Small municipalities on the Eastern Shore struggle to cope
with the onslaught of growth with limited, or sometimes nonexistent, staff and
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financial resources and often outdated zoning ordinances. Many communities are
looking for ways to turn this growth into sustainable community development.
In November 2003, the EFC's Project Manager, and a representative from the
University's Cooperative Extension, attended a EPA Smart Growth training program
in Washington DC. After the training the Maryland Sea Grant Extension Director
received a $5,000 grant to help implement some component of Smart Growth in
Maryland. The EFC's Project Manager convened several meetings with
representatives from Washington College, The University of Maryland Institute for
Governmental Service (IGS), University extension representatives, The Conservation
Fund and a private consultant to determine how to use the resources that this group
could provide, including the EPA grant money, to do a community visioning project
for the Town of Galena on Maryland's Eastern Shore. These meetings were quite
successful and the group was committed and enthusiastic about the project.
The Project Manager presented the proposed project to the Galena Town Council on
March 1st and asked for their input and assistance. The idea was well received by the
Council and community members in the audience. Unfortunately, the Council
decided that they did not want to do a visioning exercise before they rewrote their
comprehensive plan. The group decided that doing a visioning exercise concurrently
with a comprehensive planning was not the right approach, and decided that their
resources could be better applied elsewhere.
Subsequently, IGS began working with Caroline County, Maryland to do a
countywide visioning exercise. The EFC has partnered with IGS and others on this
project, and is contributing to the survey phase of the project currently in
development. Also, in September the Extension Coordinator called together a group
of experts in this field from different departments of the University to discuss how
best to coordinate and utilize the resources available to communities from the
University. Everyone present agreed that coordinating the resources of this group
would provide a tremendous opportunity for future projects and partnerships. The
EFC will continue to work with this group on future projects.
Solomon's Harbor Septic Forum
The Project Manager continued to participate on a workgroup established by Calvert
County to look at innovative approaches to address the nitrogen entering Solomon's
Harbor from septic systems located in nearby residential areas. The workgroup is
composed of representatives from the County, technical experts and local residents.
The EFC has provided advice and expertise on innovative ways to finance the
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solutions that the group decided on. The group presented their recommendations to
the County Commissioners, and received a generally positive response. They
continue to meet periodically, and the EFC will remain engaged to assist them when
needed.
EFC COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES SUMMARY
EFC NETWORK
Source Water Protection Initiative
During the past year, the Maryland EFC completed its work with the Unified Source
Water Protection Project. The Project was charged with assisting communities
throughout the country in their efforts to protect drinking water sources. The
University of Maryland EFC is working to better incorporate such protection efforts
into larger watershed protection efforts.
Frederick County, Maryland
During this past year the Source Water Protection Plan for Lake Linganore was
completed and was presented to the County Commissioners in July. The
commissioners spent a considerable amount of time questioning the Project Manager
and County staff about the contents and recommendations of the report. They
concluded that they would reexamine the plan in November after the County got
additional input from homeowners and the agricultural community.
The revised plan was presented to the commissioners again in November and it
passed 4-0, with one commissioner absent. The commissioners then directed the
group to begin developing implementation strategies, and to return in several months
to present their implementation plan. The process of developing an implementation
strategy is being directed by the County Planning Department, but the EFC will
continue to remain engaged and offer assistance in the development of this strategy.
Berkeley County. WV
The Berkeley County Commissioners accepted the source water protection plan and
have already begun implementation of certain components. They have begun to
discuss how to set up a Water Resources Advisory Committee to advise the
Commissioners on water related issues. The group used a $25,000 EPA award it
received to pay for an educational program including an outreach booklet written for
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the general public explaining the threats to drinking water in Berkeley County and the
importance of source water protection.
Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Drinking and Wastewater
Infrastructure Needs Survey
The University of Maryland EFC partnered with the EFCs at the University of North
Carolina and Syracuse University on an Appalachian Region proposal that was
awarded funding. This project is part of a contract with the ARC to examine water
and sewer infrastructure needs and gaps in Appalachia. A graduate student was hired
to help with administering the survey and developing a case study on Accident,
Maryland. The project was concluded this past year with the finalization of the
survey results and the completion of the case study, which will be included in the
final report along with other case studies from around the region.
EFAB
As a member of the EFAB Nonpoint-Source Workgroup, Dr. Jack Greer, the
outgoing EFC Director, authored and submitted an article on watershed financing and
the Chesapeake Bay Blue Ribbon Finance Panel for the EFAB newsletter (to be
published in advance of the spring 2005 EFAB meeting). Dr. Greer also participated
in regular conference calls and assisted in developing a strategy to be presented at the
August 2004 meeting of EFAB in San Francisco, including a letter to the
Administrator of EPA detailing important mechanisms for approaching the issue of
nonpoint-source funding. In addition, Dr. Greer served as an expert witness on
EFAB, and participated in the planning of a conference to be held in conjunction with
the August EFAB meeting focused on the critical issue of affordability. He also
helped facilitate this conference.
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2004 Annual Report of the
Environmental Finance Center Network
Region 4 - EFC at University of
Louisville
The University of Louisville is one of two EFCs serving
EPA's Region 4 states of Kentucky, Tennessee,
Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina,
and North Carolina
INTRODUCTION
The Louisville EFC continued to broaden its training and technical assistance
services relating to brownfield regeneration and planning for more
environmentally and economically efficient market-driven human occupation in
2004. In addition to expanding its Practice Guides series of briefing papers for local
officials and local volunteer and citizen committee members, the Center hosted an
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international conference on planning for urban sustainability from which it is
preparing a series of papers for dissemination.
The EFC continued its direct technical assistance with respect to contaminated land
revitalization, working with a number of different cities on brownfield
redevelopment, smart growth planning for area development agencies, and
municipalities and states on the roles environmental insurance can play in mitigating
risks and attracting investments in reclamation. The EFC also provided input to
EPA's Environmental Financial Advisory Board as it addressed RCRA financial
assurance and ways of providing greater certainty over firms' financial capacity to
remediate after completing ongoing operations.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Among major activities of the EFC in 2004 was hosting the Sixth Symposium of the
International Urban Planning and Environment Association in September. In addition,
the EFC continued to expand its Practice Guide series, and to provide technical
assistance and training services in addition to producing other written materials for
practitioners.
International Conference on Local Sustainable Development Efforts
The 6th International Symposium of the International Urban Planning and the
Environment Association (IUPEA) was initiated by the EFC in 2003. The
Symposium was held in Louisville, September, 4-8, 2004, with the overall theme of
Global Pressures on Local Autonomy: Challenges to Urban Planning for
Sustainability and Development.
In addition to the EFC and EPA Region 4, the symposium was hosted by
University of Louisville College of Business and Public Administration
University of Louisville Center for Environmental Policy and Management
Louisville Metro Government
Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis
Supporters included
Ministry of the Environment, the Netherlands
Kentucky Chapter of the American Planning Association
Riverfields, an Ohio River conservancy
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University of Cincinnati, School of Planning
Bluegrass Tomorrow
Plenary speakers from outside the University of Louisville included:
A. Stanley Meiburg, Deputy Regional Administrator, Region 4, US EPA
Donald Mains, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, US HUD
Edward Gramlich, Member, Board of Governors, US Federal Reserve System
Joan Riehm, Deputy Mayor, Louisville Metro Government
Raquel Pinderhughes, Professor of Urban Policy, San Francisco State Univ.
James Throgmorton, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, Univ. of Iowa
The symposium attracted 213 attendees, including both public officials and
academic researchers, representing 23 different countries who presented and
discussed 78 papers based on their research and practice experience.
Field trips to examine inter-state cooperation in Ohio River preservation, sprawl
management around Lexington, KY, and inner city redevelopment in Louisville,
KY were included in the program, as was a focus group session on planning for
compliance with the new PM 2.5 air quality requirements that brought international
insights to bear on the policy options facing the Jefferson County (KY) Air
Pollution Control District.
Practice Guides and Working Papers
The Louisville EFC's Practice Guide series is focused on aspects of land use
planning and information systems for promotion of urban infill, brownfield
redevelopment and other aspects of smarter urban growth. The series development
is ongoing, and is specifically structured to take advantage of efforts conducted
under other auspices by Center personnel. (Authorships below identify EFC Staff
in bold and EFC Associates in parentheses)
Practice Guides Completed in 2004 and Available On-Line
"Greyfields" The New Horizons for Infill and Higher Density Regeneration
by K.M. Chilton
C&D Debris Recycling for Environmental Protection and Economic
Development by N.G. Leigh and L. Patterson
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Practice Guides Initiated before 2004 but still not completed
Financing Local Public Infrastructure: Determining an Effective Revenue
Stream that Supports Local Projects (S. Coffin)
Developing New Uses for Low-to-no-MarketBrownfields: The Affordable
housing Solution (S. Coffin)
Working Papers Posted On-Line
The Brownfields Phenomenon: Much Ado about Something or the Timing of
the Shrewd!" by K. Wernsted, A. Alberini, L. Heberle, and P.B. Meyer.
The Center has also provided direct technical assistance services to clients in
Region 4 and elsewhere, and contributed to providing training and technical
assistance through a range of other publications and presentations. These
dissemination products have drawn on information collection through EFC funding,
but, in most instances, also have drawn from or built on data gathered and research
conducted by Center Staff and Associates. Publications span professional journals,
trade press and academic outlets, since all influence policy discussions and can
contribute to more effective and cost-efficient environmental finance practice.
While some formally funded activities are listed below, the range of research
endeavor that has contributed to the Center's productivity includes extensive efforts
funded internally as part of university commitments of faculty time to the practical
application of research. The apparent leverage of the EFC funding, therefore,
significantly understates its real stimulus on related activity if only the externally
supported work is included.
Technical Assistance/Training Services Provided
EFC staffer K. Cairns served on the Board of the Kentucky Pollution Prevention
Center, continuing her term as the governor's appointee.
EFC Director P.B. Meyer provided assistance to efforts at University of Illinois -
Urbana-Champaign on the use of Tax Increment Financing to facilitate regeneration
of Great Lake shorefront brownfields. Provided guidance on resource documents
and feasibility analysis to planners at that university.
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EFC Director P.B. Meyer provided information to the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality on reuse options for the Vicksburg Chemical facility.
EFC Director P.B. Meyer participated and provided briefings in Regions 2, 8 and
10 on public sector utilization of environmental insurance both to protect
government fiscal policy and to encourage private sector investment on previously
contaminated sites in OSWER's Office of Brownfields Cleanup and
Redevelopment Workshops on Environmental Insurance for Regulators. The
briefings were conducted for Region 8, in Denver, CO, in April; for Region 10, in
San Francisco, CA, in June; and for Region 2 in New York in December.
EFC Director P.B. Meyer and C. Norton, EFC Planner, both attended EPA's
Brownfields 2004 meeting in St. Louis in September. Dr. Meyer organized and
moderated a session on private developers' valuations of different incentives
intended to attract them to brownfields, "ULI Developer-Members Tell Us What It
Takes to Attract Them to Brownfields." Panel members included private developers
and state officials. Both EFC representatives participated actively in a brownfields
transaction forum to learn more about the operations and concerns of public sector
agencies attempting to sell brownfields, and redevelopers looking for new
investment opportunities.
New Print Publications
EFC Director P.B. Meyer, K. Wernstedt and A Albenni" Practice Note: Brownfield
Redevelopment" Urban Land, July, pp. 28-31.
Externally-Funded Research Projects Involving EFC Personnel
The EFC at Louisville is imbedded in the University's Center for Environmental
Policy and Management (CEPM). Many of the EFC personnel also work part-time
on other projects in CEPM, tying their technical assistance and training functions in
the EFC to related projects supported with other funds. These projects include:
Urban Regeneration through Environmental Remediation: Valuing Market-
Based Incentives for Brownfields Development. Continued work on this study for
EPA and the National Center for Environmental Research with Resources for the
Future and the University of Maryland, initiated May 1, 2002. This study looks
explicitly at what public center incentives are most likely to attract developers to
undertake projects on brownfield sites, providing data for more cost-effective
redevelopment subsidy practices by both state and local governments. Findings
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from this study were part of the dissemination and training activities of the EFC in
2004.
Expediting the Environmental Insurance Purchasing Process. Continued work on
a study for EPA's OSWER Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
with Northern Kentucky University (NKU), initiated October 1, 2002. This study
involves following three local governments (one each in Regions 4, 5, and 6), as
they attempt to learn about, and work their way through, the complexities of
acquiring environmental insurance in conjunction with pursuing their
redevelopment efforts involving contaminated land. The cases will then be used to
provide guidance on how to expedite the process. The EFC provided technical
assistance to the local governments the case study cities to facilitate their efforts.
Accelerating Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment with Innovative Uses of
Environmental Insurance. New five year program of research and technical
assistance for EPA's OSWER Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment
with NKU, initiated October 1, 2003. This project involves updating information on
available insurance products applicable to redevelopment of contaminated sites,
monitoring state efforts to ease access to environmental insurance, investigating the
potential for pooling certain types of small brownfield sites such as old gas stations
to provide access to insurance, promoting an area-based approach in revitalization
efforts, and otherwise promoting infill through new risk management approaches
that ease access to capital.
INITIATIVES FOR 2005
The new initiatives launched by the Louisville EFC in 2004 represent efforts to
build on the foundation already laid. As noted above, complementary research
efforts were undertaken during the year. Those efforts should contribute to technical
assistance and training products in 2004 and beyond. Work on new Practice Guides,
intended for release in 2005, was initiated. EFC personnel also prepared other
publications, both in print and on-line.
Practice Guides Developed in 2004 now in Preparation for On-Line
Posting
Contaminated Properties: A Community Guide to Federal Regulations and
Programs by S. Hollis and S. Opp
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Initiating a Local Brownfields Programs: Outcomes Depend on Where you Place It
by S. Opp
New Dissemination Efforts
L. Heberle, with S. Coffin from St. Louis University and D. Bates of the College of
New Jersey, is preparing a paper on "Property Rights, the American Dream, and
Communist Urban Outsiders: Constructing the Anti-Smart Growth Message" for
the Urban Affairs Association meetings in Salt Lake City, UT, in April.
C. Norton is preparing a paper on "Brownfields outside the box: Off-site impacts
and the returns to local remediation subsidies" for the Urban Affairs Association
meetings in Salt Lake City, UT, in April.
L. Heberle and P.B.Meyer are preparing a paper on on "Public-Private
Partnership Problems: Mismatche Public and Private Sector Perceptions of the
Brownfield Issue and the Effects on Redevelopment Policy" for the Urban Affairs
Association meetings in Salt Lake City, UT, in April.
K. Cairns is preparing a paper on "The Long and Rocky Road: A Case Study of
Public Involvement and Participatory Planning in Environmental Justice Policy
Issues" for the Urban Affairs Association meetings in Salt Lake City, UT, in April.
New Participation in EFAB Task Forces
The EFC continued work on financial assurance requirements under RCRA
regulations in order to examine some issues associated with adding a new financial
obligation for potentially polluting small businesses and assigned a new University-
supplied graduate research assistant, Susan Opp, to collect additional information
and develop possible policy options. Specific involvements included:
Work with the HQ Environmental Finance Team and Region 4 Deputy
Administrator Stan Meiburg, who is also the Designated Federal Official for
the EFAB, on scheduling speakers and preparing content plans for a
workshop on financial assurance and insurance for June, 2004.
Attended and participated in the workshop on financial assurance and
insurance, New York, NY, June 14-15.
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Worked on follow-ups to the workshop and on defining some of the next
steps for the EFAB Workgroup.
Print Publications in Process
L. Heberle and. K. Wernstedt. "Revaluing Brown/Held Redevelopment Incentives:
Public Sector perceptions of the redevelopment process." Submitted to Economic
Development Quarterly, article currently in revision.
L. Heberle submitted "Contesting Social Capital: Definition and Measurement
Issues Continue," an article addressing the ways in which misunderstandings about
the concept of "social capital" can confuse and undermine communities' capacities
to plan for themselves and defend their physical and social environments, to the
Journal of Urban Affairs.
T. Lambert and P.B. Meyer "Is Sprawl to Blame for Slower EMS Response
Rates!" Submitted to Regional Science and Urban Economics.
K. Wernstedt, P.B. Meyer, A. Alberini and L. Heberle "Incentives for Private
Infill Development in U.S. Urban Areas'" Submitted to the Journal of
Environmental Planning and Management.
P.B. Meyer prepared a sidebar commentary on the Atlantic Station project for the
Winter 2004-5 issue of the Partners newsletter of the Community Affairs
Department of Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
L. Ye., S. Mandpe, and P.B. Meyer. "What IS Smart Growth? - Realty!" Accepted
by the Journal of Planning Literature; forthcoming February, 2005.
Initiatives for 2005 undertaken by the EFC in 2004 included planning for a number
of new Practice Guides intended to take advantage of information garnered in the
course of data collection during the year. A number of other potential publications
were prepared and submitted for review. Training and technical assistance
provision for 2004 was not scheduled in 2003, largely because such activity is
generally late early in the calendar year, and the efforts generally have substantial
lead times.
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Practice Guides Initiated in 2004 and Awaiting Completion in 2005
Low Population Density and Emergency Response: Accepting Delays or Higher
Service Costs by P.B. Meyer and T. Lambert
Historic Preservation and Brownfield Redevelopment - Not Conflicting, but
Complementary by C. Norton
Alternative Financing for Brownfield Redevelopment - Possibilities and
Implementation Example?, by S. Opp
Citizen Participation and Project Cost - the Costs and Benefits of Openness and
Community Involvement by K. Cairns
Working Papers in Process
All conference papers presented in 2004 and in process for Spring 2005
presentation are being prepared for inclusion in the Working Papers series by
Summer 2005.
New Research Activities
Collaboration with Dr. Thomas Lyons of the School of Urban and Public Affairs,
University of Louisville, on a project to examine "Entrepreneurship Opportunities
and Responses in the Brownfield Redevelopment Arena - Factors Affecting
Capacity to Capitalize on Opportunities in an Emerging Marketplace" through
examination of developers who have pursued contaminated land redevelopment
under state voluntary cleanup programs in Region 4 and other states.
Support in the form of internal University funds and the services of a
graduate assistant for the 2004-5 academic year will permit this project to
proceed, starting in August, 2004.
Collaboration with Dr. David Simpson of the School of Urban and Public Affairs,
University of Louisville, on a project on "Understanding Risk and Hazardous
Materials and Wastes: Perception and Reality in the Conceptualization of Risk at
the Community Lever with a national survey of local government risk management
officials to see if they understand the environmental risks they face (from floods,
hurricanes, etc.) that are associated with sites with untreated pollution or residual
contamination associated with RBCA-based remediations.
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Pre-proposal submitted to the Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) and
received positively. University commitment of needed matching funds
obtained. Full proposal for review by PERI board is planned to be prepared
early in 2005.
Finalized negotiations with the Development, Community and Environment Division
of the EPA Office of Policy, Economics and Inoovation for a competitively awarded
study of "Smart Growth Policies That Spur Brownfields Revitalization" Publication of
a four color glossy report for mass public distribution is planned for late 2005.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
In addition to its main information generation/dissemination activities with respect
to environmental finance and planning for the uses of land in and around urban
areas, the Louisville EFC undertook or launched the following special projects in
2004 that are not described above:
Completed process work on, and have initiated support for implementation of
the recommendations from, a US Department of Education - funded
environmental education and management project, "Partnerships for a Green
City." The planning effort involved the University of Louisville, Jefferson
County (KY) Public Schools and Louisville Metro Government in a problem-
solving and project-planning collaborative consultation to:
» Develop recommendations for a comprehensive environmental education
program for JCPS and the community;
» Identify research areas that assess children's exposure to environmental
pollutants, health outcomes, and impacts on cognitive abilities and behavior;
and,
» Identify approaches for the partners to create sustainable and
environmentally friendly buildings and infrastructure (e.g. schools, public
buildings, roads, water systems).
