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$2.6 Million in Small Business Grants for New Environmental Technologies

Release Date: 03/09/2005
Contact Information:


Contact: Suzanne Ackerman, 202-564-7819 / ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov

(03/09/05) EPA today announced the award of more than $2.6 million to 34 small companies under its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program for work in six key environmental areas: 1) nanotechnology - the development of new technologies which use atomic or molecular-scale materials and devices to remove environmental contaminants or to create clean manufacturing processes that use less hazardous chemicals; 2) hazardous wastes - improved methods for managing hazardous wastes or finding substitutes for hazardous materials; 3) air pollution - new technologies that aid in the prevention and control of air pollution; 4) water quality - advanced technologies to keep U.S. waters cleaner; 5) homeland security - projects on safe buildings and water security; and 6) sustainability - development of sustainable technologies that benefit the environment, are not prohibitively expensive, and protect the ecosystems that supply a company's future materials. EPA is one of 12 federal agencies that participate in the SBIR program, enacted in 1982 to strengthen the role of small businesses in federal Research and Development, create jobs, and promote U.S. technical innovation. There are approximately 22 million small businesses in the United States that employ more than 50 percent of the private work force and develop most of the country's new technologies. To participate in SBIR, a small business must have fewer than 500 employees, and at least 51 percent of the business must be owned by U.S. citizens. The SBIR's next solicitation for developing environmental technologies will open on March 24, 2005 and close on May 25, 2005. A list of all awards and more information on each project is available at: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/events/news/2005/03_08_05_feature.html . To learn more about EPA's SBIR program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir .