Small Businesses Reap Awards for Environmental Innovation

Although everyone’s talking about green jobs, do you still have a vague image of granola roasters when you think about small companies working to protect the environment.  The companies that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized for their environmental commitment sound like anything but DIY enterprises.

The EPA is funding the continued work of innovative, technological organizations.  They are awarding nearly $2.25 million to 10 small companies to support the development of new technologies for protecting the environment and public health.  These financial awards are part of the Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR).

Organizations include companies like Albemarle Mercury Control Division working to develop gas-phase bromination for cost-effective mercury control and Compact Membrane Sytems dedicated to reducing NOx emissions from diesel engines.  The chosen businesses are working on projects that address diverse issues, such as: reducing toxic chemicals from landfills, reducing methane emissions, and designing a better way to monitor water quality.

“The SBIR program demonstrates how meeting environmental challenges can help create jobs,” said Dr. Paul T. Anastas, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “These small businesses are simultaneously leading the way toward a sustainable planet and a healthy economy.”

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