The EFC will support and provide technical assistance support to their
implementation going forward into 2005.
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EFC COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES SUMMARY
As an active member of the Environmental Finance Centers Network, the Louisville
EFC participated in the preparation of proposals for funding of different network-
wide environmental finance projects. The Center also initiated efforts at the
preparation of a collaborative network project on aspects of environmental finance
for brownfield redevelopment, drawing on the collective experience of different
centers across the nation. Dr. Peter Meyer, EFC Director, continued in his role as an
officer of the Environmental Finance Center Network (EFCN), becoming President
at the March Directors meeting in Washington, DC, and attending meetings with
EFCN colleagues following the EFAB Summer meeting in San Francisco(August).
The EFC participated in two EFCN collaborative proposals in 2004:
"USDA Technical Assistance and Training program (USDA TAT)" The
proposal involves supporting the improvement of small rural areas' community
capacity to plan for and finance improvements in their drinking water systems.
EFC4@UofL intends to be a sub-grantee to the PI, the Region 2 (Syracuse)
EFC, with a KY budget of $80,000.
"Financing and Water/Wastewater System Security'' Proposal submitted by the
New Mexico EFC on behalf of the EFC Network at the request of the EPA
Office of Water to address the financial and risk management decision-making
process appropriate to consideration of spending on protecting water systems
from any form of terrorist attack. The University of Louisville EFC role will be
to take the lead in preparing a Financial Guide to Water and Wastewater System
Security, for use in training operators of small water systems in appropriate
decision processes for allocating their security resources, for a $50,000 share of
the project budget.
PRESENTATIONS, CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS
Presentations, whether to academics active in providing policy advice or to
practitioners engaged in policy formulation and implementation, are frequently the
most immediate and rapid means of communicating new findings and knowledge to
improve practice. Moreover, participation in conferences in which information is
exchanged constitutes one method by which the Center staff acquires new
information and case study data that contribute to our guidance dissemination. The
Louisville EFC thus takes care to maintain a high level of activity in this key
information dissemination arena. Presentations to academic gatherings are limited
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to those organizations whose attendees have strong interest in, and thus study and
report on, public policy practices that can inform environmental finance policies
and procedures. International conferences are exceptionally valuable in this regard,
since they offer ideas for innovation that are not available in a purely US exchange.
The Center's presentation activities in 2004 included the following, all of which
facilitated conference participation and information acquisition by the staff
involved.
Dr. Heberle organized and presented at a colloquy on sprawl for Urban Affairs
Association Annual Conference, Washington, DC, in March: "Sprawl and
Suburbia: What Are They, And How Do We Measure Them?"
Dr. Meyer organizing and presented at a colloquy on brownfields, "Brown/Held
Reclamation - Community, not just Economic, Development" at the Urban Affairs
Association Annual Conference in March in Washington, DC.
Dr. Meyer participated in a panel on environmental financing and conservation at
the Soil Conservation Society meetings in New York in July
Dr. Heberle attended the American Sociological Association meetings and
presented a paper on social capital and community capacity for constructive
response to environmental and socio-economic change in San Francisco in August.
Dr. Cairns presented "Education into Citizenship: Environmental Education,
Participatory Democracy, and the Precautionary Principle" at the International
Urban Planning and the Environment Association (IUPEA) conference in
Louisville in September.
Dr. Meyer, with Dr. K. Wernstedt of Resources for the Future, completed a paper
on "Developers' Ratings of Different Incentives for Infill Projects" for presentation
at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning meetings in Portland, OR, in
October.
While on a research trip in Great Britain in November (not funded by the EFC),
Dr. Meyer presented EFC-related papers to academic and practitioner audiences at
three UK universities:
"Recent Environmental and Site Regeneration Policy in the United States
General Business Considerations and Property Developers' Responses to
Incentives" European Regional Business & Economic Development Unit, Leeds
Metropolitan Univ.
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"Comparing Urban Regeneration Approaches - US vs. UK (New York West Side
vs. Thames Gateway as an example)'' Department of Urban Development and
Regeneration, School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Univ. of
Westminster, London.
"Developers and Investment Incentives - What is reduced uncertainty REALLY
worth to real estate investors?' Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development,
School of the Built Environment, Oxford Brooks University.
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ENVIRONS-jJ/AL
CENTER
2004 Annual Report of the
Environmental Finance Center Network
Region 5 - EFC at the Maxine Levin
College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland
State University
Cleveland State University is the Environmental Finance
Center serving the Great Lakes Region
The Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center (GLEFC) assists communities and
public, private, and non-profit sector entities in the Great Lakes states of Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin build innovative, cost effective,
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and high quality strategies for environmental improvement and sustainable economic
development.
The GLEFC is housed within the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs
at Cleveland State University. The GLEFC provides technical assistance, training,
and applied research as a resource for state and local governments, and public,
private, and non-profit organizations in U.S. EPA Region 5. The Center assists these
entities in solving financial problems related to environmental facilities and
resources. Services include financial and economic analysis and strategies; policy
analysis and planning; brownfields community advisory services; research and
information services; and training seminars and conferences. GLEFC utilizes many
tools to assists clients, including financial and budget analysis, market and impact
analysis, best practice reviews, training seminars and conferences, focus groups and
community visioning/strategic planning processes, and environmental planning and
program evaluation.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
In 2004, the GLEFC portfolio of projects included several new projects, projects that
are driven by continuing partnerships with federal, state and local governments
spanning two or more years, and second and third phases of externally funded
projects.
As in prior years, the GLEFC provided technical assistance, applied research,
seminars/training, counsel, and testimony to local, state, federal; and not-for-profit
organizations and clients throughout U.S. EPA Region 5. The GLEFC continues to
provide support to the Federal Executive Board of Northeast Ohio in facilitating an
intergovernmental (federal, state, and local) collaboration on brownfield finance and
redevelopment, now on a state-wide basis. The GLEFC is working with the U.S.
EPA Region 5 Brownfields Office to assist in initiating regional brownfield
collaboration in Indiana. The GLEFC is also working on externally funded, multi-
stage, and multi-client projects on a broad array of environmental public policy
initiatives. In addition, the GLEFC is engaged in policy related work with the
committees of the U.S. EPA's Environmental Finance Advisory Board, developing
strategies for the efficient and effective management and financing of water and
waste water utilities.
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The GLEFC year 2004 program included:
Brownfields Technical Assistance:
Brownfields One-Stop-Shop (BOSS) Forum. The GLEFC is in its fourth year
of convening the forum of federal, state, and local government economic
development and environmental officials, commercial and investment bankers,
insurance executives, foundation officials, and developers to review brownfield
redevelopment projects seeking financial and programmatic support. In 2004, the
GLEFC merged the BOSS Forum with the Ohio Brownfield Finance Partnership
convened by the Ohio Water Development Authority. The GLEFC moved the
site of the Forum meetings to capitalize on the emerging state-wide market for
brownfield redevelopment projects. The GLEFC convened three meetings on
April 1st, July 8th, and October 17th with over 120 attendees representing public,
private, and not-for-profit organizations. The Forum brownfield project
presentations included:
April 1st:
th.
Middlebury Market Place Project in Akron
SPECO-Kelsey Hays Site in Springfield
Dayton Electroplate Site in Dayton
July 8
Kemper Road Project, Greater Cincinnati Development Authority
South Euclid Project in South Euclid
October 7th:
Abandoned Gas Station Revitalization Program and Voluntary
Corrective Action Rule: Ohio Bureau of Underground Storage Tank
Regulation
The BOSS Forum has served to bring together seemingly disparate audiences of
engineers, lawyers, commercial and investment bankers, public agencies, and
private and not-for-profit developers to assist local brownfield redevelopment
efforts in securing financial and technical assistance to elevate the viability of the
projects.
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Brownfield Technical Assistance, U.S. EPA. The GLEFC provided
technical assistance on brownfield remediation and redevelopment projects
at the request of the U.S. EPA Region 5 Brownfields staff, including:
o Brownfield Support for Small Communities, Indiana Small
Communities Forum, Logansport, Indiana: The GLEFC and the
U.S. EPA, Region 5 continue to provide technical assistance to a
consortium of small communities in Indiana to assist in accessing
funding and program support for brownfield remediation and
redevelopment.
o Appalachian Brownfield Support Initiative, Clean Ohio
Remediation Fund: The GLEFC continues to assist the Clean Ohio
program and the Ohio Department of Development in building a
level of capacity in rural southeast Ohio to apply for and access
brownfield assessment and remediation grants. The GLEFC
conducted a phone survey for Buckeye Hills Development
Corporation to increase participation in Clean Ohio application
process; conducted site visits of potential brownfield assessment
and redevelopment projects in New Lexington, Meigs County, and
Marietta, Ohio.
o Brownfield Program and Funding Strategy, St. Claire -Superior
Neighborhood Corporation: The GLEFC provided technical
assistance and strategy development support to a Cleveland-based
neighborhood organization on accessing federal, state and local
brownfield site assessment and remediation/redevelopment funding.
Industrial Land Bank Strategy and Business Plan, City of Cleveland:
Development of a strategy and business plan for an industrial land bank to
acquire and assemble larger landscapes of property for economic
Development purposes. The industrial land bank will also be utilized to
acquire some environmentally contaminated properties (of strategic
importance) to clean and accumulate into large marketable properties. The
GLEFC is facilitating the development of the strategy and assembly of
decision rules to guide the acquisition and disbursal of properties with the
Mayor's cabinet. The GLEFC project staff is conducting a best practices
study to determine the most effective administrative structure and
operations.
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Cuyahoga County Brownfield Assessment Grants Strategy and Process,
Cuyahoga County Department of Economic Development: The GLEFC
facilitated a strategy development session with the staff of the Cuyahoga
County brownfield redevelopment staff to assist in defining the criteria for
the selection of environmental engineering firms to conduct grant funded
brownfield site assessments.
Brownfield Assessment Grant Strategy, Northeast Ohio Soil and Water
Conservation District: The GLEFC facilitated a process for defining the
program strategy and decision rules for selecting (environmental
engineering) contractors to conduct grant funded brownfield site
assessments.
All Appropriate Inquiry Sarbanes-Oxley Presentation, National
Brownfields Association Conference, Toledo, Ohio: Kirstin Toth
presented the status of the All Appropriate Inquiry/Sarbanes Oxley at a
regional conference of the National Brownfields Association.
Brownfield News, Editorial Board. EFC Director Kevin O'Brien serves
on the Editorial Board of the Brownfield News magazine, as the brownfield
finance editor.
Finance and Policy Research and Technical Assistance
Ohio Land Fill Market and Cost Structure Study, Ohio Department of
Development. The GLEFC conducted market and cost structure analysis of
land-fill fees in Ohio to aid the Clean Ohio Council in developing
performance measures to assist in modeling the land fill component of
brownfield remediation grant applications.
Capital Contracting in 2003, Build Up Greater Cleveland, Greater
Cleveland Growth Association. The GLEFC conducted an analysis of the
capital contracting and planning by greater Cleveland infrastructure
agencies in calendar year 2003. Conducted in January 2004, the
retrospective analysis of capital funding attracted serves as information and
data to support the annual strategy of the public - private partnership for
infrastructure advocacy.
Useful Life Financing of Water Facilities: Useful Life Workgroup, U.S.
EPA Environmental Finance Advisory Board (EFAB): The GLEFC
contributed to the EFAB Workgroup concerned with exploring strategies for
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creating new revenue flows and linking the amortization of debt to the
useful life of the capital installation being financed. The final report was
issued in Fall 2004.
Program Development and Evaluation
Clean Ohio Brownfield Remediation Grant Program, Year One
Program Evaluation, Delta Institute. The GLEFC is partnering with the
Chicago based Delta Institute to conduct an evaluation of the first year of
operation of the Clean Ohio Brownfield Remediation grant program. The
evaluation, initiated during fall 2004, is expected to be completed by
summer 2005.
Best Practices in Financing Lead Abatement: Cuyahoga County
Department of Health, City of Cleveland Department of Health, U.S.
EPA Region 5, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
and Centers for Disease Control. At the request of the U.S. EPA Region 5
office, the GLEFC initiated a national best practices scan to identify
innovation in financing of lead remediation and abatement programs. The
best practice scan is being conducted for a consortium of local and federal
agencies.
Strategic Plan for Coastal Resources Management Training: Ohio
Department of Natural Resources, Old Woman Creek National
Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Ohio Sea Grant College Program:
The GLEFC concluded the third component of a three-year (three segment)
project that assessed the need and market for coastal resources management
training needs in the Lake Erie Basin in Ohio. The final phase, conducted in
2004, facilitated the development of a strategic plan for delivery of training
services. The GLEFC competitively bid for the externally funded strategic
planning project.
National Scan of Coastal Resources Management Training Strategies of
NOAA Affiliated National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs), U.S.
Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration: The GLEFC conducted a review of the Coastal Resources
Management Training program strategies of the 26 National Estuarine
Research Reserves. The GLEFC reviewed the strategic plans of the NERRS
programs to define the common strategies in coastal training programs. The
GLEFC competitively bid for the externally funded NOAA project.
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Needs Assessment and Market Analysis of Coastal Training Needs,
Apalachicola (Florida) National Estuarine Research Reserve: The
GLEFC conducted an assessment of the need for coastal resource
management training programs in the panhandle watershed region
surrounding the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve
(NERRs). The GLEFC coordinated the project through the Region 4 EFC in
North Carolina. The GLEFC also conducted an analysis of the market for
coastal resource management training in the Apalachicola watershed. The
GLEFC competitively bid for the externally funded Apalachicola NERRs
project.
Brownfields Seminars/Training
Brownfield Redevelopment: Nuts and Bolts Finance Seminar, U.S.
HUD and U.S. EPA, Chicago, Illinois, June, 2004. The GLEFC conducted
a two-day brownfield finance seminar as a part of the U.S. EPA and HUD
annual seminar in Chicago for local government officials. The GLEFC
developed and utilized 3 case studies in the workshop to train the 42
participants on steps in determining the redevelopment viability of a
brownfield site, how to develop a pro forma/redevelopment financial plan,
and how and where to seek financing for the redevelopment. The GLEFC
partnered with John Magill of the Ohio Department of Development and the
Clean Ohio Remediation Fund.
Healthy Homes National Conference, U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development, U.S. EPA, and the Centers for Disease Control At
the request of the U.S. EPA Region 5 office, the GLEFC facilitated the
development of a national conference strategy/program for the joint
EPA/FIUD/CDC Healthy Homes National Conference in Orlando, Florida.
The Conference, convened in June, 2004, was utilized to exchange
strategies on the identification and remediation of lead contaminated
residential properties.
Capital Planning and Finance Michigan AWWA and Michigan Water
Environment Association 2004 Joint Conference. The GLEFC presented
a session on the "Strategic Management of Water and Waste Water Utilities
While Complying with GASB Statement No. 34" at the annual conference of
the Michigan AWWA/Water Environment Association in Grand Rapids
Michigan in August, 2004.
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Utilizing Asset Management Systems to Facilitate Private Economic
Growth in Croatia, U.S. Agency for International Development The
GLEFC in collaboration with the Cleveland State University-based Unger
Croatia Center for Local Government Leadership is developing a university
curriculum (for graduate classes and professional continuing education
training for government officials) for the portfolio management of publically
owned physical assets to facilitate private economic growth. EFC Director
Kevin O'Brien traveled to Zagreb and Rijeka, Croatia to interview
academics, public managers, and economic and finance ministers of Croatia
on the need and substance of asset management.
Brownfield 2004 Conference. The GLEFC participated in the U.S. EPA
sponsored Brownfields 2004 Conference in St. Louis, Mo.
Finance and Policy Seminars/Workshops
Environmental Finance in the Great Lakes Region seminars for the
Cleveland Council on World Affairs. The GLEFC has conducted
environmental finance seminars for U.S. Agency for International
Development and U.S. Information Agency sponsored trips for foreign
officials and academics. The seminars included the following participants:
o Ukrainian Public Officials
o South American Public and Private Sector Leaders
CapFinance Training. The GLEFC partnered with the Boise State
University EFC and the Ohio office of RCAP to conduct training sessions in
Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio for small and medium sized local
governments on the capital planning and financing software package
developed by the Boise State EFC. The GLEFC provided a presentation on
GLEFC Asset Management and GASB 34 Compliance or "How Does
CAPFinance Assist Your City in Managing Infrastructure'". In addition, the
GLEFC partnered with Boise State to present the CAPFinance Model and
GASB Statement No. 34 update to the annual Convention of the Ohio Water
Environment Association in Columbus, Ohio.
Nuts and Bolts of Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Seminar: Co-
sponsored by the U.S. EPA Region 5 Brownfields Office and U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. The GLEFC plans and
conducts the State and Local Sources of Brownfield Funding annual seminar
offered in Chicago. The GLEFC developed case studies that profiled
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specific brownfield redevelopment projects in cities with a size, scale, and
scope that was appropriate for the audience. The week-long training session
was developed the GLEFC and focused on brownfield redevelopment pro-
forma, defining the financing alternatives available.
PUBLICATIONS
The GLEFC has been active in publishing academic and applied articles and book
chapters resulting from the applied research, technical assistance, and policy
projects undertaken in 2004. Those articles published from 2004 work include:
Hill, Edward, W, and B.Geyer, K. O'Brien, et.al. "Slanted Pavement: How
Ohio's Highway Spending Shortchanges Cities and Suburbs." In Taking the
High Road: A Metropolitan Agenda for Transportation Reform, edited by
Bruce Katz and Rob Puentes. Brookings Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
publication pending.
Kellogg, Wendy A. and Kevin O'Brien, Claudette Robey, et.al. "Assessing
Coastal Resources Management Training Needs'' Coastal Management,
Publication Pending.
Kellogg, Wendy A. and Kevin O'Brien, Claudette Robey, et.al. "The
Current Coastal Management Training Market in Ohio's Lake Erie Basin."
Coastal Management, July - September, 2004.
NEW INITIATIVES FOR 2005
The GLEFC will pursue both continuing and new initiatives in 2005, in the
policy areas of brownfields and sustainable futures.
The GLEFC will continue to convene Brownfield One Stop Shop (BOSS)
Forum and to expand the program to assist small and medium sized cities in
Ohio.
The GLEFC will continue to work on brownfield related activities through the
U.S. EPA, Region V office.
The GLEFC will continue to work with the U.S. EPA Region 5 Brownfields
Office to provide brownfield technical assistance to cities throughout the
Region.
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The GLEFC will continue to pursue contracts with NOAA and its National
Estuarine Research Reserves to continue to build on the expertise developed
through the coastal resources management training projects.
NETWORK COLLABORATION
CAPFinance. The GLEFC continues to collaborate with the Boise State
University EFC to provide training to drinking water and water treatment
utilities on the use of CAPFinance, the capital asset management system.
The GLEFC will continue to work with the members of the Environmental
Finance Center Network (EFCN) as collaborative projects emerge.
PRESENTATIONS, CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS
The GLEFC will continue to make presentations in national, state-wide, regional,
and local professional/industry trade groups and organizations on environmental
finance related topics. The organizations include the Council of Infrastructure
Finance Authorities, Government Finance Officers Association, National League
of Cities, Municipal Leagues, national brownfields conferences, Build Up Greater
Cleveland, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and U.S. EPA Region 5.
RESULTS
The Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center continues to provide financial
outreach assistance to state agencies and local communities and not-for-profit
organizations on environmental compliance and sustainable strategies. The
continued growth in the annual GLEFC program and the expanding partnerships
with national, state, and local entities provides evidence of the impact of the
organization.
