EPA Awards $2 Million to Small Businesses to Develop Innovative Technologies

On April 5, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program awarded $2.38 million to 34 small businesses to develop “innovative, sustainable technologies to protect human health and the environment.” The awards focus on the following environmental research areas: increasing the efficiency of green building materials and systems; manufacturing innovation; prevention, monitoring, and control using nanotechnology; reducing greenhouse gases; new treatment technologies for drinking water; improving water infrastructure; reducing emissions from small air pollution sources and vehicles and biofuels production facilities; new approaches for cleaning up and monitoring hazardous waste sites; and new tools for homeland security systems. Examples of new technologies include NEI Corporation, which will develop a “self-healing nanocomposite to protect drinking water pipes from corrosion.” EPA is also requesting applications for the development of new environmental technologies. Applications are due May 11, 2010.