WVU partnering with industry to improve health, environmental outcomes for disadvantaged communities

A West Virginia University team of industrial engineers is looking to turn $800,000 worth of Environmental Protection Agency funding into direct support for local industry.

They are partnering with industrial facilities in disadvantaged communities statewide, providing free technical assistance to help those businesses improve their energy efficiency and minimize their waste streams, air pollution and carbon footprints.

“Many chronic health issues in West Virginia can be linked to exposure to industrial emissions and disadvantaged communities are often affected to a greater extent,” said project lead Ashish Nimbarte, professor and chair of the Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. “We will help these facilities reduce their impact on environmental and community health through updates to processes or equipment. This project is about supporting our state’s businesses in making changes that will really benefit their communities while maintaining their profitability.”

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