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New Mexico Tech
Environmental Finance Center
2004 Annual Report of the Environmental
Finance Center Network
Region 6 - EFC at the New Mexico
Institute of Mining and Technology
The New Mexico EFC was established in 1992 as the first
Environmental Finance Center
INTRODUCTION
The Environmental Finance Center serving EPA Region 6 (NM EFC) completed its
first full year as a program of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
(New Mexico Tech) in 2004. The NM EFC experienced a significant growth in both
staff and program activities in 2004. Three new full-time staff members were hired,
bringing the total staff to 9.
The NM EFC's core mission is to help state, local, and tribal governments meet
environmental infrastructure needs and regulatory compliance through state and local
capacity building and technical information transfer. Capacity building includes
enhancing technical, managerial, and financial capabilities to achieve consistent and
sustainable regulatory compliance and to develop sustainable infrastructure.
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The NM EFC assists in local capacity building by:
Examining alternative approaches to meeting regulatory compliance or
environmental infrastructure needs
Empowering communities to act as the "drivers" for their own projects
Assisting with procuring professional services
Presenting funding alternatives
Acting as a bridge between federal, state, local and tribal governments
Presenting neutral analyses of issues or projects
Gathering stakeholder input
The NM EFC has been extremely active over the past year and has experienced
significant growth in its program activities. The major projects that were active or
completed in 2004 include the following. Each of these activities is described in more
detail below.
Capacity Development Activities for Region 6 states
Capacity Development Program for New Mexico
Capacity Development for Tribal Water Systems
Tribal Operator Certification Program
Pilot Project: Feasibility Analysis of Water Supply for Small Public Water
Systems
Resource-Based or Unified Source Water Protection Project
Independent Analysis of FCS Leak Detection Technology for Albuquerque
Water System Collaboration Pilot Project for New Mexico
Water System Collaboration Project for New Mexico
Public Management Finance Program
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Capacity Development Activities for Region 6 States
During 2004, the EFC continued to assist the EPA Region 6 states of Arkansas,
Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with the implementation activities
associated with capacity development strategies, as required under the 1996 Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA) amendments. This work included activities in three
different categories as described below.
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Technical Information Gathering and Transfer
The EFC attended workshops and conferences to present papers, interact with
states and technical experts, and gather information on techniques, approaches,
and tools that could be used by the states. The types of workshops included asset
management, capacity development, drought management, and water
conservation.
Capacity Development Implementation Assistance to Region 6 States
The NM EFC worked with the EPA Region 6 states on capacity development
assistance, including extensive discussions with the New Mexico Environment
Department (NMED) on ways to improve their capacity development program,
particularly in capacity assessments, prioritization of water systems, and potential
water system assistance. These discussions lead to a bigger effort under a
separate contract with NMED. In addition, the NM EFC has been working with
New Mexico state funding agencies on a coordinated funding effort.
In Texas, the NM EFC has held phone calls and been in meetings with the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality to share information regarding capacity
activities in other states. In addition, the NM EFC also worked with TCEQ on a
project involving non-compliant small water systems under a separate contract.
In Arkansas, the NM EFC has been discussing the possibility of creating a
capacity development training for Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) staff.
This training will be an interactive program that will include classroom lecture
and hands-on activities.
In Louisiana, the NM EFC participated in the Louisiana Department of Health
and Hospitals (DOHH) Water Quality Technology Conference and held meetings
with the state on capacity development issues.
In Oklahoma, the NM EFC met with capacity development staff from the
Department of Environmental Quality at the capacity development conference to
discuss capacity issues.
EFC Network Assistance
The NM EFC works with the other Centers in the Network on projects, answering
questions, providing information, or anything else needed. The NM EFC also
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attends the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) meetings twice a
year as well as the EFC Director's meetings.
Capacity Development Program Assistance for New Mexico Environment
Department
In 2004, the NM EFC received a contract from the NM Environment Department
(NMED) to assist with revisions to the NM capacity development program. The revisions
cover three main areas: a) revised capacity assessment procedures, b) new prioritization
program, and c) training of NMED staff.
The NM EFC developed a three tiered approach to capacity assessment. The systems are
prioritized into the tiers based on factors such as: compliance history, customer
complaints, requests for funding, drought concerns, or other known problems or issues
with the systems. The systems with the greatest concerns are placed in Tier 1, those with
minimal concerns are placed in Tier 2, and systems with no known concerns are placed in
Tier 3. The assessment process is then geared to the need to have information. Systems
in Tier 1 require a significant amount of information, so they receive a very in-depth
assessment process that requires interviews and multiple days to complete. Tier 2 is a
questionnaire that takes approximately 2 hours to complete and Tier 3 is a short
questionnaire that takes about 30 minutes over the phone to complete. The NM EFC will
be conducting approximately 250 assessments during this contract.
The new prioritization process will involve gathering data from Safe Drinking Water
Information Systems, the capacity assessments, and other sources to determine which
systems have a need for funding and where they should be ranked on the priority list.
The final component of the project is to train NMED field staff to take over the
assessment process. The training will also involve managerial and financial capacity in
general.
Strengthening Public Health Protection Through the Multiple Barrier Concept
In 2004, the NM EFC continued its efforts to assist Tribal water systems in improving
public health protection. The NM EFC continued to frame the assistance in terms of
maximizing the use of each of the barriers - source, treatment, and distribution. Water
system managers and operators need to make effective use of each of these barriers to
prevent contamination from entering the system or reaching the customers.
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One of the measurements of the overall effectiveness of the program is the compliance
record of the Tribal water systems. The NM EFC and EPA Region 6 developed a graph
that plots the number of Total Coliform Rule violations by month. The trend line of this
graph is clearly downward and continues to improve each year. There continues to be
spikes in the number of violations in the summer months, but the peaks are decreasing
each year. The NM EFC plans to provide assistance and training to the water systems to
continue to reduce the summer peaks. The graph below shows the compliance trends
from 2000 through 2004.
g
EPA Region 6 Tribal Public Water System TCR Compliance Trends
October 2000 - December 2004
A summary of the various activities of the NM EFC in assisting Tribal water systems is
presented below.
Compliance Monitoring and Technical Assistance: The NM EFC coordinates the
sampling required under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The NM EFC also assists with
the development of Consumer Confidence Reports, Total Coliform Rule compliance
and sampling plans, and operation and maintenance support and troubleshooting.
Managerial and Financial Capacity Building: The NM EFC assists tribes with
utility ordinances and by-laws and rate setting and budgeting.
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Public Education and Outreach: The NM EFC assists with the development of
educational display boards, brochures, pamphlets or handouts and participates in
community events, such as environmental, health, and water fairs.
Information Management Activities: The NM EFC gathers information for EPA
Region 6 regarding system inventories, new system information, populations, system
classification, and other necessary information.
Under these broad headings, the EFC has provided a wide array of assistance including:
promoting the development of utility boards, setting utility rates, developing public
education campaigns on the need to charge for water, assisting with sampling and
analysis, sharing information regarding potential funding sources, providing training
classes, helping with preparation of Consumer Confidence Reports, and many others. A
particular focus of this year's program was to reduce the occurrences of "summer hits."
During the warmer summer months, the number of Total Coliform hits generally
increases. The EFC is offering training and assistance to try to reduce these occurrences.
"Beyond Compliance Program" The fact that the compliance situation has improved
dramatically over the past 5 years has provided the opportunity to move the assistance
activities to the next level. The NM EFC has now fully implemented its "beyond
compliance" program to encourage tribes to make improvements beyond simply doing
the minimum to meet compliance. These efforts are aimed at optimizing water system
operation. Activities in this area include the following:
Multiple Barrier Evaluations and Associated Training: Multiple Barrier
Evaluation training is similar to sanitary survey training, but it is presented from an
operator focus, rather than a regulatory focus. It is intended to present the "big
picture" to operators and to help them understand the reason why sanitary
deficiencies are a problem. In addition to the training, the NM EFC performs
Multiple Barrier Evaluations (MBEs) on water systems. These MBEs are voluntary
and identify potential health and safety concerns with the water systems. A report is
presented to the system, describing the potential concerns along with a picture and an
explanation of why it is an issue.
Groundwater Comprehensive Performance Evaluations: Groundwater
Comprehensive Performance Evaluations (CPEs) provide a snapshot picture of
whether or not a water system is fully optimized in all three barriers (source,
treatment, distribution) and provides an indication of what factors are preventing the
system from being fully optimized if it is not meeting all of the optimization goals. In
the upcoming year, the NM EFC intends to link the MBEs with CPEs for a more
comprehensive approach.
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Performance Based Training: For the past 18 months the NM EFC has been
working with Process Applications, Inc. and EPA Region 6 on Performance Based
Training (PBT). This training is intended to provide water operators with the skills
necessary to conduct water system studies, troubleshoot problems, collect and analyze
water quality data, and communicate more effectively with management. Six Pueblos
participated in the program.
Participants Presenting Homework Participants Conducting Field Test Learning Pump Calibration
Tribal Operator Certification Program
In January 2003, the NM EFC gave its first Region 6 Tribal Water Operators
Certification Exam. Since that time, the EFC has been providing Operator Certification
Exams approximately every quarter (in some cases additional exams were given to meet
tribal operator needs.) In the past year, eleven operators have received certification and
one operator has applied for and received reciprocity. This program is only open to
operators of tribal drinking water systems in EPA Region 6.
In addition to the Operator Certification Exams, the Tribal Operator Certification
Program includes three other activities which are described in more detail below.
Tribal Utility Advisory Committee: As part of the initial development of the Operator
Certification Program, the NM EFC formed a Tribal Utility Advisory Committee
(TUAC). Membership was open to all Tribes and Pueblos in Region 6. After the
completion and approval of the Operator Certification Guidelines, the TUAC is now
focused on review of the training program, modifications to the guidelines, proposals for
future activities, and the annual review of the program.
Pathway to Certification Training: The NM EFC led a class of 17 water operators
through a year long training program to prepare them to take the Level 1 operator
certification test. The classes were held approximately every 3 weeks and included
lecture, field activities, homework assignments, and reading assignments.
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Classroom Session
Field Activity
Newly Certified "Pathways"
Participant
Gap Certification Training: The NM EFC provides training opportunities for Tribal
water operators to fill voids or needs that are not being met by other training providers.
The topics for these classes are suggested by Tribal operators through surveys, based on
responses provided on evaluation forms for other EFC trainings, suggestions of the
TUAC, or based on observed needs. During 2004, the EFC held gap trainings on the
Safe Drinking Water Act Regulations, Disinfection, Sampling, and Total Coliform Rule
Compliance.
Resource-Based or Unified Source Water Protection Project
The EFC Network completed its Resource-Based Unified Source Water Protection
Project in June of 2004. As the lead EFC for this project, the NM EFC worked with the
EFCs in Maryland, North Carolina, Boise State and New York, to develop resource-
based or unified source water protection plans for clusters of communities in 8 different
states.
This project involved assistance in the following: the development of a source water
protection group, the examination of potential sources of contamination, determining
appropriate source water protection measures that may minimize or eliminate
contamination concerns, preparing a unified source water protection plan, and
implementing the plan. The EFCs facilitated stakeholder meetings and provided
technical information transfer.
The eight states involved in the EFC project
include: New York, Maryland, West Virginia,
North Carolina, Texas, Colorado, Idaho, and
Oregon. The NM EFC conducted the projects
in Texas and Colorado. The Texas project
includes water systems around Lake Meredith.
This lake is operated by the Canadian River
Municipal Water Authority (CRMWA) and
Lake Meredith and Boat Marina
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supplies water to Amarillo and Lubbock and 9 other communities. The major concerns
for source water protection on this project include: oil drilling and exploration, ranching,
recreational uses of the lake, and septic systems around the lake.
The project in Colorado focused on the systems
that pull water out of the Boulder Feeder Canal.
This open canal supplies water to the City of
Boulder and a few smaller towns nearby. The
open canal is exposed to runoff from agricultural
and residential areas as well as recreational
impacts. There is a proposal to increase the
recreation in this area that in turn would increase
the potential for source water impacts. This issue
was a main focus of the source water protection
project.
GPS location of potential source of
contamination
Independent Analysis of FCS Leak Detection Technology for Albuquerque
Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority
has received a grant from the Governor's Innovative Fund to
investigate a proactive leak detection technology. This
technology is being installed and operated by FCS Services.
The approach involves installing data loggers (pictured below)
on top of meters within the water system. The data loggers
listen for leaks in the middle of the night to determine if there
is a potential leak in the system. If there is a leak, the units Permaloe Data Collection
patroller is used to pick up the alarm signals at the various units placed within the system.
A correlator can then be used to determine the location of the leak within the pipe.
The intent is to capture information regarding leaks that the system operations staff may
be unaware of. The theory is that not all leaks will surface; some leaks will remain below
ground level and can leak for a long time before detection. With a more proactive
approach to leak detection, it is hoped that more leaks can be found and that the
unaccounted for water losses can be reduced.
The EFC's role in this project is two fold: 1) to investigate the economics of using the
FCS technology within the system to improve overall asset management and water
conservation in the system, and 2) to investigate 5 years worth of leak data (FY 00 to FY
04) to provide a more complete picture of the current leak situation within the system.
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The first portion of this study is similar to work that the EFC did for the City of
Albuquerque when it was investigating a non-destructive pipe evaluation technology.
The second portion also builds upon previous work of the EFC when it analyzed 5 years
worth of leak data and provided a profile of leakage within the City water system. This
project should be completed within 2005.
Pilot Project: Feasibilty Analysis of Water Supply for Small Public Water Systems
Under a subcontract with Parsons Infrastructure and Technology Group, Inc., the NM
EFC participated in a pilot project to identify and analyze alternatives for small drinking
water systems that are not in compliance with drinking water regulations. The particular
role the NM EFC had in this effort was to evaluate the capacity of three small
groundwater systems in the Wichita Falls area of Texas. In addition, the NM EFC
assisted in the evaluation of the financial condition of the water systems. This project
was completed between July and October of 2004.
Water System Collaboration Pilot Project for New Mexico
The NM EFC received a contract from the NM Department of Finance and
Administration to work with three groups of water systems within the state to determine
if these systems would agree to any type of collaboration. This collaboration could
include water resource planning, drought management, water conservation, managerial
sharing, sharing of operators, sharing of water rights or supply or many other possible
ideas. The collaboration was open to whatever the group wanted it to be. The NM EFC
teamed up with Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) and New Mexico
Rural Water (NMRWA) to complete this project. In addition, several state agencies
formed a management team to assist with direction for the project, including: Office of
State Engineer, Local Government Division, New Mexico Environment Department, and
New Mexico Finance Authority.
The areas chosen for the pilot project included: El Rito in north central New Mexico,
Carlsbad area in southeastern New Mexico, and northern Dona Ana County in south
central New Mexico. The El Rito group signed an agreement to work together and is in
the process of dissolving the separate systems and becoming one entity. They are also
working on sharing water rights and supply. In Carlsbad area, Eddy County decided that
the project should be expanded to include all water systems in the County and received a
large grant to conduct a planning study for the entire County. In Dona Ana County, the
systems have decided to work on their wastewater issues first, so the water collaboration
was put on hold pending the completion of the wastewater project. This project was
completed in June 2004.
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Water System Collaboration Pilot Project for New Mexico
As a follow-on to the pilot project discussed above, the NM EFC received a second
contract to assist an additional 10 clusters of water systems with collaborative efforts.
The groups are spread out in New Mexico and range in size from approximately 5 water
systems to more than 40 water systems. The issues vary significantly from group to
group as well as the reason why the group has an interest in collaboration. This project
involves the same partners as the Pilot (RCAC and NM RWA) and the same state
management committee. This is a major new initiative within the state to provide insight
into potentially better ways to plan for water supply, reduce water demand, fund water
system improvements, and manager or operate water systems, particularly smaller water
systems. This project began in August 2004 and will be completed in June 2005.
Public Management and Finance Program (PMFP)
For the past several years, the NM EFC has collaborated with the Syracuse EFC on the
Public Management and Finance Program. This program uses an approach that works
very well with small systems and is one that the NM EFC believes would benefit NM
communities. The EFC strongly desires to bring this program to the New Mexico and
Region 6. Thus far, the NM EFC's participation in the Syracuse EFC events is intended
to provide several benefits: 1) demonstrate the collaborative ability of the individual
centers, 2) build the skills of the NM EFC to be able to bring this project to NM, and 3)
share expertise gained in Region 6 with Region 2 and vice versa. This past year, the NM
EFC participated in the March PMFP event in Minnowbrook, New York. The NM EFC
presented a workshop on asset management and participated in the community
simulations. In addition, the Syracuse EFC Director traveled to New Mexico to help
present the concept of the PMFP program to New Mexico officials.
The PMFP offers hands-on technical assistance to rural
communities through the development of teams of
technical assistance providers. At the March 2004 PMFP
event, the teams were composed of representatives from
accomplished nonprofit, academic, government, and private
organizations that have established histories in providing
technical assistance to rural communities. These
organizations were brought together to provide
information, technical assistance and support to small
communities in need of assistance, particularly in the area
of water and wastewater infrastructure.
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NEW INITIATIVES FOR 2004
The new initiatives for the NM EFC are highlighted below. These initiatives build upon
the work efforts of the NM EFC for the past several years.
Advanced Asset Management
The NM EFC embarked on a new initiative to assist with the promotion and
implementation of advanced asset management for smaller water systems. Advanced
Asset Management is included as one of EPA's key elements in its approach to
addressing the Infrastructure "Gap." The Gap is the amount of money needed to address
the Nation's infrastructure needs minus the current available funding. Advanced Asset
Management is an approach designed to optimize a water or wastewater system's
infrastructure management. It includes strategies to establish the optimal point of
infrastructure replacement and when to determine whether a system is financially better
off with rehabilitation or repair. The development and implementation of Advanced
Asset Management strategies for water systems will help reduce overall life cycle costs
and help decrease the financing gap.
Much of the information provided thus far is geared to larger water utilities. There is a
need to provide an approach for smaller water systems. A goal of the NM EFC is to
develop a strategy for Advanced Asset Management for smaller water systems.
Arsenic Pilot Project
The NM EFC will be working with a Tribal water system to test a new technology for
Arsenic removal. This pilot project will be fully funded by the supplier and will be
sampled weekly to determine the effectiveness. This project is anticipated to begin in the
spring of 2005.
Public Management Finance Program (PMFP)
The NM EFC has been working with the Syracuse EFC to try to bring the PMFP concept
to the State of New Mexico. The efforts over the past few years have not been successful,
but the NM EFC has been able to conduct some small PMFP-like events. The NM EFC
will be working with the Syracuse EFC and the NM Rural Development office to try to
bring this very important program to the state and the region in 2005.
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EFC NETWORK COLLABORATIONS
The NM EFC has collaborated with other EFCs this past year on a variety of projects and
proposals. Those collaborations are listed below.
Project
Public Management Financing Program
Resource Based Source Water Protection
Rate Setting
Water System Security Proposal
EFCs Included in Collaboration
Syracuse EFC (lead), EFC9, EFC0UNC,
Maine EFC, UNM EFC
UNM EFC (lead), Syracuse EFC,
Maryland, Boise State EFC, and
EFC@UNC
Syracuse EFC, Maryland EFC
NM EFC (lead), Syracuse EFC, Boise
State EFC, EFC0UNC, Louisville EFC,
Maryland EFC, EFC9
CONFERENCES
Name of Conference
Advanced Asset Management
Workshop
Environmental Financial
Advisory Board Meeting
Environmental Finance Center
Network Directors Meeting
Public Management Finance
Program Workshop
IHS Annual Workshop
Tribal Drinking Water
Intensive, EPA Region 9
Unified Source Water
Protection Meeting/Workshop
EPA Capacity Development
Conference
Environmental Financial
Advisory Board Meeting
EFC Network Directors
Meeting
EFAB Affordability
Date and Location
January 28 - 29, 2004
San Antonio, TX
March 9- 10,2004
Washington, D.C.
