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EPA awards $140,000 for technology development to small businesses in Bozeman, Missoula

Release Date: 04/05/2010
Contact Information: Rich Mylott, 303-312-6654

Grants will advance cutting-edge greenhouse gas reduction technologies

(Denver, Colo. – April 5, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $140,000 to AdvR, Inc., of Bozeman and IntelliMet, LLC, of Missoula to develop innovative technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Innovation is the lifeline of progress -- and scientific and technological innovation are essential to the progress we seek to make in protecting people and the planet,” said Dr. Paul T. Anastas, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Research and Development. “These small businesses are key to helping us reach that goal.”

More detailed descriptions of the projects funded by these grants are below.

AdvR, Inc., Bozeman, Montana
Fiber Based Return Signal CO2 Sensing System for Sequestration Site Monitoring
Award Amount: $70,000
AdvR, Inc. is developing a technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with fossil fuel power plants through carbon sequestration. To ensure successful CO₂ sequestration, the ability to monitor leakage from underground geologic storage sites and pipelines delivering CO₂ to those sites is paramount. The goal of this grant is to accelerate the development of a low-cost, fiber-based sensor system for the detection of low levels of CO₂ in the subsurface.

IntelliMet, LLC, Missoula, Montana
Economic Capture of CO2 with Amines and Ionic Liquids Tethered in the Gas Phase
Award Amount: $70,000
The objective of this project is to develop an absorption technology that enables CO₂ capture for less than $20 per ton of CO₂. The potential commercial application will be to create carbon capture units that enable the economically feasible reduction of carbon dioxide.

Today’s announcement is part of $2.38 million that will be awarded to 34 small businesses across the nation to develop innovative, sustainable technologies to help improve air quality, protect our water, work to decrease the effects of climate change, and support green jobs.

These awards to businesses focus on ten key 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.

EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program was established to ensure that new technologies are developed to solve priority environmental problems. 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 technical innovation in the United States.

There are approximately 25 million small businesses in the U.S. today. As the leading source of employment growth, these firms have generated 60-80 percent of net new jobs over the past decade and are responsible for developing most of the country’s new technologies. To be eligible to participate in SBIR, a small business must have fewer than 500 employees, and at least 51 percent of the business must be owned by U.S. citizens.

EPA is also requesting applications for the development of new environmental technologies. The application deadline is May 11.

More information on SBIR and applying for funds: https://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir

More information on SBIR awards: https://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir/10awards/.