# 2026 Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) Charter 2-Year Renewal
**AGENCY:**
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
**ACTION:**
Notice.
**SUMMARY:**
The Charter for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) will be renewed for an additional two-year period, as a necessary committee which is in the public interest, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The purpose of the EFAB is to provide advice and recommendations to the EPA Administrator and program and regional offices on ways to lower the costs of, and increase private investments in, environmental and public health protection efforts without investing additional federal taxpayers dollars.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Inquiries may be directed to Edward Walsh, Office of Finance and Administration, Mail Code: 3101A, U.S. EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460, telephone number: (202) 564-4594, email address: *[email protected].*
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
**Background**
The EFAB is an EPA advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C., app. 2, to provide advice and recommendations to the EPA on innovative approaches to financing environmental programs, projects, and activities.
**Public Interest Determination**
Pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 102-3.60(a), to establish, renew, reestablish, or merge a discretionary (agency discretion) advisory committee, an agency must first consult with the General Services Administration's Committee Management Secretariat (the Secretariat) and, as part of the consultation, provide a written public interest determination approved by the head of the agency to the Secretariat with a copy to the Office of Management and Budget. In addition, pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 102-3.35, an agency shall follow the same consultation process and document in writing the same determination of need before creating a subcommittee under a discretionary committee that is not made up entirely of members of a parent advisory committee.
Information on the following factors for the committee is provided to the Secretariat to demonstrate that renewing the committee is in the public interest:
*1. Annual budget.*
The estimated Annual Budget for the Environmental Financial Advisory Board is $287,032.
a. Federal personnel on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis
The estimated FTE is 1.5.
b. Other Federal internal costs
The estimate for other Federal internal costs is $60,000 (meetings, FRN, contractors etc. . . .)
c. Proposed payments to members
The members will be Representative and will not be paid to serve on the committee.
d. Proposed number of members
The committee will have no more than 11 members.
e. Reimbursable costs
The estimate for reimbursable costs for members' travel expenses is $18,335 and the estimate for reimbursable costs for staff's travel expenses is $7,804.
2. *If applicable, the total dollar value of grants expected to be recommended during the fiscal year.*
N/A.
*3. Criteria for selecting members to ensure the committee has the necessary expertise and fairly balanced membership.*
The Board consists of representatives of non-federal interests, drawn from state and local governments, business (financial services) and industry, and local and national non-governmental organizations. The Board members represent a variety of experience and perspectives required to address the wide variety of issues pertaining to environmental finance issues. The members also have geographic disbursement to ensure the representation of regional perspectives. The Board may include, as needed, special government employee members who are appointed for their individual expertise.
*4. List of all other Federal advisory committees of the agency* .
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Federal Advisory Committees Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals National Environmental Education Advisory Council National Drinking Water Advisory Council Local Government Advisory Committee Human Studies Review Board Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest System Advisory Board Great Lakes Advisory Board Chartered Good Neighbor Environmental Board Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Advisory Committee EPA Science Advisory Board Chartered EPA Board of Scientific Counselors Environmental Financial Advisory Board Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee.
*5. Justification that the information or advice provided by the Federal advisory committee or subcommittee is not available from another Federal advisory committee, another Federal Government source, or any other more cost-effective and less burdensome source* .
Establishment and support for the EFAB, in conjunction with the EPA Water Finance Center, is part of EPA's commitment to improve the agency's environmental finance knowledge to pursue finance solutions for all programs and levels of government and the private sector. The EFAB brings unique experiences and perspectives on complex, cross-media environmental financing issues that are not available within the agency. These experiences and perspectives cover a wide range of public and private financing approaches necessary to pay for environmental programs, services, and infrastructure at the federal, state, and local levels. The average EFAB member has extensive knowledge in both established and innovative environmental finance approaches, is often a national leader in their field, and typically serves in an executive or leadership role. No other EPA advisory committee is structured or chartered to perform the EFAB's cross-media financing advisory function. The other EPA advisory committees are science or technology-oriented; address a specific environmental problem, rule or standard; or consider policy and education on a general basis. None look at how-to-pay issues on a real world, public/private basis, and none have the financing backgrounds and perspectives of the EFAB members.
*6. If the consultation is a committee renewal, a summary of the previous accomplishments of the committee and the reasons it needs to continue* .
During the course of the EFAB's existence, the Board has produced 491 recommendations. In FY 2025, the full board held one hybrid virtual and in-person meeting (October 15-16), one virtual meeting (January 8), and one webinar (November 12) that were open to the public. This committee is in the public interest and should be renewed as the EPA has a strategic interest in accelerating environmental technology commercialization to support its mission of protecting human health and the environment. By helping startups and innovators navigate financing pathways, regulatory compliance, certification requirements, and market entry strategies, EPA can leverage private sector investment to scale solutions without requiring additional federal taxpayer dollars.
*7. Explanation of why the committee/subcommittee is essential to the conduct of agency business* .
Committee is essential to the conduct of agency business as it supports the Administrator's priorities cited in the “Powering of the Great American Comeback.” Specifically, this committee supports Pillar 3: Permitting Reform, Cooperative Federalism, and Cross-Agency Partnership.”
In conclusion, this public interest determination documents that renewing the committee is in the public interest, essential to the conduct of agency business, and that the information to be obtained is not already available through another advisory committee or source within the Federal Government.
Lek Kadeli,
Director, Office Resources & Information (ORI).