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Senator McConnell Secures Funding November 22, 2004 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell announced today that the Senate has approved his request of nearly $11.2 million for projects at Western Kentucky University. The funding is included in the FY'05 Omnibus Appropriations Conference Report, which now goes to President George W. Bush for his signature. Since 1998, Senator McConnell has earmarked more than $38 million for WKU. "Western is involved in cutting edge research and is working on programs which improve the lives of the citizens of this region," said McConnell. "Dr. Gary Ransdell is a personal friend and I am proud to support his work and that of his outstanding faculty." McConnell, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, secured the following funding for WKU: - $2.3 million for the design of an Agriculture Research Service (ARS) lab at WKU. The federal lab will house the Animal Waste Management Research Unit, which will focus research efforts on creating innovative waste management strategies and technologies that will help reduce the environmental impact of livestock operations. With horses, poultry and cattle now being Kentucky's top agricultural products, it is critical that these research activities move forward quickly. - $2.78 million for Animal Waste Management Research. Kentucky is a top producer of both beef and poultry products, leaving the state susceptible to agricultural waste management problems. WKU will use the funds to work in conjunction with the ARS to examine ways to prevent contamination from waste products and to keep livestock production levels from dropping. Since 2000, McConnell has secured $9.4 million for this research. - $600,000 for the WKU Spotlight Youth Project. The University will use these funds to encourage youth to participate in community activities through service projects and mentoring programs. - $1.5 million for the WKU Just Think! Project. WKU faculty, undergraduates, and graduate students will provide education, training and enrichment opportunities to elementary and secondary students, their caregivers, and other non-traditional students living in and around the public housing facilities in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The University hopes to have a dramatic impact on at-risk students and their families by improving academic performance, increasing literacy and mathematics skills, and developing work-related skills. - $500,000 for the WKU E-Train Project. Senator McConnell secured these funds to help WKU build upon the success of the E-Train Initiative, which focuses on increasing the familiarity with and use of technology in the classroom. The University has partnered with 28 local school districts in the Green River Education Consortium and provided thousands of hours worth of teaching the use of technology to elementary and secondary teachers. The E-Train Initiative was established in 2001 with funds earmarked by the Senator, and he has - $500,000 for the WKU Small Public Water Technology Center. The funding will be used by WKU to continue operating the center, which provides assistance to small public water systems across Kentucky. - $600,000 for the WKU Center for Wastewater Research, which performs wastewater management activities for small and rural communities throughout Kentucky. Since 1998, Senator McConnell has personally delivered more than $5.5 million for these efforts to provide clean water and improved wastewater management systems for Kentucky's rural communities. - $800,000 for the Lost River Cave Improvement Project. The funds will be used by Friends of the Lost River Cave Inc. in conjunction with WKU to preserve and develop the Lost River Cave as a tourist attraction for the region. - $800,000 for WKU to complete the establishment of an Environmental Control Technology Laboratory. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory has been working with WKU and other institutions through the Combustion Technology University Alliance to develop and deploy new coal combustion technology. Western's Environmental Control Technology Laboratory will develop clean coal technology for municipal, regional, and national power generating facilities. - $800,000 for the WKU Green River Biological Diversity Monitoring project. $400,000 from the Natural Resource Conservation Service and $400,000 from the EPA will be used to conduct water quality monitoring initiatives along the Green River. "I am proud of the research conducted at Western Kentucky University, and this funding will help the university continue its important work," said McConnell. "Each year, WKU does outstanding research in a variety of different fields, and provides critical training for our future workforce. WKU earned this financial support and I The FY'05 Omnibus Appropriations Conference Report now goes to the President for his signature. For Immediate Release Contact: Julie Adams (202) 224-8285
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