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EPA awards $420,000 in Small Business research grants to Pacific Southwest Region companies

Release Date: 04/09/2008
Contact Information: Dean Higuchi, 808-541-2711, higuchi.dean@epa.gov

Funding to five California companies and one in Arizona

(04/09/08) SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded a total of $420,000 in Small Business Innovation Research grants to six businesses in the Pacific Southwest Region for developing new technologies that help protect the environment.

The funding was awarded to five California companies and to one in Arizona. Each of the companies received $70,000 to do research into innovative technologies to further environmental protection efforts.

“The grants will help develop new and innovative technologies to address our most pressing environmental protection needs,” said Jane Diamond, assistant regional administrator for the EPA Pacific Southwest Region. “This year’s recipients should be congratulated for taking the steps to provide the environmental protection methods of the future.”

The funded projects are:

* Materials and Electrochemical Research Corp. in Tucson, Ariz., will be researching a new innovative low cost manufacturing process to produce titanium.

* Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc. in Torrance, Calif., will be developing a nano-sensor to aid in the ease of doing sensitive water monitoring.

* Eon Corp., of Davis, Calif., will be testing a new method of identifying and monitoring environmental toxicity.

* EERGC Corp., in Irvine, Calif., will be working on controlling cooking effluents with a self-cleaning absorbent.

* Fitz Aerometric Technologies of Temecula, Calif., will be developing an improved detector for use with a gas chromatograph to measure air pollutants in the atmosphere.

* Avatar Energy, LLC, in Walnut Creek, Calif., will be looking into methods for advanced manure management at small dairy farms.

The SBIR Program strengthens the role of small businesses in federally funded research and development. The EPA seeks annual solicitations for these grants from science and technology-based firms. Grants in Phase I are for six months and research into the scientific merit and technical feasibility of the proposed project. Phase II grants are for successfully completed Phase I contracts, with the objective to develop and commercialize the Phase I technology.

For more information on the grant program and grant recipients, go to: https://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir

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