EPA Awards More Than $3 Million in Funding to U.S. Small Businesses to Commercialize Environmental Technologies

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): EPA announced $3,599,571 in funding for nine small businesses to further develop and commercialize technologies to protect the environment and public health. The funded technologies are focused on addressing issues including PFAS destruction, ethylene oxide monitoring, water reuse, and sustainable construction materials. “I commend our nation’s small businesses for being at the forefront of addressing these environmental problems,” said Wayne Cascio, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator in EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “This funding will allow these small businesses to take the next steps in developing their technologies and bringing them to the marketplace.”

These nine small businesses are receiving Phase II funding of up to $400,000 from EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. These companies were previously awarded a Phase I contract of $100,000 to develop innovative environmental technologies and are now receiving a Phase II award to further advance and commercialize the technology. This year’s SBIR Phase II recipients include:

• Aquagga, Inc. (Tacoma, Wash.) – For a hydrothermal alkaline treatment process for destroying PFAS in contaminated groundwater.
• Hyperion Analytical LLC (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) – For a fully automated analytical system for measurement of N-nitrosamines to support water reuse applications.
• Nikira Labs (Mountain View, Calif.) – For a sensitive, real-time, and highly selective ethylene oxide analyzer for next generation environmental monitoring.
• OLIN (Philadelphia, Pa.) – For a process that repurposes waste-stream glass into soil suitable for horticultural and green infrastructure projects.
• PKS Consulting, Inc. (Anchorage, Alaska) – For a mobile plastic ocean waste recycler that produces recycled plastic lumber products from locally collected plastic ocean waste.
• Pure Blue Tech Inc. (Seattle, Wash.) – For anti-fouling membranes integrated with polyvinylidene fluoride transducers to promote efficient water reuse.
• Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. (Gainsville, Fla.) – For long-term disinfectant coatings to kill viruses and bacteria on high-touch surfaces.
• Triangle Environmental Health Initiative, LLC (Durham, N.C.) – For a zero-waste system to maximize chemical energy potential in wastewater and produce three valuable reuse output streams.
• Verdant Structural Engineers (Berkeley, Calif.) – For straw structural insulated panel alternatives for homes and buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce embodied carbon impacts.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com