EPA Announces $400,000 in Funding to Small Businesses in Alaska and Washington to Develop Innovative Environmental Technologies

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Announces $400,000 in Funding to Small Businesses in Alaska and Washington to Develop Innovative Environmental Technologies

 

 

Contact: Suzanne Skadowski, EPA, Seattle, 206-553-2160, skadowski.suzanne@epa.gov

 

SEATTLE (April 6, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $400,000 in grant awards to four small businesses in Alaska and Washington, to develop innovative technologies in support of EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment. The funded proposals include a mobile method to treat PFAS-contaminated wastes; energy-efficient hemp construction materials; and a system to produce recycled plastic lumber products from locally collected plastic ocean waste.

 

“We have the opportunity to confront our greatest environmental challenges with the strength and creativity of American entrepreneurs,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I congratulate all of the small businesses receiving EPA funding today. I look forward to working with them to harness the power of innovation to build a healthier, safer and more equitable future.”

 

EPA is one of 11 federal agencies that participate in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program established by the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982. The small businesses in today’s announcement are receiving Phase I awards of up to $100,000 for six months for “proof of concept” of their proposed technology. Companies that successfully complete Phase I can then submit a proposal for a Phase II award of up to $400,000 to further develop and commercialize the technology. The four grants announced today in Alaska and Washington are among nearly $2.5 Million awarded to 24 small businesses across the U.S.

 

The following science and technology-based small businesses received EPA SBIR Phase I awards in EPA’s Region 10:

 

Clean & Safe Water

• Pure Blue Tech Inc., Seattle, Washington - A membrane integrated with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) transducers to reduce fouling and promote efficient water reuse.

 

Land Revitalization

• Aquagga Inc., Juneau, Alaska - A field-deployable hydrothermal alkaline treatment reactor for on-site disposal of PFAS-contaminated wet wastes and brines.

 

Sustainable Materials Management

• PKS Consulting, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska - A mobile Plastic Ocean Waste Recycler that produces recycled plastic lumber products from locally collected plastic ocean waste.

 

• Earth Merchant, Vancouver, Washington - Durable, lightweight construction bricks made from industrial hemp for architectural applications with improved thermal performance to improve energy efficiency.

 

To learn more about EPA’s SBIR program, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/sbir.

 

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