Region 1: EPA New England

Greenbytes: March 11, 2005 Edition

Greetings from EPA New England. We hope you find this edition of Greenbytes useful and we encourage you to give us feedback. For information on subscribing or unsubscribing see the section at the end of this message.

Feature: Two New England Small Businesses Receive Research Funds to Develop Innovative Environmental Technologies
By Robert W. Varney

In an effort to give small companies the financial boost needed to develop innovative ideas to benefit health and the environment, EPA has for many years operated a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This week, the Agency announced more than $2.6 million in awards to 34 small companies under this program. In New England, awards were given to LightLine Technologies, Inc. of Needham, Mass. and Real-Time Analyzers, Inc. of East Hartford, Conn. The companies each received $70,000 through the SBIR program.

LightLine Technologies will use the research money to develop a new technology that will allow workers to wear a personal monitoring and detection device to prevent exposure to harmful chemicals in the workplace.

"We are pleased to receive this financial assistance as we work on the development of a new and important technology that we hope will one day be an industry standard for protecting workers from exposure to unsafe chemicals," remarked Dr. Steven Lis, President of LightLine Technologies.

Real-Time Analyzers, Inc. is developing an early warning detection system for public water supplies to protect our vital resources from contamination and enhance drinking water security.

"We are honored that EPA selected our proposed technology to address this important homeland security issue. This funding is critical to developing our new chemical sensing technology, which we hope one day will protect our drinking water supplies from both intentional poisoning and unintentional contamination," commented Dr. Stuart Farquharson, President and CEO of Real-Time Analyzers.

EPA's highly competitive SBIR program offers critical financial support to small businesses to develop the best, new, innovative technologies. The program spawns commercial ventures that improve our environment and quality of life, create jobs, increase productivity and economic growth, and improve international competitiveness of the country's technology industry. These SBIR awards along with EPA's laboratories and research centers are building the scientific foundation needed to support the Agency's mission to safeguard human health and the environment.

There are approximately 22 million small businesses in the United States that employ about 51 percent of the private work force and develop most of the country's new technologies. Congress recognized the need to strengthen the role of small businesses in federally funded research and development and passed the 1982 law creating the Small Business Innovation Research program for businesses with no more than 500 employees.

The SBIR's next solicitation for developing environmental technologies will open on March 24, 2005 and close on May 25, 2005.

To learn more about these awards and the EPA's SBIR program, visit: www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir.

Press Releases

EPA Announces Landmark Clean Air Interstate Rule - Major Step Forward in Eliminating 'Smog' Days in New England

Needham, MA Company Received EPA Research Contract to Develop Personal Chemical Monitoring Device

East Hartford, CT Company Receives EPA Research Contract to Develop Early Warning Sensor For Drinking Water Supply Contamination

Lawrence, MA Organization Gets Grant to Help Reduce Health Risks to Elderly

Hampton, NH Organization Gets Grant to Help Reduce Health Risks to Elderly

EPA Seeks Projects for Environmental Justice Small Grants Program by April 4th Deadline

Clean Up To Begin at Former Chroming Facility in Bangor

Meetings & Conferences

Northeast Regional Community & Urban Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Conference (fee)
Tuesday/Wednesday Mar. 15-16, 2005; Manchester NH

NETC (Newport) Restoration Advisory Board
Wed. Mar. 16, 7:00 p.m.

How to Reduce and Prevent Beach Closures - New Hampshire (Workshop; $35 fee)
Friday, March 18, 2005; Urban Forestry Center, Portsmouth NH (was 02-11-05)

Mass. Military Range (MMR) Impact Area Review Team
Tues. Mar. 22, 2005

Public Hearing on Draft NPDES Permit for the GE facility
Wed. March 23, 2005; Pittsfield MA (was 02-10-05)

What's New on the Web

Regional

Beede Superfund Site - updated prp list

Colleges & Universities Compliance - hazwaste management laboratories xl project

National

EPA Announces Landmark Clean Air Interstate Rule

In The News Daily Email Service

"In The News" is a free daily service that provides links to today's top newspaper stories about the New England environment and links to related EPA New England information.

In The News Email Service: As soon as today's edition of "In The News" has been posted we will inform you via email.