March 10 -11, 2004
Washington, D.C.
March 1 - 2, 2004
Minnowbrook, NY
March 4, 2004
Durango, CO
May 5-6, 2004
Reno, NV
June 24, 2004
Washington, D.C.
July 20 - 22, 2004
Denver, CO
August 16-17, 2004
San Francisco, CA
August 17, 2004
San Francisco, CA
August 18, 2004
EFC Involvement
Participated in the
Conference
Participated in Board
Meeting
Participated in Meeting
Presented Session at
Workshop
Made Presentation and
Participated in Workshop
Presented Workshop
Participated in
Workshop, Made
Presentation on EFCN
Project
Made Presentation and
Participated in Workshop
Participated in Board
Meeting
Participated in Meeting
Participated in Workshop
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Name of Conference
Workshop
New Mexico Drought Summit
2004
Association of Drinking Water
Administrators Annual
Conference
Council of Infrastructure
Financing Agencies Annual
Conference
2004 New Mexico Data User
Conference
Date and Location
San Francisco, CA
September 27 - 28, 2004
Albuquerque, New Mexico
October 4-6, 2004
Austin, TX
November 8 - 9, 2004
San Diego, CA
November 17,2004
Albuquerque, New Mexico
EFC Involvement
Attended Summit
Made Presentation,
Participated in
Conference
EFC Participated in
Conference
Attended Conference
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2004 Annual Report of the
Environmental Finance Center Network
Region 9 - EFC at California State
University at Hay ward
The EFC at California State University focuses on Small
Business and Green Products
INTRODUCTION
The Environmental Finance Center located in Region 9 (EFC9) at California
State University, Hayward is a university-based EFC working for greener
communities through cleaner business by advancing the environmental industry and
promoting pollution prevention and source reduction.
Our mission is three-pronged:
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1. To encourage business to adopt source reduction and pollution prevention,
2. To encourage consumers to choose green business and green business products,
3. To help communities promote cleaner business.
To that end, working with both the private and public sectors, EFC9 pursues its
mission through numerous tools including:
Green business development,
Environmental mediation,
Environmental business incubation,
Finance programs & directories,
Charrettes, conferences & workshops,
Research publications and reports, and
Hands-on assistance to small business.
Throughout the past year EFC9 has continued to work with both the public and
private sectors to promote cleaner business. After laying the groundwork for
several new initiatives in 2003, EFC9 has accomplished much in 2004 on the
following projects.
Western States Green Business Program Coordination
Business and Environment in Hawaii
Environmentally Beneficial Behavior in Television
Phoenix Arizona Brickyard Charrette
Region IX Tribal Initiative
Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network Conference Workshops
and Sessions
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Western States Green Business Program Coordination
Overview
A Green Business Program (GBP) recognizes businesses and in some cases
government agencies and non-profit organizations that operate in an
environmentally responsible manner. It is a voluntary program in which the GBP
certifies applicants who comply with federal, state and local environmental
regulations as well as undertake additional multimedia measures to conserve
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energy, water and other resources, and institutionalize the process of reducing
pollution and waste.
The Bay Area Green Business Program was launched in 1996, and since that time
six participating counties have certified over 500 businesses. As the Bay Area GBP
has grown, other counties and states have taken note, and there is now broad
interest in implementing Green Business Programs throughout Region IX. In 2002,
both the states of Hawaii and Arizona launched GBPs and in California, a number
of counties are pursuing programs including, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa
Cruz/Monterey, Sacramento, and San Diego.
While an increase in Green Business Programs is highly desirable, rapid
implementation without consistency across all jurisdictions is not. Simply put, it is
imperative now that the concept is spreading, that "Green Business" carries the
same standards and meaning throughout the four-state region. In response to this
concern, EPA Region IX requested EFC9's assistance in coordinating Green
Business Program efforts throughout the Region to ensure continuity within
individual programs. To achieve this goal, starting in 2003, EFC9 was named the
Western States Green Business Program Coordinator. Our role is to promote,
develop and institutionalize multimedia pollution prevention and resource
conservation in Region 9 businesses while ensuring consistent growth and
continuity for regional Green Business Programs.
Briefly, in our role as Western States Green Business Coordinator, EFC9 has helped
accomplish the following in 2004.
Two additional county GBPs, Sacramento and San Francisco, have been
launched.
EFC9 is working with the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
and State Senator Alarcon's office to formally codify California Green
Business Program standards.
EFC9 worked with the City of Los Angeles to begin exploring the
possibility of a Green Business Program.
More specifically, EFC9 has accomplished the following goals in the past year.
Promoting and Coordinating Green Business Programs Region-Wide
EFC9 has provided basic information and presentations on the GBP throughout the
Region. EFC9 has developed a standard Powerpoint presentation that promotes the
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Green Business Program concept generally but also identifies Bay Area GBP
standards as the guideline and baseline from which all new GBPs will be expected
to develop. Some of the counties and cities EFC9 has worked with include
Humboldt County, Ventura County and the City of Los Angeles.
EFC9 has also maintained and updated our Green Business Recognition Program
Clearinghouse website, which includes program descriptions and guidance,
checklists, and links to technical and other resources.
Assisting New and Existing Green Business Programs
EFC9 has continued to help new and existing GBPs. For example, the EFC
provided guidance and a full presentation to the City of Los Angeles, and helped
Ventura County better define their guidelines. As a result, EFC9 gained assurances
from these three emerging programs in LA, Ventura and Humboldt, that they will
follow the basic standards set forth by the Bay Area Green Business Program.
In addition, EFC9 has worked with the Association of Bay Area Governments
(AB AG) and US EPA to better define measurement standards for the GBP. For the
future, EFC9 will continue to supply technical assistance to all GBPs where
requested, including: assisting with understanding and development of universal
measurement methods and preparing green purchasing guides for select industries
participating in the Green Business Program.
Developing a Regional Approach to Green Business
As the number of GBPs grows there is a pressing need to coordinate these programs
so that the Green Business Program certification will not be diluted. EFC9 has
spoken with all program coordinators and there is broad agreement that a
coordinator's summit should be held in early 2005 with a follow-up summit
scheduled for late 2005. In addition, the bulk of EFC9's work in the past year has
been devoted to educating State Senator Richard Alarcon on Green Business
standards so that his office could develop California Certified Green Business
Legislation. Should it pass, this legislation will establish Bay Area GBP standards
as the general standards for all Programs throughout the state. As the Western
States GBP coordinator, EFC9 has been working with ABAG (the Bay Area GBP
Coordinator) to help the Senator better understand the Program and how it works.
In 2005, EFC will continue to work with the Senator and the State legislature to
help ensure that the California Green Business Program is developed along the Bay
Area model.
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Providing Funding Opportunities for Emerging Programs
In 2004, EFC9 worked with two emerging programs: San Francisco and
Sacramento. Each of these new GBPs agreed to adopt Bay Area Green Business
Program standards and to work with other GBP coordinators throughout the State
and Region to ensure continuity and harmony.
San Francisco. The San Francisco Green Business Program (SFGBP) was
launched in early January, 2004 by a network of city and county agencies
including the Department of Public Health, the Department of the Environment,
and the Public Utilities Commission. The SFGBP is housed in the San
Francisco Department of Public Health. The SFGBP plans to offer GBP
services to a wide range of industries including auto repair, food service,
graphic design, and dry cleaning. The SFGBP has 11 companies that have
submitted applications for certification including the San Francisco Chronicle,
New College of San Francisco, and Jardinaire, one of the City's top French
restaurants. Other companies that have expressed interest include Lucas Films,
KQED and the Blue and Gold Fleet.
Sacramento. Sacramento also launched their program in early 2004 and they
are sponsored by the Sacramento County Department of Economic
Development and the Business Environmental Resource Center (BERC).
BERC was established in 1993 as a one-stop, non- regulatory Permit Assistance
Center to help Sacramento County Businesses understand and comply with
federal, state, and local environmental regulations. The Sacramento Area Green
Business Program has recently announced the certification of its first two Green
Businesses: Sacramento County's General Services Fleet Services Florin Garage
and Marconi Garage.
Business and Environment in Hawaii
EFC9 has been working with two agencies in Hawaii to assist them with their
Green Business efforts, the Hawaii Green Business Program and the Department of
Business, Economic Development, & Tourism. Hawaii's primary focus has been on
hotels with an emphasis on waste reduction and water conservation. In early 2003,
the Green Business Program and the Department of Economic Development
approached EFC9 about developing a workshop that would focus on business and
the environment. After several conference calls and meetings in San Diego, Lake
Tahoe and Hawaii a plan was developed for a number of workshops to be held on
Oahu and Maui 2004. The workshops included:
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Green Janitorial For Hotels,
Integrated Pest Management for Hotels,
Workshop on E-Waste.
Oahu, May 2004
In May, 2004 EFC9 gave a workshop on Green Janitorial Approaches for Hotels at
the Sheraton Waikiki that focused on green stewardship, the hazards of various
cleaning chemicals and possible alternatives. Attendees included various hotel
representatives including Sheraton, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott and other smaller
independent hotels.
Maui, June 2004
In June 2004, EFC9 gave a workshop on Integrated Pest Management for Hotels at
the Grand Wailea Hotel on Maui. Attendees included hotel representatives from
Marriott, Fairmont, Ritz Carlton, Grand Wailea, Kaanapali Beach Hotel, Hyatt,
Maui Kai, and Kaanapali Alii as well as Hawaiian Electric, Department of Health,
Chamber of Commere and Hawaii Recycling Group.
While on Maui, EFC9 also gave a workshop on Electronic Waste for county
employees. There were over 22 attendees including representatives from City
Recycling, the Maui Department of Health, Maui Department of Environment, the
Marine Corps, Island Recycling, Enviroservices and Lenox Metals. The E-Waste
presentation included the following subject areas:
The problem of E-waste,
The toxicity and what chemicals/metals are in your average TV/computer
etc.,
Associated health/environmental problems with these toxins,
What various states are doing with E-waste,
Some case studies (legislation and recycling programs),
Why it makes sense to start confronting the problem now, and
Electronic products that have a better environmental record.
Oahu, October 2004
In October, EFC9 was invited to return to Oahu to give a workshop on Electronic
Waste at the annual Hawaiian Electric Company Conference. Attendees included
numerous small business representatives including recyclers and electronics
retailers.
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Environmentally Beneficial Behavior in Television
Overview
In 2003, EFC9 proposed to adopt the private sector concept of "product placement"
to place environmentally beneficial behavior (EBB) in television shows. Possible
examples included having actors bring cloth bags to the grocery store, recycle soda
cans, use worm bins and consider how to properly dispose of a computer monitor
and other electronic waste accumulating in their closets.
In consultation with EPA, EFC9 agreed to gather and evaluate information
regarding the placement of EBB in television shows and to complete the following
tasks:
Conduct research through focus groups to determine which EBB's will be the
project's focus;
Identify target markets, including specific groups within such markets, to
determine which groups will be most receptive to which messages and most
likely to change their behaviors;
Identify target shows, television stations, and/or studios receptive to the EBB
placement concept and which would most effectively reach the target markets.
In addition, EFC9, in consultation with EPA, agreed to create a list of at least 8-10
'best' potential EBB messages. EFC9 would also develop methods to measure
success of EBB message placement, including tracking numbers of viewers for each
show. As a result, EFC9 was responsible for the following actions and deliverables.
Identifying environmentally beneficial behaviors and their relative
importance.
Identifying target markets for each behavior.
Identifying size of problem behavior is addressing.
Identifying shows, studios, and/or television stations receptive to the EBB
placement concept and which would most effectively reach the target
markets, with contacts for each.
In 2004, EFC9 completed the following EBB tasks.
Conduct research through focus groups
In consultation with EPA Region 9 and in response to significant time constraints,
EFC9 held three meetings with the following groups to identify potential EBBs.
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Focus Group I: EBB brainstorming session with US EPA Region IX, February
2004
Meeting at UCLA with Motion Picture Industry project staff, US EPA and the
California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB).
Focus Group II: EBB brainstorming session with CIWMB, March 2004
Identify environmentally beneficial behaviors and their relative importance
EFC9 developed over 100 environmentally beneficial behaviors (EBBs) that could
be appropriate to numerous types of productions currently available on cable and
network TV. In cooperation with US EPA, four to five EBBs (approximately 40)
were chosen for ten TV show variations. After extensive review, one-pagers for
each show type were developed and approved. Each one-pager included those
EBBs that could make the greatest environmental impact according to EPA
reviewers.
Identify target markets
Target markets, i.e., specific types of TV shows or sets within shows, were chosen
that were appropriate to selected EBBs. The EBBs and their markets were then
paired in simple one-pagers that could be presented to key production personnel
responsible for props, product placement and scripts. One-pagers were developed
for the following shows and sets: Garden Shows, Cooking Shows, Home
Improvement Shows, and scenes set in gardens, homes, hospitals, offices, outside
the home, restaurants and schools. The completed one-pagers are available on our
website atwww.greenstart.org/efc9.
Identifying size of problem behavior is addressing
As initially defined, this task imagined that five to eight behaviors would be
identified for all productions. However, as the scope changed, approximately 40
EBBs were developed and the one-pagers were prepared for ten different show
types, it was determined that this task would be best completed once the EBBs were
placed within shows and the potential impact could be measured. This task will be
completed once EBBs have been placed and impact can be assessed.
Identify shows, studios, and/or television stations and contacts
EFC9 developed an extensive list of shows and contacts that will provide support
for the project as we move into the next phases.
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Findings, Recommendations and Suggestions for Further Actions
This has been an extremely fluid project as it has ventured into unknown territory
since the day it started. While developing the EBBs was a relatively simple
exercise it quickly became clear that television is an extremely diverse industry
comprised of small, medium and large sized companies, each striving to develop
unique products that can capture various (or all) segments of the viewing audience.
As such, it became quickly obvious that our approach needed to be equally multi-
dimensional, and so, rather than developing a few examples of desired behaviors for
all shows, we determined that we should develop a small number of unique EBBs
for several types of shows and sets within shows. Thus the one-pagers were
developed.
In addition, while we agreed that there are certain types of shows that we would like
to attract (especially those with high ratings), we were forced to admit that these
shows were more than likely to choose us and that we had to offer a variety of
options given the diversity of productions on TV. In short, we had to be ready for
whomever came knocking at our door. As a result, we determined that to have the
biggest bang for our small bucks, we should start the project by contacting smaller,
cable-based reality shows, specifically those focused on gardening/landscaping,
home improvement and cooking. EFC9 and EPA agreed that since viewers tune
into those productions not only to be entertained but to be instructed, our EBBs
could have a greater impact.
Having identified the Executive Producer as the key contact, EFC9 began
contacting shows and producers. To date EFC9 has been in contact with 4
productions (two on HGTV, one on TLC, and one is still a pilot) all of them have
responded favorably. In addition, EFC9 has begun to promote the project through
various venues including the National Association of Television Program
Executives conference and the UCLA Forum on Sustainability in the Motion
Picture Industry as described below.
National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE). In addition
to our work with the productions above, EFC9 attended the NATPE Conference in
Las Vegas. The NATPE conference hosted producers from around the world under
one roof to promote and sell their productions. Through NATPE we met and
secured the services of a product placement professional who has agreed to provide
expertise and services to the project free of charge.
Forum on Sustainability in the Motion Picture Industry. EFC9 attended and
spoke at the Forum on Sustainability in the Motion Picture Industry hosted by
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UCLA and the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB). The
objective of this Forum was to showcase current "green" practices throughout the
industry in order to educate others and help them in reducing the environmental
footprint of the industry within Southern California. Other speakers at the event
included representatives from Disney, Warner Brothers and Fox, as well
professionals in the industry who worked on films such as Dantes Peak, The Lord
of the Rings and the Matrix. Ed Begley Jr. was the keynote speaker for the event.
As a result of our efforts EFC9 has offered the following recommendations and
suggestions for further actions.
Continue Contacting and Working with Identified Shows and Studios. EFC9
has had success contacting every show it has initially identified and every producer
has been interested in our project. As a result, we have decided to become more
strategic about what and how many shows we contact because each production has
its own set of requests in response to our program. While the one-pager is a good
format to open doors we have found that the cable shows - which can be defined as
small to medium sized businesses - are like all companies in that they are pressed
for time and money. They would like to work with us but they will need the
information about products and behaviors at their fingertips and expect us to
provide them with that information.
Develop Materials for EBB Placement. Each show we have contacted has asked
for additional information. One show is sponsored by Home Depot and has
requested a list of environmentally beneficial items that can be purchased from that
store and that the show may use in the future. Another show has requested a list of
certified green landscapers and a third requested a general list of products
specifically suited to its show. In short, it is likely that small shows sponsored by
large homeware companies (Home Depot, Target, WalMart, Kmart etc) will want
product recommendations that can be purchased from their sponsors. At present
these lists need to be developed and will have to be updated regularly.
Develop a Website Proposal for Networks and Shows. As a way to highlight
products that are showcased on individual programs, an effort should be worked
into any future proposal to work with network and program websites. Website
coordinators would be asked to incorporate a purchasing opportunity into their sites
that would allow viewers to learn about and purchase the products that have been
placed on their favorite shows. Viewers could click on an ACT Environmentally
icon that would automatically take them to a site that would highlight the products
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and explain why they are important to the environment. The viewer would then be
able to click on the product for purchase from the sponsor, product or show website.
Environmental Props Warehouse. Set decorators, directors and designers
frequently have little time to identify, purchase and/or collect items for a set. Often
having as little as two days to develop a set that must accurately portray a real life
situation (e.g., travel agency, restaurant, and florist), they do not have the time or
knowledge to incorporate environmental products into their sets. As a result, we
propose exploring the possibility of an Environmental Props Warehouse
strategically centered in Los Angeles. As an alternative Environmental Props room,
available existing prop warehouses throughout LA may be more useful.
Industry Roundtable. As we learn more about this industry, we learn more about
the infinite complications that are involved in the making of a TV show. Each idea
comes along as a result of further immersion into the industry but we still have
much to learn. In response, we suggest a small industry roundtable that would
involve appropriate industry representatives (production crew, set decorators,
product placement specialists, etc) to help advise us on our efforts and suggest other
ways to green the industry. This roundtable proposal may be addressed in the
proposed April Roundtable at the EPA office in Los Angeles.
Greening the Industry White Paper. This would be a short proposal to executive
producers to help seek a pilot program in which we would act as "green
consultants" for a TV show. As consultants we would help advise the show on
ways to become greener and save money, and we would have a pilot program from
which to beta test our efforts and learn more about the industry in general.
Green Production Alternatives Binder. Production designers, art directors and
other industry representatives must accurately portray their shows in settings that
range from present day New York City to ancient Rome and everything in between
and yet to be imagined. As a result, they have libraries through their guilds and
associations that they may consult for accuracy and ideas. We propose to develop a
Green Production Alternatives Binder that would be prominently placed and
available to decision-makers at all association libraries.
Develop a Simple Campaign. While the ideal will be to find producers who are
interested in working on all aspects of our project, we should also be able to provide
a simple approach for shows that are interested but do not have the time or budget
(at least for the moment) to fully implement ACT Environmentally. We propose
developing a "Five Things" campaign that would target the five best and worst
things a TV show could adopt.
