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Colorado small businesses receive EPA research contracts

Release Date: 06/06/2006
Contact Information: Jim Gallup, 202-343-9703, gallup.james@epa.gov Frank Montarelli, 303-312-6780, montarelli.frank@epa.gov

Denver Colo., 6/06/06 -- Robert E. Roberts, EPA Region 8 Administrator, today announced that six Colorado small business received a total of $870,000 in research contracts -- three small businesses in each received $220,000, and another three received $70,000 -- from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In announcing the search contracts, Roberts said, "These small businesses live at the heart of our economic system, driving innovation and progress, leading the way to a cleaner environment and a safer tomorrow. These contracts serve as an investment in that future."

Directed Energy Solutions, based in Colorado Springs, will be designing, building, and testing a decontamination device to protect buildings from chemical and biological weapons attacks. The technology will also generally enhance indoor air quality. The device will be integrated into building ductwork to treat ambient air as it passes through the HVAC system. To learn more about this project, please visit: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/8022/report/0.

Eltron Research, Inc., located in Boulder, is developing a portable biosensor to monitor pesticides in water. Potential pesticide sources include runoff of mobile pesticides after rainstorms and spray drift during aerial applications. Biosensors that can be taken into the field could enable cost-effective environmental monitoring of water supplies. To learn more about this project, please visit: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/8012/report/0.

TDA Research, Inc., based in Wheat Ridge, is developing a sorbent to control mercury emissions from flue gases in hazardous waste incinerators and coal-fired power plants. Unlike the materials used to date, this sorbent does not alter the properties of the fly ash produced as a by-product, meaning it can be recycled as a cement additive. This same technology could also be applicable to mercury abatement in municipal waste incinerators and waste-to-energy facilities. To learn more about this project, please visit: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/8019/report/0.

PolyNew, Inc., located in Golden, will demonstrate that it is possible to create plastic nanocomposites based on 100% renewable resources in an economical fashion. Present generation plastics, including plastic nanocomposites, suffer from a variety of drawbacks with respect to environmental impact. Novel nanomaterials will be used along with a corn-based plastic to create a new class of materials known as ecobionanocomposites. To learn more about this project, please visit: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/7948/report/0.

Eltron Research, Inc., based in South Boulder, is creating a rapid, in situ sensor that can simultaneously detect PCB concentration and composition in transformer oil. The current method uses an analysis that is time consuming and costly. In addition, the oil must be removed from the transformer which potentially exposes workers and the environment to PCBs. The final product of this project will be a real-time sensor that is cost effective, portable, user-friendly, and, most importantly, will prevent the hazardous removal and transportation of contaminated transformer oil for PCB analysis. To learn more about this project, please visit: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/7973/report/0.

TDA Research, Inc., located in Wheat Ridge, is developing a low-cost, high-capacity sorbent that directly removes organic sulfur from gasoline blend stocks, producing a fuel that meets EPA’s new 30ppm sulfur specifications for gasoline. To learn more about this project, please visit: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/7940/report/0.

The 22 million small businesses in the United States employ about 51 percent of the private work force and develop most of the country’s new technologies. Years ago, Congress recognized the need to strengthen the role of small businesses in federally funded research and development and passes a law creating the Small Business Innovation Research program for businesses with no more than 500 employees. EPA’s highly competitive SBIR program offers critical financial support to small businesses to develop the best, new, innovative technologies. EPA’s SBIR program focuses on important areas related to environmental protection, including clean air and water, hazardous and solid wastes, pollution prevention, remediation, and monitoring,. Recent issues include homeland security, clean-up technologies, and technology solutions for specific environmental needs.

To learn more about these research projects and EPA’s SBIR program, please visit: www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir.

EPA relies on quality science as the basis for sound policy and decision-making. EPA’s laboratories, research centers, and grantees are building the scientific foundation needed to support the Agency’s mission to safeguard human health and the environment.