EPA to Fund Sustainability Projects at 21 Businesses

The EPA, through its Small Business Innovation Research program, announced July 14 that it will fund projects at 21 businesses for them to develop and commercialize innovative, sustainable technologies to address current environmental issues.

The businesses are located across 15 states, with $2 million in funds being provided by the SBIR.

Each year the EPA offers a solicitation and funding opportunity for small businesses in a two phase competitive process. In phase one, small businesses can receive up to $100,000 for “proof of concept” of their technology. Businesses that are successful with their phase one projects can then apply for phase two funding to develop and commercialize their technology. Phase two awards are for up to $300,000.

The 21 businesses announced July 14 are all receiving phase one awards.

Many previous SBIR recipient companies have gone on to leverage the EPA’s funding to bring their designs to reality, expand business, and create products that help protect human health and the environment.

Faraday Technology is using EPA’s funding to commercialize its technology as it partners with Boeing and attempts to replace millions of pounds of hexavalent chromium, a cancer causing chemical, that are in use in heavy duty machinery.

Cambrian Innovation’s EcoVolt system is being tested and used by several wineries and breweries including Lagunitas, enabling them to produce methane to power and heat their operations while treating wastewater on site.

Among the 21 companies awarded this year, three companies, SimpleWater, Lucid Design Group and Environmental Fuel Research previously received EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet award.

The recipients of this year’s phase one awards are:

Arizona

• Green Materials for Doubling the Life of Drinking Water Pipeline

California

• ECAR-Electrochemical Arsenic Remediation for Affordable Water Security in America
• Software Framework for Enabling Innovation in Behavior-based Energy Conservation in Commercial Buildings
• Environmental Sensing System Enhanced with Nested Concentrating Electrodes (ESSENCE) for Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
• Development of a Cost Effective Nutrient Removal Onsite Household Wastewater Treatment System for Environmentally Fragile Areas

Connecticut

• Low-Cost, Regenerable Air Filter for Efficient Gaseous Pollutants Removal

Massachusetts

• Enhanced Decontamination of Wetted Pipe Material
• High Flux Nanofiltration Membrane for Emerging Contaminant Control
• Micro-Channel Electrochemical Production of Dimethy Carbonate

Maryland

• Low-power, Small Form-Factor Benzene Sensor for Mobile Devices Based Exposure Monitoring

Minnesota

• Field Deployable PFCs Sensors for Contaminated Soil Screening

Missouri

• Next Generation of High Capacity Perchlorate Selective Resins for Drinking Groundwater Treatment

Montana

• Direct Conversion of Municipal and Agricultural Wastes to Biodiesel and Ethanol Utilizing a Unique Extremophilic Fungus

New Hampshire

• Ultracell-Advanced Cellulose Insulation

New Jersey

• Lithium-ion Batteries Based on Aqueous Electrolyte: A New Generation of Sustainable Energy Storage Devices

New Mexico

• Inexpensive High Performance Continuous Ammonia Monitor

Ohio

• MetaMateria Technologies, Columbus, Ohio, for Phosphorus Removal and Recovery from Municipal Wastewater using Nano-Enhanced Media
• Development of Zinc Coatings on Steel by Cermaclad to Replace Galvanizing Picking Lines