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Region 9 Tribal Initiative
This new initiative was an effort to explore ways in which EFC9 could work with
Region IX tribes to assist them with their environmental problems. In partnership
with the Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network (WRPPN), EFC9
developed an action plan to address key issues facing regional tribes after
participating in several conference sessions and discussions on the topics. Two of
our major efforts included the WRPPN Conference and the 12th Annual Region 9
Tribal EPA Conference.
WRPPN 2004 Conference
EFC9 staff participated in the Pollution Prevention (P2) and Tribes Training
Session at the WRPPN 2004 Conference. At this session speakers presented an
overview on starting a P2 program, described activities of the Native American
Environmental Protection Coalition, discussed how the Oneida Tribe in Wisconsin
motivates tribal members to recycle rather than dump (by focusing on health issues
and the impact of this behavior on family members and future generations), and
learned about how the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, the largest casino in the
worlda 2,000 acre facility including shopping malls, theatres, hotels and
gambling facilities operated by an 800 member tribesaves money through its
recycling, reuse and EPP programs.
This session provided EFC9 an excellent networking opportunity and one at which
we were able to determine the types of sessions that would best serve tribal
members. Specifically EFC9 learned that workshops focused on specific industries
were more useful than one dedicated solely to tribes.
12th Annual Region 9 Tribal EPA Conference
EFC9 assisted WRPPN staff in a training session targeted at pollution prevention
for tribes at the 12th Annual Region 9 Tribal EPA Conference. Based on this
experience, EFC9 identified the need for holding listening sessions at which EFC9
and WRPPN staff would assist participants in identifying P2 issues of concern and
help evaluate alternative responses.
EFC9 Action Plan
As a result of our efforts in 2004, EFC9 determined that the best approach to
working with tribes in Region IX was to bring pollution prevention training
sessions to conferences and other meetings where tribal attendance is already high.
To that end, EFC9 is exploring the possibility of providing P2 training sessions on
casinos, restaurants and auto body shops at the following 2005 venues.
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Native American Environmental Protection Coalition meeting
California Indian Gaming Association Conference
BIA National Conference
Regional Environmental Mangers Meeting
Regional Tribal Operations Committee (RTOC) Meeting
Regional Pow Wows
2005 13th Annual Region 9 Tribal EPA Conference
Phoenix Brickyard Charrette
In 2003, USEPA and Maricopa County asked the Environmental Finance Center,
Region 9 (EFC9) to organize a charrette to address problems between the South
Phoenix Community and the Phoenix Brick Yard (PBY). The Phoenix Brick Yard
sits in the middle of a low-income neighborhood in which residents have
complained of odor and respiratory distress. Phoenix Brick Yard's primary
emissions of concern are hydrogen fluoride (HF) and hydrogen chloride (HC1).
Clay minerals naturally contain fluoride and chloride. HF and HC1 are formed and
emitted during the brick firing process. Generally, HF and HC1 gas can irritate the
skin, eyes and respiratory tract at elevated levels; neither compound is considered a
carcinogen. The community believes that the Phoenix Brick Yard may be a factor in
health issues experienced by nearby neighbors.
In May, 2004, concerned stakeholders met in a Phoenix Arizona charrette to discuss
financial and other solutions to HC1, HF and particulate emissions from the Phoenix
Brickyard. This charrette was facilitated by EFC9. The charrette and other follow-
up meetings were attended by representatives from the National Brick Research
Center, Phoenix Brick Yard, US EPA, Bethune high school, Arizona Department of
Health Services, Maricopa County, City of Phoenix, and community organizations
and concerned citizens.
In general, the project served to provide the community with a better understanding
of air quality issues in their neighborhood and how they might be addressed. In
addition, a number of parties reached agreement on how they would proceed in
order to satisfy neighborhood concerns. More specifically, Phoenix Brickyard
agreed to carry out the following measures to curb emissions and odors emanating
from their site.
Provide a Mass Balance Test and results to determine what alternatives may be
available to reduce emissions.
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Explore the possibility of introducing deodorizing agents to reduce odors.
Determine other ways to control dust from brick mounds and truck traffic.
In addition, Supervisor Wilcox (Maricopa County) agreed to draw up a
neighborhood compact to help support the results of the project and to explore
opportunities to help the Brick Yard attract new business. Maricopa County
committed to developing an odor survey and US EPA arranged to provide
information on diesel mitigation and associated funding sources
Most importantly, financial experts brought to the table determined that the Phoenix
Brick Yard could incorporate a heat recovery system that would take advantage of
heat loss during the brick firing process. They proposed that lost heat could be
harnessed through a small cogeneration power plant and then sold to the local
power authority. Energy profits could then be used to purchase and maintain
expensive emission control technologies that would reduce emissions by 90 percent.
As of the January 2005, negotiations were still underway.
Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network Conference
(WRPPN) Workshop and Sessions
As a key steering committee member for the WRPPN, EFC9 is significantly
involved in the planning for the WRPPN Conference held annually in California.
In 2004, EFC9 planned and facilitated the following workshop and sessions, which
were among the highest attended events at the conference.
Nail & Hair Salons
This session addressed the toxics in nail and hair products, exposure paths and their
impacts, what's happening in Europe, policy efforts in California and the U.S. and
recent projects undertaken in Texas and Massachusetts to try and improve worker
health & safety and cosmetology school and health agent training. Because of the
level of interest the session was expanded by 30 minutes and five speakers were
invited to participate on the panel. Those speakers included:
Eileen Gunn, Community Program Coordinator with the Toxics Use Reduction
Institute (TURI) in Massachusetts,
Sonya Lunder, Environmental Analyst, Environmental Working Group,
Julia Quint, Research Scientist and Chief of the Hazard Evaluation System &
Information Service (HESIS), an occupational health program in the California
Department of Health Services,
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Lisa Pham, US EPA Region 6, Environmental Engineer, Nail Salon Project
Coordinator, and
Son Hong, Vice-President, Vietnamese American Community Health Network.
As a result of this session a National Salon Network was developed. It now
numbers over 50 members and maintains regular conference calls.
Emerging Pollutants
The session on Emerging Pollutants covered a wide variety of pollutants and
potential pollutants.
The first speakers, Dr. Katy Wolf, Executive Director of the Institute for Research
and Technical Assistance (IRTA) and Julia Quint, Hazard Evaluation System &
Information Service (HESIS) focused on new chemicals that are being marketed
aggressively and are used extensively in applications where users are exposed to
their hazards. Some of these chemicals are known to be hazardous but there are no
worker or environmental regulations that control their use. Others have not been
tested for chronic toxicity but have structures that make it likely that they are high
in toxicity. The session focused on five of these emerging chemicals including:
n-propyl bromide,
1,2-trans dichloroethylene,
n-methyl pyrollidone,
parachlorobenzotrifluoride, and
D5.
The next speaker, Michael Gill with EPA's Office of Research and Development
Hazardous Waste Technical Liaison, provided a primer on the topic of
nanotechnology, as well as a summary of some possible health effects and
regulatory concerns. Nanotechnology is not really a single "technology", but a
cross between chemistry, biology and materials science that deals with particles less
than 100 nanometers in size. At this small size, a user can manipulate the structures
and cause novel properties and functions. Presently, there are no US government
regulations governing nanomaterials or nanotechnology. But because of the
increased numbers of nanotech applications being developed by industry, potential
associated health effects are being investigated.
Finally, a speaker from the USGS National Toxic Inventory Project shared the
results of their research. Since 1998, the USGS has been developing analytical
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capabilities to measure organic wastewater contaminants, including drugs,
antibiotics, lotions, detergents, antioxidants, plastics, Polycyclic Aromatic
Hydrocarbons (PAHs), fragrances, pesticides, fumigants, disinfectants and fire
retardants, in a variety of environmental matrices. USGS' objectives were to
develop sensitive and specific methods to measure trace organics at low levels and
to evaluate environmental occurrence in 'susceptible' waters, including downstream
of wastewater treatment plans, confined animal feeding operations and a small
number of undeveloped or natural settings.
Green Business Program Challenges & Solutions
In keeping with past years and as the Western Regional Green Business
Coordinator, EFC9 hosted a workshop on the Green Business Program. This
workshop focused on the most practical steps for municipalities to take, such as
buying recycled-content paper, what to specify in print jobs, switching to less toxic
janitorial products, greening yards & fleets and incorporating Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) into parks maintenance. The framework for this workshop
included an overview of how the precautionary principal can be applied at the very
local level.
MAJOR NEW INITIATIVES FOR 2005
Green Business Program Coordinator's Summits
EFC9 will sponsor, plan and facilitate two Green Business Program (GBP)
Coordinator Summits to establish guidelines and a hierarchy for operating a
statewide program in 2005. The coordinator's summits will establish a protocol by
which coordinators will regularly work to determine what defines a valid program
and how all California GBPs should harmonize their efforts. More specifically, the
summits will address the following issues from a statewide perspective.
Overall Statewide Coordination Protocol and Structure
Recognizing and Working With New Green Business Programs
Statewide Funding
Coordinating Checklists
Developing Checklists
Developing Statewide Green Business Criteria
Developing Statewide Measurement Standards
California Logo
Partner Agencies
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!ACT Environmentally!
Once known as Environmentally Beneficial Behavior in Television, this project has
now been renamed ACT Environmentally. As we move forward with this project
and learn from the experts in the industry, we are beginning to map out the most
appropriate and potentially successful approach to behavioral and product
placement in TV. Based on experience so far, and EPA and other stakeholder input,
the following describes what will come next for ACT Environmentally. We plan to
pursue a three-part methodology that would include 1) guidance on placement
opportunities for shows and studios, 2) a prop system to readily supply productions
with environmental products, and 3) website support to highlight the ACT
Environmentally campaign.
Guidance. EFC9 will work directly with TV programs to place environmental
products and behaviors in participating shows. Depending on the type of
placement we are requesting, we will likely be working with the set decorators,
writers or executive producers.
Props. EFC9 will have to develop a system whereby environmental props are
readily available to participating shows. This may involve a physical prop
warehouse in LA, environmental prop rooms attached to studio prop
warehouses or a virtual prop warehouse with a 24-48 hour turnaround.
Websites. Once the TV show has committed to using environmental products,
and the prop has been provided, we need a way to showcase what the viewer
sees and how she can purchase the product. EFC9 will work with program
and/or network website coordinators to help them incorporate a purchasing
opportunity into their sites that would allow viewers to learn about and purchase
the products that have been placed on their favorite shows.
P2 and Salons
EFC9 expects to work with salons and cosmetology schools in California to
determine the potential health and environmental impacts of products used in
salons. The focus of this pilot will be on common toxic salon products and potential
alternatives. The pilot would collect information on current products, practices,
costs and exposures and will informally assess owners, employees and customer's
willingness to choose a healthier alternative. This pilot will characterize the
chemicals and other ingredients found in common salon chemicals and assess the
potential for health and/or environmental impacts. In addition, EFC9 will identify
available alternatives to key toxic chemicals and assess the barriers and
opportunities within salons to adopt these alternatives. In conclusion, the project
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will organize a stakeholder roundtable to disseminate information and determine
next steps.
EFC NETWORK COLLABORATIONS
Public Management and Finance Program (PMFP) EFC Region II
March 2004, Minnowbrook, NY - Over the years, EFC9 has worked with EFC2 to
help develop and launch the Public Management and Finance Program (PMFP).
The PMFP is designed to coordinate the delivery of technical assistance to rural
communities for the purpose of integrated problem-solving. The PMFP focuses on a
variety of areas, including the range of services accessible to communities, the gaps
in the delivery of technical assistance, and the disconnect between public policies
and the financial and management capacity of these communities. EFC9 will
continue to work with EFC2 in the coming year and we hope to establish our own
PMFP program in the future.
COMMITTEES
Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group (BAPPG)
EFC9 regularly attended meetings of the Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group
(BAPPG). BAPPG is a voluntary association of all Bay Area municipal wastewater
treatment plants that discharge into the San Francisco Bay.
Bay Area Hazardous Waste Reduction Committee
EFC9 is a member of the Bay Area Hazardous Waste Reduction Committee and is a
regular participant in committee meetings and events.
Western Regional Pollution Prevention Steering Committee
EFC9 is a member of the WRPPN steering committee, which helps determine the
scope of the annual conference. In addition, WRPPN will use EFC9's Brominated
Flame Retardant Clearinghouse and Green Business Clearinghouse pages on our
website as the national hubs for those topics under the National Pollution
Prevention Roundtable.
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BOISE
STATE
UNIVERSITY
2004 Annual Report of the
Environmental Finance Center Network
Region 10 - EFC at Boise State University
A key focus of the EFC at Boise State University is utility
rate setting and capital improvement planning for
environmental facilities
INTRODUCTION
The Environmental Finance Center at Boise State University was created in 1995
and first received funding in the fall of 1996. The EFC at BSU is contained
within the Department of Public Policy and Administration of the College of Social
Science and Public Affairs. The Boise State EFC serves the Region 10 communities
of the Pacific Northwest and the Intermountain states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and
Washington. Because of its specialized services and tools, the Boise State EFC has
also served other communities throughout the country. This report outlines the EFC's
accomplishments in 2004, new initiatives for 2005, network collaborations,
presentations and results.
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The primary focus of the EFC at Boise State University is the development of broadly
applicable, practical tools that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
environmental systems in meeting the challenges of protecting the environment and
public health. The EFC creates computer-based techniques and programs that provide
important information for decision makers to use in financing environmental systems.
Leveraging Resources As is customary for the network of university-based
Environmental Finance Centers, the EFC at Boise State University effectively
supplements its core funding with funding from other sources. As a measure of
activity, this leveraging was even more significant, with the EFC attracting eighteen
other grants and contracts. This leveraging of resources demonstrates the real value of
the Environmental Finance Center Network to Region 10 and the EPA.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Development of Innovative Tools
The major theme for the EFC this year has been the development of software
financing tools. For the past three years the EFC found that fresh approaches are
needed to working with the regulated community, and to that end, developed new
software tools to respond to the needs of water and wastewater systems. As well,
these new tools are available to stakeholders involved in addressing non-point source
water pollution challenges. The EFC's goal is to reach communities nationally with
these productivity enhancing tools. The following lists our new software tools made
available this year to the regulated community throughout the country:
Rate Checkup - a full-cost pricing model for water systems (the EFC is
developing the wastewater version of this model for 2005-6). Rate Checkup
integrates the EFC's asset refinancing model CAPFinance in developing
correct user charges for water systems. Although not a Region 10 state, in 2004
the Kansas Drinking Water Program selected the Rate Checkup and CAPFinance
tools for statewide distribution through their capacity development program.
System Development Fee Model - under development in 2004, this new tool will
be delivered to the University of Illinois' Midwest Technical Assistance Center in
Region 5 in 2005. The model will help water systems calculate the impact of new
development and to design impact fees to recover those costs. This new model is
also based on CAPFinance.
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Electronic Sanitary Survey (Iowa Model) - working with EPA's Drinking Water
Academy over the past two years the EFC has developed a sanitary survey data
collection system that is operated on PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants or
handheld Windows-based computers). In 2004 Iowa contracted with the Center
to produce a variation of this approach that will allow information to be shared
across internet networks, linking the central and regional offices of the state
drinking water program.
Plan2Fund for Idaho - Also in 2004, the State of Idaho' Department of
Environmental Quality asked the EFC to modify Plan2Fund - a workplan
financing and implementation model - for application to the Clean Water Act
Section 319 financing program. This work should be completed in 2005.
One Plan BMP Financing Model - the EFC is working with the Natural Resource
Conservation Service, Idaho Soil Conservation Commission and others to
enhance the Idaho OnePlan model with an environmental finance sub-routine. In
2004 the EFC began work in building a new sub-routine that would identify
opportunities for watershed stakeholders to purchase additional BMPs to optimize
water quality on privately-owned land. This model is a direct response (and the
outcome of a charrette) to the conflicts between water users and environmentalists
in the Klamath Basin.
Arsenic Exemption Tool - In 2004 the EFC began work to develop a model to
help regulatory agencies quickly determine the financial capacity of communities
seeking exemptions from the implementation deadline for the arsenic rule. This
software tool is designed to assist staff unfamiliar with financial analysis by
automatically generating a financial capacity report. We expect that this model
(available in 2005) will be useful for all rule exemption scenarios in the future.
Capacity Tracker - this software tool provides an annual "report card" on a utility
system's financial capacity and provides trend analysis as well. As demonstrated
at the 2004 CIFA Conference in San Diego, the states and EPA could use
Capacity Tracker to measure the effectiveness of SRF funding and/or other
capacity development programs.
Macro-environmental Finance Focus on Watershed Financing Activities
The 2002 Annual Report of the Boise State University EFC introduced the division of
activities between the focus areas of "macro-environmental" and "micro-
environmental" finance. This division is useful in separating our traditional utility-
based financing work from the emerging challenges of financing non-point pollution
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reduction at the watershed level. The first section of the 2004 Annual report
highlights our activities in the watershed financing or "macro-environmental" arena.
Watershed Funding Workshops
The EFC presented 10 watershed funding workshops throughout Region 10 in 2004.
Watershed restoration is important throughout the region. Watershed planning
activities are increasing each year in response to the need to protect these valuable
resources. In order for watershed planning and implementation to be effective,
identification and acquisition of resources is necessary. Previous workshops
conducted by the Environmental Finance Center have helped to promote stewardship
by improving stakeholders' capacity to develop long-term funding strategies for
protection and restoration activities. However, different levels of sophistication exist
between watershed groups. This difference in sophistication level creates challenges
for our workshops to insure all participants receive valuable tools for their funding
problems. In response to this need, the EFC tailored their workshops to those levels
that best addressed these different needs.
Intermediate Workshops
Intermediate workshops focused on watershed stakeholders who are familiar with the
watershed process but lack the knowledge and skills needed to weave together a
funding strategy. The workshop covered principles of developing a finance strategy
and identify the funding tools and techniques used in combination to support the
watershed vision. Using a diverse mix of public and private funding (from federal,
state and local sources), in combination with alternative funding techniques, can build
a broad and sustainable base of support for watershed protection. In addition, these
workshops will discuss the importance of networking and building relationships in
order to maximize knowledge and opportunities for meeting watershed goals.
Utilizing existing resources such as universities and schools to assist with education
and outreach grant writing and data collection is just one example of leveraging
resources.
The EFC presented four intermediate workshops in the Region during 2004. The
EFC worked closely with EPA Region 10, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), and other agencies to target attendees and coordinate the
timing and location of workshops to maximize participation. Intermediate workshops
were held in Pocatello, Idaho; Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Newport, Oregon; and Moses
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Lake, Washington.
watershed.
Each workshop was tailored to the specific needs of the
At each workshop, attendees received CD's with the Directory of Watershed
Resources which included federal, private and state specific information on funding
programs and Plan2Fund, an access based planning program.
Following the workshops there were several requests for further information and
additional assistance. Participants expressed interest in information on what other
communities are doing to address the issues of funding watershed strategies. The
Environmental Finance Center will continue to be a conduit for sharing funding
information and examples of funding strategies in Region 10.
Pocatello, Idaho (March 10, 2004) Twenty Five participants attended the
workshop.
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (April 7, 2004) Twenty Five participants attended the
workshop.
Watershed Funding Workshop - Newport Oregon (October 20, 2004) Nineteen
people attended the workshop.
Watershed Funding Workshop Moses Lake, Washington (April 8, 2004) Nine
watershed representatives registered for the workshop.
Advanced Workshops
While many watershed groups are very sophisticated in watershed planning and
fundraising, they, too, have specific challenges and needs. The EFC provided three
workshops in Region 10 to assist theses communities who have unique funding
challenges.
At each workshop, attendees received CD's with the Directory of Watershed
Resources which included federal, private and state specific information on funding
programs and Plan2Fund, an access based planning program. Participants at each of
the advanced workshops received one-on-one assistance both prior to the workshop
and following the workshop.
