Archive: March 19, 2020

NEW YORK (March 19, 2020) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $2.3 million in funding for 23 contracts with small businesses through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to develop technologies that will help protect human health and the environment. This year’s funded technologies are focused on clean and safe water, air quality monitoring, land revitalization, homeland security, sustainable materials management, and safer chemicals. Included in the funding announced would be up to $100,000 grants each to RemWell LLC in Potsdam, NY for their project to remediate PFAS contaminated groundwater and to Capro-X Inc. in Ithaca, NY for its project to reduce food waste in yogurt production. 

“EPA’s funding supports the economy and the environment by fostering and encouraging small businesses to bring environmental technologies to market,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “With EPA funding, these entrepreneurs will be able to develop their ideas like addressing PFAS and reducing food waste.”

RemWell LLC plans to design a remediation technology using sonolysis for PFAS contaminated groundwater and Capro-X Inc. plans to develop a fermentation process to upgrade processing waste streams from yogurt production into biochemicals. These small businesses are receiving Phase I funding of up to $100,000 from EPA’s SBIR program, which awards contracts annually through a two-phase competition. After receiving a Phase I award, companies are eligible to compete for a Phase II award of up to $400,000 to further develop and commercialize the technology.

EPA is one of 11 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. To be eligible, a company must be an organized, for-profit U.S. business and have fewer than 500 employees.

For more information on EPA’s SBIR Phase I recipients, visit www.epa.gov/sbir.

Learn more about the Federal SBIR Program at www.SBIR.gov.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2

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DALLAS (March 19, 2020) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $65,463 to the Texas General Land Office to monitor water quality at some recreational beaches on the Gulf Coast. The funding, provided under a cooperative agreement, will help keep beachgoers safe during the upcoming warm-weather season.  

“Texas’ Gulf Coast beaches are important to the State’s economy and environment by providing recreation to thousands of people each year,” said Regional Administrator Ken McQueen.  “Helping Texas monitor the beaches for bacteria and educate beachgoers will ensure these beaches remain safe for public health and available for public recreation.”

The grant will fund testing for bacteria at recreational beaches along the Gulf Coast, including in Port Aransas, Galveston, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville. The General Land Office will test for the presence of the Enterococcus bacteria, which can have harmful intestinal effects if swallowed. The funds will also help keep the public informed on when water is safe for swimming, and to purchase testing equipment.  

Background

Swimming at beaches with pollution in the water or in the sand can make you ill. EPA supports local and state efforts to protect and clean up beaches. EPA also supports monitoring and notification efforts by local beach programs by providing grant money. In the event that beaches are closed or advisories are posted, it is most often because water samples for certain bacteria indicate that harmful bacteria, viruses, protozoa, or parasites are likely present in the waters.

More on EPA’s work in Texas: https://www.epa.gov/tx

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On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6

About EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central  

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