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EPA Honors Texas Company for Designing Greener Chemicals

Release Date: 12/11/2013
Contact Information: Joe Hubbard or Jennah Durant at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

DALLAS – (Dec. 11, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing Life Technologies in Austin, TX, for winning the 2013 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. Life Technologies developed a more efficient, less wasteful way to manufacture key chemicals used to perform genetic testing.

“Companies, such as Life Technologies, demonstrate that using green chemicals can lower greenhouse has emissions and toxicity while also significantly lowering operating cost,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “The process created by Life Technologies will prevent 1.5 million pounds of hazardous waste a year.”

During the 18 years of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge program, EPA has received about 1500 nominations and presented awards to 93 technologies. Winning technologies over the lifetime of the program are responsible for reducing the use or generation of more than 826 million pounds of hazardous chemicals, saving 21 billion gallons of water, and eliminating 7.8 billion pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent releases to air.

The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards are presented in five categories: academic, small business, greener synthetic pathways, greener reaction conditions and designing greener chemicals. The awardees will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC.

EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Program award winners have significantly reduced the hazards associated with designing, manufacturing, and using chemicals. An independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute selected the 2013 winners from among scores of nominated technologies.

More information: https://www.epa.gov/green-chemistry

More about activities in EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html