Rogue Basin - Advanced Workshop (January 15, 2004) Thirty people attended
the first advanced workshop in the Rogue Basin. The first advanced workshop
focused on identifying the needs of the basin, identifying the resources of the EFC
and establishing a plan of how to assist the group in moving forwarded. The
group was successful in raising a large amount of funding to assist the watershed
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groups in the basin. However, they found themselves challenged by current
funding limitations, and requested assistance in broadening their financing
sources. In order to locate new funding resources, the group discovered they first
needed to identify their goals, objectives and tasks. The EFC assisted the group in
using Plan2Fund to begin to identify actions and funding opportunities.
Rogue Basin - Advanced Workshop (May 6, 2004): The group requested a
second advanced workshop to present the information in Plan2Fund to the basin.
Ten people attended the follow-up workshop. The group is continuing to use
Plan2Fund to develop a funding plan for the Basin.
Chehalis Basin - Advanced Workshop: The EFC presented an advanced
workshop in the Chehalis Basin. The Chehalis Basin group had recently
completed a watershed plan and requested the EFC assist them in moving
forwarded in developing an implementation strategy. The EFC presented an
advanced workshop to assist the group in identifying the challenges they faced in
moving forward to implementation. The workshop revealed that the group needed
assistance in identifying their goals, objectives and tasks. In addition, the group
also needed assistance in prioritizing those objectives and tasks. The EFC assisted
the group in using Plan2Fund to identify the group's goals, objectives and tasks
and assisted in the prioritization process.
EPA Watershed Financing Demonstration Workshops
The EFC provides valuable tools and resources to many stakeholders working on
watershed protection and restoration. Making these services known is a continuing
effort. For this reason, it is important that EPA staff and other agencies in constant
contact with watershed stakeholders be aware of the information, resources and tools
we provide. The EFC conducted two workshops for EPA Region 10 staff in the states
of Oregon and Idaho. Key staff members were attended from EPA Region 10 as well
as other federal agencies and watershed organizations.
The purpose of these workshops was twofold: first was to familiarize EPA Region 10
staff with the tools and services that the EFC provides to local watershed groups in
the Northwest. For example, the workshop provided the participants with the
Environmental Finance Center's database of funding resources, which demonstrated
how to acquire information on EPA and other federal, state, local and private funding
sources. The second goal of the demonstration workshop was to orient EPA staff on
the techniques that the EFC uses to teach watershed organizations to discover and
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leverage funding resources to implement multiple-year implementation plans.
Workshops were conducted in Boise, Idaho and Tillamook Oregon.
Boise Idaho: The workshop was held in Boise Idaho on March 31, 2004.
Twenty five people attended the workshop and received CD-ROMs with the
EFC's tool and workshop materials including the Directory of Watershed
Resources and Plan2Fund.
Tillamook Oregon: The workshop was held in Tillamook Oregon on May 5,
2004. Twenty five people attended the workshop and received CD-ROMs with
the EFC's tool and workshop materials including the Directory of Watershed
Resources and Plan2Fund.
Idaho Stream and Wetland Regulation Workshops
The Environmental Finance Center at Boise State University coordinated with the US
Army Corps of Engineers and EPA to plan and deliver a series of Stream and
Wetland Regulation Workshops throughout Idaho during the fall of 2004. The
workshops were designed to inform those who work around water resources of the
requirements, permit application process, and the consequences of not obtaining a
permit prior to conducting work in regulated waters. Targeted participants included
stakeholders who are directly or indirectly involved in dredging of and/or placing fill
in wetlands and streams. Information on both the state stream channel protection
program and the federal wetland protection regulatory programs were presented.
Six workshops were conducted throughout Idaho between October 2004 and
November 2004. The dates and locations of theses workshops are as follows:
Boise, Idaho - October 27, 2004. Approximately 65 people attended.
Salmon, Idaho - November 2, 2004. Approximately 35 people attended.
Idaho Falls, Idaho - November 3, 2004. Approximately 77 people attended.
Twin Falls, Idaho - November 4, 2004. Approximately 55 people attended.
Sandpoint, Idaho - November 9, 2004. Approximately 37 people attended.
Lewiston Idaho - November 10, 2004. Approximately 55 people attended.
Information packets including the PowerPoint presentation, joint application form and
additional information and resources were provided to each participant. The EFC
worked closely with the EPA, Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR), US
Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE) and other federal, state and tribal agencies to
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target attendees and coordinate the timing and location of each workshop to maximize
participation.
The workshops were very well received. Ninety-seven percent of participants
responded in the workshop evaluation that the workshop was valuable or highly
valuable.
Directory of Watershed Resources
Directory of Watershed Resources Database Update
In 2003, the Center developed the Directory of Watershed Resources (Directory), a
database of funding sources for watershed protection and restoration. The Directory
includes information on federal, state, private, and other funding sources and
assistance in the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.
The Directory has been a huge success, identifying over 750 programs within Region
10. However, for this database to continue to be a resource for watershed
stakeholders, the information must be kept accurate and up-to-date.
In 2004, to assist with the task up updating the database, the Environmental Finance
Center developed an email update function of the Directory of Watershed Resources.
The email function allows the EFC to send an annual email to each program contact
with a link to their specific programs for review and requests updates to the Center
through email, fax, phone, or by filling out an online form. The email provides
additional verification with program contacts to ensure accuracy.
Prior to sending the first email, the Center identified and added email addresses for
each program contact into the database. This frequently was not included in the
original contact information. This was done through online research and phone calls
to program contacts. Once the contact information was complete, the EFC sent an
email to all primary program contact in the database. Although the response rate was
fair for the first notice, it was insufficient to update the database, so the Center has
continued to add and update programs in the database through research and as
information becomes available.
Due to the difficulty in accessing the Internet in many areas, the EFC created an up to
date CD-ROM version of the Directory free of charge and available upon request. In
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2004 the EFC distributed over 500 CDs at workshops, conferences and through email
and phone requests.
In addition the Directory is available online. There were over 1,000 visits to the
Directory in 2004, with approximately one hundred visitors to the site every month.
The numbers are growing as people become aware of this on-line resource. In
addition, several agencies have began to link to the Directory website and are
directing un-funded applicants to the EFC for assistance.
National Expansion of the Directory of Watershed Resources and Plan2Fund
The response to the Directory of Watershed Resources has been extremely positive
and has generated a strong demand for this tool in other regions. This demand has
been noticed by the USEPA's Sustainable Finance Team within the Office of Water,
Oceans and Watersheds, with that division providing additional financial resources to
the EFC. To address this broader need for effective watershed financing tools, the
Directory and Plan2Fund are being enhanced and expanded for distribution to
watersheds and watershed groups in other regions throughout the United States.
Expanding these tools will help build the capacity of watershed groups throughout the
nation and make funding information more accessible to these groups, thus reducing
the administrative burden many of these groups face.
Directory of Watershed Resources
In 2004, the Center began expanding the Watershed Resources Directory to function
as a national database. Expanding the Directory to a national database will allow
other states and regions to use the structure of the Directory, reducing duplication and
allowing for significant cost savings. The New England Environmental Finance
Center (Region 1 EFC) will be the first EFC to utilize the national structure by
entering Region 1 information into the database. Region 1 information will be
available on the Database in early 2005. We assume that as resources allow,
additional Environmental Finance Centers will also add information into the database.
This project is an excellent example of how the Environmental Finance Center
Network allows the partner university-based EFCs to efficiently leverage resources in
serving the public in our separate EPA Regions.
Plan2Fund
Our field work proved that many watershed groups struggle with the task of moving
from the actual watershed plan to locating funding sources. Attendees at our
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workshops often want to know what sources of funding are available; however, they
have not identified watershed restoration priorities or established time frames for
activities. Without a clear funding strategy, they were overwhelmed with the
implementation process. During 2003, the EFC responded to these requests by
developing new software tools to meet their needs and help them move from the
planning process to developing a funding strategy for implementation. The result of
this effort was Plan2Fund, a watershed strategic planning and funding tool that helps
organizations determine their funding needs to meet the goals and objectives of their
watershed restoration program plan.
Plan2Fund was developed in Microsoft Access and is a database model that walks
users through the process of estimating the costs of their Watershed Program Plan's
Goals and Objectives, assessing any local matches, and determining funding needs to
meet Goals and Objectives. The results from Plan2Fund can be used to search for
funding sources utilizing the Environmental Finance Center's internet-based
Directory of Watershed Resources. Several hundred copies of Plan2Fund have been
distributed free of charge to conference attendees and workshop participants. In
addition, over 140 people have downloaded Plan2Fund off the EFC's website at
http://sspa.boisestate.edu/efc.
In 2004 the EFC requested feedback from these users. As a result, the EFC identified
several enhancements to Plan2Fund. The majority of the requests were requesting
that Plan2Fund be available in a runtime version, allowing users to access Plan2Fund
without owning the program software (Microsoft Access). In 2004, the EFC began
enhancements to Plan2Fund, including creating a run time version. In addition, more
detailed budgeting information was added to the program as well as responsible entity
data that will allow collaborative watershed groups to identify in a series of reports
what tasks are assigned to different stakeholders. The revisions also included a grant
tracking section that allows users to identify and track grants and resources for
specific tasks. Additional reports were also added to the program. The new version
of Plan2Fund will be available on CD and on the EFC's website in 2005.
Agricultural BMP Cost Analysis
The EFC worked extensively with watershed stakeholders throughout Region 10.
This provided the EFC with the opportunity to listen to challenges and needs
expressed by various watershed groups. At the Klamath Watershed Funding
Workshop in particular, watershed stakeholders expressed a need to identify the costs
and benefits of conservation efforts for landowners in the region. This information
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could be used to inform landowners of the economic costs and benefits of
implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) on their land and help identify
what additional incentives may be required to reach the conservation goals in the
watershed.
In response, the EFC completed an analysis of existing models available for
determining cost incentives for watershed conservation efforts and identified the
potential to develop an economic decision model for watershed organizations. The
analysis revealed that although there are many sources of information about economic
incentives for agricultural BMPs, there is no model currently available that would
specifically address the water quality issues in these watersheds.
The EFC has been working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NCRS), Idaho Conservation Commission, Idaho Association of Soil Conservation
Districts, and other state and federal agencies to develop an analysis tool that provides
cost information to landowners to assist them in identifying conservation practices on
their land. Through a series of meetings, the Idaho OnePlan was identified as partner
in providing this service.
The Idaho OnePlan was developed by a consortium of agriculture stakeholders and is
overseen by the Idaho Soil Conservation Commission. The Plan is a multi-agency
project to combine government regulations and current best management practices for
agriculture into a single plan, integrating federal, state, and local regulations. The
Idaho OnePlan provides data and software to help growers develop a single
conservation farm plan that can be pre-endorsed by the various agencies, streamlining
and simplifying the regulatory process that farmers face. Within the OnePlan, the
landowner can locate their farm from a state map and the web site (using USGS and
other agency GIS data) will automatically retrieve geographic information about the
fields, including soil type and slope. From there, the landowner identifies the
activities the are occurring on the land. The OnePlan then recommends a series of
field specific conservation practices, which will achieve a minimum level of water
quality benefit. Information on the costs and related level of benefits, however, are
missing from the model.
The EFC is working with various state and federal agricultural agencies to add a
financial cost component to the Idaho One Plan which will provide financial decision
making capacity to the OnePlan. Adding a financial component to the program will
assist landowners in identifying the costs of conservation practices and assist them in
finding financial resources to implement their conservation plan.
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The EFC developed the methodology for adding this cost and benefit information into
the OnePlan using both general and specific information. Once conservation practices
are identified within the OnePlan, general cost and benefit information (high,
medium, low) will be provided based on research data by the NRCS. This would
allow the landowner to compare conservation practices that have high costs and low
benefit with practices that have low costs and high benefit.
The user can also calculate more specific estimates on individual practices by
entering information on the number of units needed per cost component. The
information would be entered into a spreadsheet that used the various cost
components of the conservation practice (identified by EFC), cost per unit (NRCS
data sheets) and the number of units needed (entered by landowner) to determine the
cost estimate for the conservation practice. The EFC identified the various cost
components associated for each of the 80 conservation practices in the Idaho OnePlan
and will use NRCS data on costs per unit for each cost component.
The EFC will contine to work with the Idaho OnePlan to develop a cost component to
the OnePlan to assist landowners in identifying conservation practices. For more
information on the Idaho OnePlan visit http://www.oneplan.org/.
Environmental Finance E-Newsletter
The Environmental Finance Center provides a quarterly newsletter for watershed
stakeholders, which focuses on watershed funding issues within the region. One issue
of the newsletter was completed during the reporting period. The newsletter includes
information on upcoming events, grant deadlines and specific resources and
programs. This year the EFC expanded the newsletter to include micro financing
issues such as utility finance, rate setting and point source funding concerns. This has
provided information to a broader range of stakeholders interested in protecting the
watershed. The newsletter is emailed to target groups including past workshop
attendees, watershed groups, various EFC contacts, and local governments. The
response has been very positive. The EFC has received several requests from
individuals to be added to the email subscription list. In late 2004, circulation for the
newsletter increased from 400 to nearly 500. The newsletter is available on the EFC's
website at http://sspa.boisestate.edu/efc/news.htm.
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IACC Newsletter
The EFC supplied assistance to the Washington Infrastructure Assistance
Coordinating Council (IACC) to provide a quarterly newsletter on infrastructure
financing in Washington State. The goals of the newsletter are to provide relevant and
timely information on infrastructure financing and related issues, and to enhance
communication between state and federal financing programs, as well as the systems
and the public. Two newsletters were completed during the reporting period.
Newsletters can be viewed at:
http://www.infrafunding.wa.gov/IACC%20Newsletters/IACC%20Newsletters.htm
EFC Information Activities - Website
The activities of the Boise State EFC are profiled at the EFC's Intranet website at
http://sspa.boisestate.edu/efc. This website allows the EFC to provide information on
our programs and projects without incurring the expenses of publishing a newsletter
or other periodical. Information such as The Watershed Newsletter, various
PowerPoint presentations, Capacity Tracker download and new publications were
added to the website during the first and second quarters of FY 2005. The EFC
remains committed to keeping their website current and up-to-date.
MlbUhl_LANh<
rHNIUAL AbblbTANUE
As the EFC delivers watershed-funding workshops in the region, the demand for
information on financing tools and resources has increased. Participants often pass
information on to the other stakeholders who contact us for additional information
and assistance. In addition, the EFC is often contacted by agencies and organizations
that would like us to participate in conferences, meeting and various watershed
events.
Below are a few examples of the miscellaneous and unanticipated activities that the
EFC has been asked to participate in during the first and second quarter of FY 2005.
At these events, the EFC was able to present valuable information and resources to
hundreds of participants, resulting in several requests for additional assistance.
Watershed Funding Customer Service Assistance: In 2003, the EFC established a
toll-free telephone number for watershed stakeholders to call if they needed one-on-
one technical service assistance when searching for watershed funding within Region
10. The line was established to provide assistance in searching the Directory of
Watershed Resources as well as provide additional information on financing tools,
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resources, contact information, and other resources. The EFC has continued this
service for Region 10 to provide technical assistance and information to workshop
participants and others who are interested in implementing watershed protection
strategies, but need more information about financing tools, resources, contact
information, etc. Through phone and email requests, additional Directories of
Watershed Resources and Plan2Fund CDs (150) were sent in 2004. The EFC plans
to continue this service for Region 10 in the future.
Watershed Financing Individual Assistance: Often EFC workshops and presentations
result in requests for additional assistance. Several times throughout the year the EFC
researched funding sources for specific needs in a watershed. During 2004, the EFC
provided this assistance to several individuals and organizations including the City of
Coquille, Fish First, the Lower Boise River Watershed Advisory Group, and various
other individuals.
Workshops and Conferences
Throughout the year the EFC is asked to participate in various workshops and
conferences. The conferences allow the EFC to share its tools and services with a
large number of stakeholders and has resulted in positive responses and requests for
additional information. Below are a few of the events and services the EFC provided
during this reporting period.
Watershed Protection Institute - Bainbridge Island Washington (September 17,
2004)
The EFC gave a presentation and participated in a panel discussion at the
Watershed Protection Institute on funding river and watershed efforts. The EFC
provided participants with a CD-ROM of its tools and resources including
Plan2Fund and the Directory of Watershed Resources.
National Non-Point Source (NPS) Conference - Austin TX (2004)
The National NPS Conference, "Implementation at the Watershed Level" was
sponsored by the EPA and the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution
Control Administrators (ASIWPCA). The EFC provided a workshop on financing
watershed protection efforts. Participants received a CD-ROM of the Directory of
watershed resources and Plan2Fund. The workshop was well received and
resulted in several additional requests for assistance including a follow-up
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presentation at the Arkansas Watershed Advisory Group's 2004 Watershed
Conference: "Clean Water - Stronger Communities.
Watershed Partnership Seminar - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S.
Office of Personnel Management/Western Management Development Center
Denver Colorado. (November 8-19. 2004)
The EFC participated in the Watershed Partnerships Seminar: Collaboration for
Environmental Decision Making. The EFC provided a full day workshop on
financing watershed protection efforts. Participants received CD-ROMs with the
Directory of Watershed Resources and Plan2Fund. The information was well
received and resulted in additional requests for assistance.
New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC)
Conference (May 2004).
Teaming up with the Environmental Finance Center at Syracuse University, the
Boise State EFC presented two sessions at the Northeast NEIWPCC Conference
at Lake George, New York. The first session, Financing Sustainable Watersheds:
How the Environmental Finance Center Assists Watershed Organizations,
discussed how the EFC Network assists watershed organizations and local
communities in building the financial and managerial capacity necessary to solve
the challenges of nonpoint source pollution. The second session, Financing
Sustainable Watersheds: Tools to Save Time and Find Money, introduced
participants to successful management and financing techniques for watershed
restoration and informed participants of the tools and resources available to assist
watershed stakeholders with their funding needs. The EFC gave an overview of
PLAN2FUND, a watershed planning tool, and web-base funding databases
including the Directory of Watershed Resources. In addition, the EFC also
discussed future tools they are developing to assist landowners in identifying the
cost effectiveness of Agricultural Best Management Practices.
Environmental Finance Focus on Infrastructure Finance Activities
While watershed financing technical assistance and training has increased
significantly over the past several years, the EFC at Boise State University maintains
an important core of tools and services relative to the traditional full-cost funding
challenges of providing essential public services. This section of the 2004 Annual
Report highlights new State Revolving Fund (SRF) activity of the EFC and a variety
of training and technical assistance events.
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State Revolving Funds (SRF): Providing Financial and Management Capacity
Analysis
Since 1997 the EFC has provided third-party review of financial and management
capacity of applicants seeking funding from the Idaho Drinking Water State
Revolving Fund Program. Similar services are provided under contract to the Alaska
Clean Water Fund and Drinking Water Revolving Fund for the analysis of financial
capacity. Approximately one-dozen reviews were conducted in 2004. New in 2004,
the EFC entered into contracts with the US Army Corps of Engineers and the
Washington Department of Ecology for additional financial capacity analysis
services.
US Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE): In 2004 the Walla Walla District Office
(Boise branch) of the US Army Corps of Engineers asked the EFC to conduct
financial capacity analyses for recipients of their Section 595 assistance program.
The financial capacity reviews are now used by the Corps staff to encourage water
and wastewater systems to institute management and financial management changes
that should lead to more sustainable public services. In December 2004, the EFC
completed its first report - the City of Burley, Idaho Wastewater Fund - for the Corps
staff. The EFC may receive similar requests from USAGE offices throughout the
western states. Aside from receiving objective review of loan applicants' financial
capacity, the Corps benefits from being able to access trained and experienced EFC
staff for this purpose - without having to establish internal staff capacity to do this
work.
Washington Department of Ecology: Also in 2004, the Washington Department of
Ecology - the administrators of the state's Clean Water State Revolving Fund - asked
the EFC to not only conduct financial capacity reviews of its recipients for funds, but
also to design a computer-based model that would expedite such financial reviews
and automatically generate financial capacity analyses. This new computer tool
should be available in 2005 and could become a model for other state SRF programs.
Training and Technical Assistance Events - Highlights
Ohio CAPFinance Workshops
The Environmental Finance Centers at Boise State University and Cleveland State
University teamed up in February, 2004 to deliver two workshops on asset
replacement financing in two Ohio cities: Cleveland and Columbus. The two EFCs
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teamed with the Ohio Rural Community Assistance Program to offer the training to
small Ohio communities.
Washington Drinking Water SRF Workshop Series
In March, 2004 the EFC presented a series of training workshops at regional locations
throughout the State of Washington. The specific training focused on full-cost pricing
and financial capacity measurement for applicants to the State's Drinking Water State
Revolving Fund Program. Sponsored by the Washington Public Works Board, the
training made use of several EFC-developed tools, including a multiple year
financing model designed specifically for the workshop series.
Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems Rate Checkup Training
The EFC was invited to present training on its new Rate Checkup water utility rate
setting software at the Wyoming Rural Water Systems Annual Conference in Casper
in March 2004.
Alaska Water and Wastewater Management Association - Rate Checkup
Workshop
In April the EFC provided a rate setting workshop for water and wastewater
professionals in Anchorage. The workshop highlighted the introduction of Rate
Checkup to Alaska communities.
Ohio Water Environment Association Conference - Columbus, OH
Also in April, 2004 EFC directors Bill Jarocki (BSU EFC) and Kevin O'Brien (CSU
EFC) presented a series of workshop sessions on financial and management capacity
at the Ohio Water Environment Association Conference in Columbus. The focus of
the conference was the implementation finance challenges of CSO/SSO standards for
communities. Sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) differ from combined sewer
overflows (CSOs). CSOs are overflows from older sewer systems designed to carry
both domestic and storm water loads. SSOs are discharges of raw or inadequately
treated sewage from municipal separate sanitary sewer systems, which are designed
to carry domestic sanitary sewage but not storm water. These overflows may also
contain industrial wastewater that is present in the sewer system. The TWO EFCs
joined EPA's Office of Enforcement in presenting practical approaches for full-cost
financing of CSO/SSO projects.
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Oregon League of Cities Water and Wastewater Financing Workshop
In July, the Oregon League of Cities invited the EFC to present a workshop on asset
replacement financing in Eugene, Oregon. Nearly fifty city officials attended this
workshop which featured two EFC products - CAPFinance and the Guidebook of
Financial Tools.
National Capacity Development Workshop - Denver, CO
In July, 2004 EFC Director Bill Jarocki presented workshops on capacity
development tools, training and technical assistance at the Drinking Water National
Capacity Development Workshop in Denver, Colorado. Of particular note was the
State of Louisiana's use of the EFC's RatioS model for tracking the performance of
its capacity development activities in the state drinking water protection program.
Utah Full Cost Pricing Demonstration Workshop
In August of 2004 the EFC at Boise State University teamed up with W. David
Patton, Ph.D. of the University of Utah to offer a Rate-Setting and Capital Financing
workshop for small Utah communities in the Salt Lake City area. Patton, a former
Boise State University EFC Director and currently the Director of the Center for
Public Policy at the University of Utah, co-hosted the full day workshop with the
Utah League of Cities and Towns. Approximately 15 elected and appointed Utah
municipal officials attended the workshop.
Region 7 State Drinking Water Program Stakeholders Meeting - Jefferson City,
MO
In October, the EFC facilitated a meeting of Missouri drinking water program
capacity development stakeholders in Jefferson City. The purpose of the meeting was
to revisit state program priorities developed under the SDWA's state strategy
requirement. This meeting in Missouri followed several years of collaboration with
the Region 7 states, the Region 7 Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water and the
EFC at Boise State University.
Region 8 All States Meeting for Drinking Water System Capacity Development
Also in October, the EFC presented its repertoire of tools for improving water system
management and financial capacity at the all states meeting for Region 8. This
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workshop highlighted replacement cost financing and using CAPFinance to calculate
those costs.
Washington Infrastructure Assistance Coordinating Council (IACC) Conference
- Wenatchee, WA
Wenatchee was the site of the 2004 IACC annual conference. The EFC presented
workshops on rate setting using Rate Checkup, and asset replacement financing using
CAPFinance.
EFC NETWORK COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES SUMMARY
Watershed Protection. The EFC will continue to collaborate with the EFC at the
University of Maryland (Region 3) on watershed protection and watershed
funding efforts. In 2005, these Centers are expected to introduce watershed
planning and financing tools to stakeholders in the State of Virginia.
Directory of Watershed Resources. The EFC is collaborating with the University
of Southern Maine EFC (Region 1) and the EFC Network to expand the Directory
of Watershed Resources to other EFC Regions. This work, funded through EPA's
Office of Wetlands Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW), is designed to lay the
groundwork for eventual nationwide application of EFC tools.
Conferences and Meetings. The EFC will continue to collaborate with the EFC
Network to provide information and presentations at conferences.
NEW INITIATIVES FOR 2005
The EFC will pursue several new initiatives in 2005 in the policy areas of Safe
Drinking Water and Watershed Protection.
Watershed Funding Workshops
The EFC is developing an online watershed funding workshop. The workshop will
provide information, tools and resources to a wide variety of watershed groups, local
governments and tribes. The workshop will include video, web tutorials, and links to
resources and tools to assist group develop strategies for financing watershed
protection efforts. In addition, the EFC will provide ongoing web support and
assistance to groups developing and implementing long-term funding strategies.
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Directory of Watershed Resources
The EFC is expanding the Directory to a national database. The EFC will continue to
work with the EFC Network to expand this resource to other regions. In addition, the
EFC will continue to update and expand the funding sources within the Directory of
Watershed Resources.
Prioritization Tool
The EFC is developing a new tool to assist watershed organizations to prioritize the
goals and objectives of their watershed plan. The computer-based prioritization model
fills an important gap for groups that have difficulty deciding which of their planning
objectives should be accomplished immediately, in the short term, or at some later
time. As with other EFC tools, the prioritization model is born of necessity, is a
practical solution to problems stakeholder groups face, and will ultimately help
community based organizations accomplish their tasks more efficiently. The tool will
provide organizations with a model to assist them through the prioritization process
using decision rules developed by the group. Field testing in late 2004 has led to the
likely delivery of a full-beta model in 2005.
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Region 1 Environmental Finance Center
EFC at University of Southern Maine
Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service
49 Exeter Street
Portland, Maine 04104-9300
EFC DIRECTOR
Dr. Richard Barringer
barringr@usm.maine.edu
(207)780-4418
Fax (207) 780-4317
PROJECTS DIRECTOR
Dr. Samuel B. Merrill
smerrill@usm.maine.edu
(207)228-8596
Fax (207) 780-4317
REGIONAL CONTACT Diane Gould
gould.diane@epa.gov
(617)918-1569
US EPA - Region 1
1 Congress Street, Suite 1100
Boston, MA-2114-2023
EPA
HEADQUARTERS LEAD Alecia Crichow
crichlow.alecia@epa.gov
(202)564-5188
Fax (202) 565-2587
Region 2 Environmental Finance Center
EFC at Syracuse University
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
504 Maxwell Hall
Syracuse, New York 13244-1090
EFC DIRECTOR
Mark Lichtenstein REGIONAL CONTACT
malichte@maxwell. syr. edu
(315)443-9438
Fax (315) 443-5330
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
asciccarfi
Amy Ciccarelli
^maxwell, syr. edu
(315)443-1979
PROGRAM MANAGER Kevin Jacob son
kmj acob s@maxwell. syr. edu
(315)443-4881
Fax (315) 443-5330
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
Mary Ellen Gilbert
magilb er@maxwell. syr. edu
(315)-443-9994
Elizabeth VanRabenswaay
Elizabeth VanRabenswaay/R2/USEPA/US
(212)637-3881
Fax (212) 637-3891
US EPA - Region 2
290 Broadway
New York, NY 10007-1866
EPA
HEADQUARTERS LEAD Vera Hannigan
hannigan.vera@epa.gov
(202) 564-5001
Fax (202) 565-2587
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EFC NETWORK CONTACT LIST
Region 3 Environmental Finance Center
EFC at University of Maryland
Institute for Governmental Service
451 IKnox Road #205
College Park, Maryland 20740
^^^H
EFC DIRECTOR
Dan Nees
dannees@earthlink.net
(301)403-4610
cell (301)466-3394
Fax (301)403-4222
ASSISTANT COORDINATOR
Michelle O'Herron
oherron@mdsg.umd.edu
(301)403-4220x26
Fax (301)403-4255
FIELD OPERATIONS
Jean Holloway
(410)632-1853
Jshl252@ezy.net
REGIONAL CONTACT Mindy Lemoine
lemoine.mindy@epa.gov
(215)814-2736
Fax (215) 814-2201
US EPA - Region 3
Mail Code 3CBOO
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
EPA
HEADQUARTERS LEAD Susan Emerson
emerson. susan@epa.gov
(202)564-1137
Fax (202) 565-2587
Region 4 Environmental Finance Center
EFC at University of North Carolina
Institute of Government
CB# 3330 Knapp Building
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3330
EFC DIRECTOR
Jeff Hughes
jhughes@unc.edu
Phone:(919) 843-4956
Fax: (919) 962-2765
EFC ADVISORS Prof. Richard Whisnant
Associate Prof. UNC School of Government
ri chard_whi snant@unc. edu
(919) 962-9320
Lynn Weller.
Weller@iogmail.iog.unc.edu
Phone: (919) 966-4199
Fax: (919) 962-8202
REGIONAL CONTACT Maryj o Bragan
bragan.maryjo@epa.gov
(404) 562-8323
Fax (404) 562-8269
US EPA - Region 4
61 Forsythe Street, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303-8960
EPA
HEADQUARTERS LEAD Timothy McProuty
mcprouty.timothy@epa.gov
(202) 564-4996
Fax (202) 565-2587
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Region 4 Environmental Finance Center
EFC at University of Louisville
426 W. Bloom Street
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky 40208
EFC DIRECTOR
Peter Meyer, Ph.D
Pbmeyer@louisville.edu
Phone:(502)852-8032
Fax:(502) 852-4558
EFC Co-DiRECTOR Lauren Heberle
lOhebeOl @gwise.louisville.edu
Phone: 502-852-4749
PROJECT MANAGER Russell Barnett
r.barnett@louisville.edu
202 Patterson Hall
Phone:(502)852-1851
Fax:(502)852-4677
REGIONAL CONTACT MaryjoBragan
bragan.maryjo@epa.gov
(404) 562-8323
Fax (404) 562-8269
US EPA - Region 4
61 Forsythe Street, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303-8960
EPA
HEADQUARTERS LEAD Vera Hannigan
hannigan.vera@epa.gov
(202) 564-5001
Fax (202) 565-2587
Region 5 Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center
EFC at Cleveland State University
Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs
1717 Euclid Avenue, Suite 120
Cleveland, OH 44115
EFC DIRECTOR
SECRETARY
Kevin O'Brien
kobrien6@adelphia.net
Phone: (216) 687-2188
Fax: (216) 687-9291
Vivian Tucker
vivian@urban.csuohio.edu
Phone: (216) 687-4739
Fax: (216) 687-9291
REGIONAL CONTACT Lyn Luttner
U.S. EPA-Region 5
Cleveland Office - Mail Code ME-W
25089 Center Ridge Road
Westlake, OH44145
(440)250-1711
fax (440)250-1750
EPA
HEADQUARTERS LEAD Timothy McProuty
mcprouty.timothy@epa.gov
(202) 564-4996
Fax (202) 565-2587
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EFC NETWORK CONTACT LIST
Region 6 Environmental Finance Center
EFC at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
The Institute for Engineering Research and Applications (IERA)
901 University Boulevard
Albuquerque, NM 87106-4339
^H
EFC DIRECTOR
Heather Himmelberger
heatherh@efc.nmt.edu
(505)272-7357
Fax (505) 272-7203
PROGRAM MANAGER
Susan Butler
butler@efc.nmt.edu
(505)272-7356
Fax (505) 272-7203
Program Coordinator Cynthia Hernandez
chernandez@efc.nmt.edu
(505) 272-7280
Fax (505) 272-7203
REGIONAL CONTACT Freda Wash
wash.freda@epa.gov
(214) 665-8342
Fax (214) 665-6490
US EPA - Region 6
Mail Code - 6WQ-AT
1445 Ross Avenue
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
EPA
HEADQUARTERS LEAD Alecia Crichlow
crichlow.alecia@epa.gov
(202)564-5188
Fax (202) 565-2587
Region 9 Environmental Finance Center
EFC at California State University, Hayward
Environmental Finance Center
Building 7, Alameda Point
851 West Midway Avenue
Alameda, CA 94501
EFC DIRECTOR
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Sarah Diefendorf
sdief@aol.com
(510)749-6867
Fax (510) 749-6862
Susan Blachman
(510)749-6867
Fax (510) 749-6862
REGIONAL CONTACT Bill Jones
Bill Jones/R9/USEPA/US
(213)244-1817
Fax (213) 244-1850
US EPA - Region 9
Mail Code SPE-1
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
EPA
HEADQUARTERS LEAD Vanessa Bowie
bowie.vanessa@epa.gov
(202)564-5186
Fax (202) 565-2587
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EFC NETWORK CONTACT LIST
-5-
EF@N
EFC DIRECTOR
ASSOCIATE
Region 10 Environmental Finance Center
EFC at Boise State University
1910 University Drive
Boise, ID 83725
Bill Jarocki
bj arock@b oi se state. edu
(208) 426-4293
Fax (208) 426-3967
C. Gary Carroll, PE
gcarroll @b oi se state. edu
(208) 426-2460
ADMINSTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Lynda Robinson
lroninso@boisestate.edu
(208)426-1567
Fax (208) 426-3967
REGIONAL CONTACT William Chamberlain
chamberlain.william@epa.gov
(206)553-8515
US EPA-Region 10
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
EPA
HEADQUARTERS LEAD Vanessa Bowie
bowie.vanessa@epa.gov
(202)564-5186
Fax (202) 565-2587
- EFC Network contact list of August 3, 2005, vh
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EFP Overview
What's New?
Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs)
Contact EFP
Environmental
Financial Advisory
Board (EFAB)
Environmental Finance
Center Network
Environmental
Financing Information
Network (EFIN)
Guidebook of
Financial Tools
Environmental
Financial Tools
EFP Publications
Funding Sources
Ask a Question
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Finance Program )
Contact Us Print Version Search: |
EPA Home > Chief Financial Officer > Environmental Finance Program
Helping to answer the "HOW TO PAY" question.
What is the EFP?
The EFP, an Overview
Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs)
What's New?
Contact the EFP
EFP Elements:
Environmental Financial
Advisory Board
Environmental Financing
Information Network
Environmental Finance
Center Network
Guidebook of
Financial Tools
EFP Activities:
Environmental
Financial Tools
Funding Sources
EFP Publications
Ask a Question
PA Documents Spotlighted:
EFC Network's '2004 Annual
Report' (PDF) (August 2005) NEW
EFAB's Strategic Action Agenda, Fiscal Years
2005-2006 (PDF) (July 2005) NEW
EPA's response (July 2005) to EFAB's "Combined
Operations of the Clean Water and Drinking Water
State Revolving Loan Funds (SRFs):" 1) Cover
letter, 2) White Paper. (PDFs) (May 2005) NEW
Need help understanding environmental
finance? Just ask. We want to help!
Tool Spotlight:
A
Guidebook of
Financial
Tools...
Discover 350+
environmental
financial tools
to practice
sustainable
finance with.
EFP Spotlight:
EFAB's
summer full
board meeting
will be held
August 15th -
16th, 2005 in
San Francisco,
CA NEW
EFAB's
Newsletter for
March
2005 (Past
newsletters.)
Minutes
from EFAB's
winter 2003 full
board meeting
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Last updated on Wednesday, August 3rd, 2005
URL: http://www.epa.gov/efinpage/
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(AS. Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Finance Program )
Contact Us Print Version Search: |
EFP Overview
What's New?
Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs)
Contact EFP
Environmental
Financial Advisory
Board (EFAB)
Environmental Finance
Center Network
Environmental
Financing Information
Network (EFIN)
Guidebook of
Financial Tools
Environmental
Financial Tools
EFP Publications
Funding Sources
Ask a Question
EPA Home > Chief Financial Officer > Environmental Finance Program > EFP Overview
Environmental Finance Program (EFP)
Overview
What is the EFP?
Background
Purpose and Activities
BACKGROUND
One of the major challenges of the 21st century is obtaining
funds for environmental programs. The costs of environmental
protection are growing rapidly. Yet our nation's ability to meet these
rising costs is falling behind - and the financing gap is widening.
Consequently, the nation needs to make the effort to develop long-
term funding strategies.
Because we live in times of diminishing resources and
competing priorities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has
developed the Environmental Finance Program to assist communities
in their search for creative approaches to funding their environmental
projects.
The Environmental Finance Program at the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency provides financial technical assistance to the
regulated community and advice and recommendations to the
Agency on environmental finance issues, trends, and options.
PURPOSE AND ACTIVITIES
Drawing on the financing expertise of staff, the Environmental
Financial Advisory Board, and university based Environmental
Finance Centers, the Environmental Finance Program seeks to lower
costs, increase investment, and build capacity by creating
partnerships with state and local governments and the private sector
to fund environmental needs.
The Environmental Finance Program operates through three
activities:
1. The Environmental Financial Advisory Board or EFAB is a
federally chartered advisory committee consisting of a diverse
group of independent financing experts from public and private
sector organizations interested in lowering environmental
costs and increasing investment in environmental facilities and
services. The Board produces policy and technical reports on a
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wide range of environmental finance matters of interest to EPA.
It focuses on environmental finance issues at all levels of
government, particularly with regard to their impact on local
governments and small communities. The Board seeks to
increase the total investment in environmental protection by
facilitating greater leverage of public and private environmental
resources.
2. The Environmental Finance Center (EFC) Network is a
university-based program providing financial outreach services
to regulated communities. The Network consists of nine EFCs
that share information and expertise on finance issues and
engage jointly in projects. The Network includes (in order of
their establishment): the University of New Mexico in Region 6;
the University of Maryland in Region 3; Syracuse University in
Region 2; California State University at Hayward in Region 9;
the Great Lakes EFC at Cleveland State University in Region 5;
Boise State University in Idaho located in Region 10; University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Region 4; University of
Louisville - Center For Environmental Policy & Management in
Region 4; and the University of Southern Maine in Region 1.
The EFCs educate state and local officials and small
businesses on lowering costs of compliance and pollution
prevention, increasing investments in environmental
protection, improving financial capacity to own/operate
environmental systems, encouraging the full cost pricing of
environmental services, and identifying and evaluating
financing tools and options.
3. The Environmental Financing Information Network (EFIN) is an
outreach service offering electronic access to many types of
environmental financing information on financing alternatives
for State and local environmental programs and projects. EFIN
services include a World Wide Web site, an on-line data base,
referrals to an expert contact network, infoline, and distribution
of Environmental Finance Program publications and some EPA
publications.
EFIN also maintains a Web page of Environmental Financial
Tools . This page includes tools produced by the
Environmental Finance Program, the Environmental Financial
Advisory Board (EFAB), the Environmental Finance Center
Network (EFCs), EFIN, EPA Offices and Programs and Other
(outside EPA) sources. A key work among the financing
mechanisms on this page is the Guidebook of Financial Tools..
The Guidebook is produced by the Environmental Finance
Center Network and the Environmental Financial Advisory
Board. It is intended as a basic financial reference document
for public and private officials with environmental
responsibilities. It provides a wealth of valuable information on
340 financing tools that federal, state, and local governments
and the private sector can use to pay for environmental
programs, systems, and activities. The information is intended
to help governments and other parties expand their thinking
about the financial options/resources available to help meet
important environmental mandates and create sustainable
systems. A new edition of the Guidebook is in production and
the Environmental Finance Team is actively seeking
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submissions for new tools at the Guidebook website .
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader (ltx'1''l'"'l''n"'r>l) to view a
number of files on this site. For more information about
Adobe Acrobat, click here .
EFP Brochure in PDF Format.
For further information on the Environmental Finance Program and
its many products, including the Guidebook, return to the Home
Page at http://www.epa.gov/efinpage/ or contact: efin@epa.gov . See
also the list of contacts for the components of the program.
EPA Home | Privacy and Security Notice | Contact Us
Last updated on Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005
URL: http://www.epa.gov/efinpage/efp.htm
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Page 1 of4
(AS. Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Finance Program )
Contact Us Print Version Search: |
EFP Overview
What's New?
Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs)
Contact EFP
Environmental
Financial Advisory
Board (EFAB)
Environmental Finance
Center Network
Environmental
Financing Information
Network (EFIN)
Guidebook of
Financial Tools
Environmental
Financial Tools
EFP Publications
Funding Sources
Ask a Question
EPA Home > Chief Financial Officer > Environmental Finance Program > Environmental Finance
Center Network
Environmental Finance Center Network
What is the EFC Network?
Introduction
Services and Capabilities
Locate an EFC:
List of Regional Environmental Finance Centers
What's New?
The Environmental Finance Center Network and the
Environmental Finance Program of the Office of Enterprise
Technology & Innovation are pleased to make available the
EFC Network 2004 Annual Report (PDFs) (August 2005). NEW
The Environmental Finance Center Network 2005 Overview is
now available online. (PDF) (August 2005) NE«
Exactly how does the Environmental Finance Center Network
help to answer the "How to Pay?" question? These documents
can help answer your questions: (PDF) (February 2005). NEW
o Environmental Finance Center Network (Fact Sheet),
o Environmental Finance Center Network (Brochure)
The Environmental Finance Center Network was the subject of
an article on the National Drinking Water Clearinghouse's
website entitled "Show Me the Money (And How to Manage It):
Environmental Finance Centers Explain Fiscal Management."
The article decribes the EFC's efforts in the field of
environmental finance and provides examples. (December
2003)
The Environmental Finance Center at Boise State was recently
mentioned on page 21 of the Fall 2003 issue of Boise State
University's Focus magazine in the article "Environmental
technology helps assure pure water." The article decribes the
EFC's research and subsequent national product roll out.
The Environmental Finance Center at Boise State, regarding its
sussessful research studies, was recently mentioned in the
Federal Register, vol. 68, no. 192, pg. 57451. It was noted that
"EPA's proposed revised [Small Local Governments
Compliance Assistance Policy] policy recommends that States
adopt a number of listed capacity measures the Agency has
drawn from the studies performed by the EPA's Boise
Environmental Finance Center. In the context of measuring the
ability of small local governments to implement the
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requirments of the the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Boise
Environmental Finance Center identified a number of factors
that influence the technical, managerial, and financial capacity
of local governments, (see, http://sspa.boisestate.edu/efc) EPA
adapted many of these measures for inclusion into the
proposed revised policy, and recommends that States
incorporate these measures as appropriate for their local
condition."
EFC Network Contacts:
Environmental Finance Center Network Directory
(PDF) (August 2005)
EFC Network Annual Reports:
EFC Network 2004 Annual Report (PDFs) (August 2005) NEW
EFC Network 2003 Annual Report (PDFs) (October 2004)
EFC Network 2002 Annual Report (PDFs) (February 2004)
EFC Network 2001 Annual Report (PDFs) (October 2002)
EFC Network 2000 Annual Report (PDFs) (September 2001)
the Annual Reports below have been temporarily removed from
the website. If you need access to them please contact EFP.
EFC Network 1999 Annual Report
EFC Network 1998 Annual Report
EFC Network 1997 Annual Report
EFC Network 1996 Annual Report
EFC Network 1995 Annual Report
EFCN Charrettes -A Proven Tool:
Series of Charrettes - Region 3 EFC at the University of
Maryland
Series of Charrettes - Region 9 EFC at California State
University, Hayward
Common Sense Initiative Access to Capital "Charette"
Washington, DC, January 16,1997
Tools and Publications:
A primary source for tools (help) is the document A Guidebook
of Financial Tools produced by the Environmental Financial
Advisory Board and the Environmental Finance Center
Network. (PDF) (April 1999 - most recent version)
Environmental Finance Center Publications
Environmental Financial Tools
Environmental Financing Publications
INTRODUCTION
Environmental goals cannot be met without financing, which is
essential to implementing state and local programs, Knowledge about
how to fund these programs is often limited, especially at the local
level. As a result, there is an unprecedented demand on the expertise
of public officials currently on the front lines of financing
environmental facilities and services.
The EFCs provide state and local officials and small
businesses with advisory services; education, publications, and
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training; technical assistance; and analyses on financing alternatives.
The EFC network currently includes: the University of Southern
Maine , Syracuse University , University of Maryland , University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Louisville , Great Lakes
EFC at Cleveland State University , New Mexico Institute of Mining
and Technology , California State University at Hayward , and Boise
State University . These centers have proven effective vehicles for
promoting innovative environmental financing techniques. While EPA
provides seed funding for EFC start-up operations, financial
independence of the centers is a major objective.
SERVICES AND CAPABILITIES
EFCs pursue various avenues of education and training such
as offering short courses on environmental finance for state and local
officials, as well as graduate-level educational courses through
regular university curriculum. The EFCs at both the New Mexico Tech
and the University of Maryland have developed environmental finance
courses for state and local officials and graduate students. Similarly,
the University of North Carolina EFC is developing a modular
environmental finance training course for use by the Network. The
New Mexico Tech EFC provides U.S./Mexican Border Area
environmental infrastructure assistance and assessment, and the
Boise State University EFC is providing training throughout the
national EFC Network on utility rate setting. In addition, EFCs develop
and publish case studies about innovative financing techniques, as
well as serve as clearinghouses for Regional and state information on
environmental financing and program management.
EFCs provide technical assistance and analyses to state and
local governments and the private sector on managing and financing
environmental infrastructure. For example, the Syracuse University
EFC is developing case studies on how New York communities
prioritize environmental activities using risk and finance
considerations. Another important service the Syracuse EFC
provides is assisting state and local officials in collaborative planning
processes. The New Mexico Tech EFC continues to develop financing
strategies for the long-term viability of environmental infrastructure
on the U.S.-Mexico border. The California State University at Hayward
EFC is dedicated to helping small business by advancing the
Environmental goods and services industry and promoting polluting
prevention. Among its primary products are the development of
public-private partnership models for financing environmental
services, emphasizing the participation of small and medium sized
businesses. The Great Lakes EFC is focusing on brownfield
redevelopment, especially the availability of financing and
tools/incentives to spur investment in abandoned industrial and
commercial sites. In addition, the Great Lakes EFC is helping Native
American communities in Great Lakes states restore ecological
balance through the appropriate use of comprehensive community
planning, sustainable development, and ecological design
techniques. The University of Maryland EFC conducts problem-
solving roundtables known as "charrettes" with community
representatives to discuss how to pay for environmental services,
mandates and projects. The EFC at Boise State University is
analyzing drinking water and wastewater systems viability and paying
for environmental mandates.
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Finally among our newer EFCs, the EFC at the University of
North Carolina is designing a finance training course for Network use
and is completing a report on wastewater and growth issues in the
southeast coastal region of the country. The other Region 4 EFC,
located at the University of Louisville, is providing support services
to many small and medium-sized water and wastewater facility
operators throughout Kentucky. The most recent addition to the
Network is the EFC at the University of Southern Maine, which is
currently focusing on wastewater treatment challenges in coastal
areas of Massachusetts.
EFC Brochure in PDF Format.
For more information, contact:
Vera Hannigan
Environmental Finance Program Center Network Coordinator
hannigan.vera@epa.gov
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URL: http://www.epa.gov/efinpage/efc.htm
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(AS. Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Finance Program )
Contact Us Print Version Search: |
EFP Overview
What's New?
Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs)
Contact EFP
Environmental
Financial Advisory
Board (EFAB)
Environmental Finance
Center Network
Environmental
Financing Information
Network (EFIN)
Guidebook of
Financial Tools
Environmental
Financial Tools
EFP Publications
Funding Sources
Ask a Question
EPA Home > Chief Financial Officer > Environmental Finance Program > Environmental Financial
Advisory Board (EFAB)
Environmental Financial Advisory Board
(EFAB)
What is EFAB?
EFAB is the Environmental Financial Advisory Board. It provides
advice to the Environmental Protection Agency's Administrator and
Program Offices on "how to pay" questions for environmental
protection.
Purpose
Description, History and Background
Who is on the Board?
EFAB is a federally chartered advisory committee. Click here for a list
of current Environmental Financial Advisory Board Members . The
Board operates under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
t:\ITtl it L-liimrr>
What's New?
The Environmental Finance Advisory Board's Strategic Action
Agenda. Fiscal Years 2005-2006 is now available online.
(PDF) (July 2005)
NEW
The Environmental Protection Agency's response (July 2005)
to the Environmental Finance Advisory Board's letter report
"Combined Operations of the Clean Water and Drinking Water
State Revolving Loan Funds (SRFs):" 1) Cover letter, 2) White
Paper, to Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator, is now available
online. (PDF) (May 2005) NEW
The Environmental Financial Advisory Board's Summer 2005
full Board meeting will be held August 15-16, 2005 in San
Francisco, CA NEW
The Environmental Finance Advisory Board's letter report
"Application of Innovative Finance Techniques in the
Transportation Infrastructure & Financial Innovation Act of
1998," to Stephen L. Johnson, Acting Administrator, is now
available online. (PDF) (March 2005) NEW
The Environmental Financial Advisory Board's March 2005
Newsletter is now available online. EFAB Newsletters are
meant to provide the public with updates on the progress of the
Board with its projects and Strategic Action Agenda.
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The Environmental Protection Agency's response (April 2005)
to the Environmental Finance Advisory Board's "Useful Life
Financing of Environmental Facilities Letter and Enclosure:"
1) Cover letter, 2) White Paper, to Stephen L. Johnson, Deputy
Administrator, is now available online. (PDF) (February
2005) NEW
The Environmental Protection Agency's response (March 2005)
to the Environmental Finance Advisory Board's "Innovations in
Watershed Financing Letter Report," to Stephen L. Johnson,
Deputy Administrator, is now available online. (PDF) (January
2005) NEW
Presentations from the Environmental Financial Advisory
Board's August 2004 workshop on 'affordability' are now
available online. (PDFs) (March 2005) NEW
Exactly how does the Environmental Financial Advisory Board
help to answer the "How to Pay?" question? These documents
can help answer your questions: (PDFs) (February 2005). NEW
o Environmental Financial Advisory Board (Fact Sheet),
o Environmental Financial Advisory Board (Brochure)
While supplies last, a limited number of 'A Guidebook of
Financial Tools' CDs are now available. To request one, e-mail
us.
The Environmental Financial Advisory Board's winter 2003 full
Board meeting, March 4-5, 2003, minutes are now available
online. (PDF) (July 2003)
EFAB Publications:
I: Chronological Order
II: By Subject
EFAB Strategic Action Agenda:
Fiscal Years 2005-2006 (PDF) NEH
Fiscal Years 2004-2005 (PDF)
Fiscal Years 2003-2004 (PDF)
Fiscal Years 2002-2003 (PDF)
Fiscal Years 2001-2002 (PDF)
Fiscal Years 2000-2001
Fiscal Years 1999-2000
Get extra help from the Guidebook of Financial Tools!
A primary source for tools (help) is the document A Guidebook of
Financial Tools produced by the Environmental Financial Advisory
Board and the Environmental Finance Center Network. (PDF) (April
1999 - most recent version)
PURPOSE
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Environmental legislation reauthorized or enacted by Congress
in recent years has placed significant additional resource
requirements on all levels of government, increasing their
infrastructure and administrative costs. At the same time, limited
budgets and changes in Federal tax laws have constrained traditional
sources of capital. Growing needs and expectations for
environmental protection, as well as increasing demands in all
municipal service areas, make it increasingly difficult for
governments to find the resources to meet their needs.
The Environmental Financial Advisory Board operates under
the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App.2 [sec.] 9(c). The
purpose of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board is to provide
authoritative analysis and advice to the EPA Administrator on finance
issues to assist the Agency in carrying out its environmental
mandates.
DESCRIPTION, HISTORY, AND BACKGROUND
The Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) was
chartered in 1989 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA)
to provide advice and analysis to EPA's Administrator on paying for
the growing costs of environmental protection and how to increase
investment in environmental infrastructure through the leveraging of
public and private resources. EFAB provides EPA with a cross-media,
intergovernmental perspective on environmental finance that
integrates environmental and economic goals, while emphasizing
cost-effective, risk-based approaches and public-private
partnerships. The Board has made significant contributions to EPA's
efforts to address the critical environmental financing challenges of
the 21st Century.
EFAB's membership includes prominent experts from all levels
of government, including elected officials; the finance and banking
communities; business and industry; and national organizations.
Board members meet semi-annually; the meetings are open to the
public and are announced in the Federal Register. The Board has also
produced a number of advisories on important environmental
financing issues.
The Environmental Financial Advisory Board has adopted three
environmental financing goals:
Lower the costs of environmental protection by removing
financial and programmatic barriers that raise costs and by
improving the efficiency of investments needed to close the
gap between limited resources and increasing mandates;
Increase public and private investment in environmental
facilities and services as a spur to sustainable development,
job creation, productivity, and tax revenues; and
Build state and local financial capacity necessary to carry out
environmental mandates so that gains made to date are
secured and further environmental progress can be made.
EFAB serves a unique role, assisting the EPA in providing a
credible and significant response to the increasing concerns over
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how to pay for federal and state environmental mandates. EFAB's
expertise and advice focus on cross-media financing, particularly on
the "how to pay" issue of environmental mandates. This is of critical
importance as the nation has invested billions of dollars in
environmental facilities and programs over the last thirty years. While
progress has been made, this work is far from complete.
Download the EFAB Brochure in PDF Format.
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Last updated on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2005
URL: http://www.epa.gov/efinpage/efab.htm
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(AS. Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Finance Program )
Contact Us Print Version Search: |
EFP Overview
What's New?
Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs)
Contact EFP
Environmental
Financial Advisory
Board (EFAB)
Environmental Finance
Center Network
Environmental
Financing Information
Network (EFIN)
Guidebook of
Financial Tools
Environmental
Financial Tools
EFP Publications
Funding Sources
Ask a Question
EPA Home > Chief Financial Officer Environmental Finance Program> Environmental Financing
Information Network (EFIN)
Environmental Financing Information
Network (EFIN)
What is EFIN?
Purpose
Description, History and Background
EFIN Contacts:
Mailing Address, E-mail Address, Telephone Number and
Hours
Using EFIN:
EFIN Services and Outreach
How to Access the EFIN Database
EFIN Database - Publication and Case Study Titles
EFIN Keyword Index
Tools and Publications:
A primary source for tools (help) is the document A Guidebook
of Financial Tools produced by the Environmental Financial
Advisory Board and the Environmental Finance Center
Network. (PDF) (April 1999 - most recent version)
Environmental Finance Center Publications
Environmental Financial Tools
Environmental Financing Publications
PURPOSE
The Environmental Financing Information Network (EFIN) is
one component of the Environmental Finance Program (EFP). The
objectives of the Environmental Finance Program are to promote
ways to manage the costs of environmental services, to build state
and local capacity, increase investment in public and private
environmental infrastructure, build partnerships, encourage
environmental justice, and lower costs.
The purpose of the Environmental Financing Information
Network is to provide information on financing alternatives for state
and local environmental programs and small businesses. To
accomplish this goal of information exchange, the EFIN Center
maintains an online database containing abstracts of publications,
case studies, and contacts; operates an infoline; and distributes EPA
documents on the topic of environmental financing published by the
Environmental Finance Program , the Environmental Financial
Advisory Board (EFAB) and the Environmental Finance Centers
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(EFCs). The EFIN center also manages the Environmental Finance
Program's Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/efinpage.
DESCRIPTION, HISTORY, AND BACKGROUND
The Environmental Financing Information Network (EFIN)
provides essential information services needed by state, sub-state,
municipal and EPA officials and small business owners involved in
funding environmental programs and projects. These information
services include maintaining the EFP Web site and the EFIN
database, which are the main methods for disseminating information
on environmental financing altermatives; an infoline that provides
referrals and assistance with locating environmental financing
information, and distribution of EPA publications on the topic of
environmental finance. The EFIN database is a collection of abstracts
representing publications and other relevant materials (articles, case
studies, guides, legislation, handbooks, memoranda, reports,
proceedings, surveys, papers) that deal with environmental financing.
In addition to the basic descriptive information and abstract provided
for each publication, each record also includes information on how to
obtain the publication described, as well as a point of contact for
further reference.
The Environmental Financing Information Network (EFIN) is
managed by the EPA's Environmental Finance Program (EFP),
located in the Office of the Comptroller within the Office of the Chief
Financial Officer.
The Environmental Finance Program is responsible for three
major activities:
Managing the Environmental Financing Information Network;
Managing the Environmental Finance Center Network ,
whose regional centers are located at universities around the
country; and
Managing the activities of the Environmental Financial
Advisory Board (EFAB).
The EFIN Center serves the Environmental Financial Advisory
Board by abstracting their reports and advisories for the EFIN
database and uploading their publications on the Web site. The EFIN
Center also supports the Environmental Financing Centers by
providing a central focal point for these regional centers, linking them
together and allowing them to share information on lessons learned
and financing techniques. This includes maintaining contact
information for the EFCs on the Web site and uploading some of their
publications, such as the Annual Reports.
The Environmental Finance Program assumed the management
of EFIN in January 1993. The EPA's Office of Water initially had
established EFIN in October 1991, as part of EPA's efforts to improve
state and local government capacity to implement environmental
programs and projects. A number of programs participated in the
planning and development of EFIN -the State Revolving Fund,
Environmental Finance Program (e.g., public-private partnerships),
Small Community Outreach and Education (SCORE), Drinking Water,
Solid Waste, Air, and Superfund - as much financing information is
general and can be applied across programs and media.
http://www.epa.gov/efmpage/efm.htm
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Download the EFIN Brochure in PDF Format.
MAILING ADDRESS, E-MAIL ADDRESS, INFOLINE NUMBER, AND
HOURS
Contact the EFIN Center:
US EPA
Environmental Financing Information Network, (Mail Code) 2731R
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C 20460
Web site: http://www.epa.gov/efinpage/
Electronic mail: efin@epa.gov
Infoline: (202) 564-4994
FAX: (202) 565-2587
Hours: 8:30am -5:00pm (eastern standard time) Monday-Friday
Sponsoring Office: Environmental Finance Program, Office of the
Comptroller, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, U.S. EPA
Project Officer: Vera Hannigan
hannigan.vera@epa.gov
Internet Librarian: (ASRC Aerospace Corp., contractor)
efin@epa.gov
EPA Home | Privacy and Security Notice | Contact Us
Last updated on Monday, March 21st, 2005
URL: http://www.epa.gov/efinpage/efin.htm
http://www.epa.gov/efmpage/efm.htm
8/4/2005
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