Environmental Technology; U.S. EPA Technology Innovation Strategy and U.S. EPA Environmental Technology Initiative FY 1994 Program Plan

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-4828-5]

Environmental Technology; U.S. EPA Technology Innovation Strategy

and U.S. EPA Environmental Technology Initiative FY 1994 Program Plan

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability, request for comment and invitation to

become a project partner.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency's (EPA) draft Technology Innovation Strategy (S/N 055-000-00466-

8), is available for review and comment. EPA is seeking public comments

on the draft Strategy by March 14, 1994. To identify parties interested

in the President's Environmental Technology Initiative, EPA is also

releasing the Environmental Technology Initiative: Fiscal Year 1994 (FY

1994) Program Plan (S/N 055-000-00465-8) which identifies 73 projects

that EPA and other agencies and organizations are initiating to

implement the Initiative. Copies of both documents are available

through the U.S. Government Printing Office.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Technology Innovation Strategy (S/N 055-000-

00466-8) or Environmental Technology Initiative: FY 1994 Program Plan

(S/N 055-000-00465-8) are available from the nearest government

bookstore, the Government Printing Office phone order information desk

(202/783-3238) or by requesting an order form by FAX (202/512-2250).

Mail orders may be addressed to the: Superintendent of Documents, U.S.

Government Printing Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

15250-7954. When ordering, please identify the document's title and

indicate the Government Printing Office publication number.

Comments on the Technology Innovation Strategy should be mailed to:

Strategy Committee, Innovative Technology Council, Mail Code 2111, U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC

20460. Comments on the Strategy will be accepted until March 14, 1994.

EPA is planning to convene three public hearings on the Strategy, in

Washington, DC, Chicago, Illinois and San Francisco, California.

Specific dates and locations for these hearings will be announced in a

future Federal Register notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Brendan Doyle, Office of Policy,

Planning and Evaluation (2127), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, (202) 260-3354, or one of the

EPA regional office contacts listed below:

Barbara Brown, U.S. EPA Region 1, One Congress Street--RAA, Boston, MA

02203-2211, Tel #: 617-565-3397.

Pat Lafornara, U.S. EPA Region 2, 2890 Woodbridge Avenue, Raritan Depot

Building 10--MS 100, Edison, NJ 08837-3679, Tel #: 908-906-6988.

Norm Kulujian, U.S. EPA Region 3, 841 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA

19107, Tel #: 215-597-1113.

Bob Jourdan, U.S. EPA Region 4, 345 Courtland Street, NE--4WNSRB,

Atlanta, GA 30365, Tel #: 404-347-7791.

Mike Lin, U.S. EPA Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard--WQ-16J,

Chicago, IL 60604-3590, Tel #: 312-886-6104.

Norman Dyer, U.S. EPA Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, 12th Floor, Suite

1200, Dallas, TX 75202-2733, Tel #: 214-655-8349.

Jody Hudson, U.S. EPA Region 7, 25 Funston Road, Kansas City, KS

66115,Tel #: 913-551-5064.

Dave Smith, U.S. EPA Region 8, 999 18th Street, Suite 500, Denver, CO

80202-2466, Tel #: 303-293-1475.

Winona Victery, U.S. EPA Region 9, 75 Hawthorne Street, San Francisco,

CA 94105, Tel #: 415-744-1021.

John Barich, U.S. EPA Region 10, 1200 6th Avenue--ES-098, Seattle, WA

98101, Tel #: 206-553-8562.

EPA's Technology Innovation Strategy

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Innovative Technology

Council, comprised of EPA management and staff from across the Agency,

has drafted a strategy to focus and target its efforts to accelerate

environmental technology development, commercialization and use. The

Council recognizes a need to accelerate the development,

commercialization, and use of innovative environmental technologies to

maintain and improve environmental quality at home and abroad into the

21st century. Environmental quality would deteriorate, given

foreseeable population growth and industrialization, unless technology

is developed and more broadly applied, that is more effective in

preventing and reducing pollution levels, less costly than existing

technology and supportive of sustainable development. EPA, state and

local agencies are in a unique position to influence the rate and focus

of environmental technology innovation and use because of their

legislative and programmatic mandates and regulatory responsibilities

(which often influence the demand for environmental technologies, goods

and services).

In funding the President's Environmental Technology Initiative, the

House Committee on Appropriations directed EPA, ``* * * to develop a

comprehensive environmental technology strategy characterized by

innovation and a nonbureaucratic approach.''1

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\1\ House of Representatives, 103rd Congress, Committee on

Appropriations report, June 22, 1993, Report 103-150, p. 47.

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EPA's draft Strategy provides a plan to directly and indirectly

support private sector innovation and diffusion activities sponsored by

the public and private sector and close coordination among Federal

agencies. It focuses on creating incentives for the development and use

of innovative technologies in federal and state environmental

regulations, reducing barriers to technology innovation and use, and

improving the competitiveness of the environmental technology industry

in domestic and international markets. EPA and other Federal, state and

local agencies, universities, trade associations and consortia, and

numerous private companies are already working in many of the areas

identified in the Strategy. EPA is seeking public comment on the

Strategy to focus and target efforts to accelerate environmental

technology development, commercialization and use. The Agency's

Innovative Technology Council plans to revise and update the Strategy

based on the comments received.

The definition of ``environmental technologies'' being addressed in

the Strategy varies widely for a number of reasons. The ``environmental

technology industry'' has only recently become a focal point for market

analysts and policy-makers, and it is highly diversified in terms of

the current demand for and supply of technologies, goods and services.

Demand often varies based on local environmental conditions.

``Environmental technologies'' include technologies, goods, and

services whose development is triggered primarily by environmental

improvement objectives. Sometimes referred to as ``dark green''

technologies, these include: products and services to monitor and

assess pollutant releases and exposure levels; innovative technologies

which prevent pollution, control air and water pollution levels, and

remediate contaminated soil and groundwater; and, manage environmental

data. EPA's Strategy also addresses ``light green'' technologies that

are developed primarily for non-environmental reasons; those

technologies can have indirect, but important consequences for

improving environmental quality. An example, would be local area

computer networks designed to enhance office communication, but which

also reduce paper use.

EPA is interested in promoting all phases of technological change

such as: the research and development of new concepts; preliminary

design testing and pilot applications of evolving technologies;

performance demonstrations and testing; evaluations of early commercial

applications; and diffusion into domestic and international markets.

The draft ``Technology Innovation Strategy'' outlines the general

principles that guide EPA in its efforts to foster innovation in its

existing programs and new projects being initiated under the

President's Environmental Technology Initiative (see below). It

outlines four objectives:

1. Adapt EPA's policy, regulatory, and compliance framework to

promote innovation;

2. Strengthen the capacity of technology developers and users to

succeed in environmental technology innovation;

3. Strategically invest EPA funds in the development and

commercialization of promising new technologies; and,

4. Accelerate diffusion of innovative technologies at home and

abroad.

EPA invites comments on the draft Strategy and the following

questions:

(1) What roles are appropriate for EPA to play in stimulating the

development and use of innovative technological solutions to

environmental problems?

(2) Do you agree with the Strategy's objectives and with EPA's

approaches to achieving them? Which objectives should receive the

highest priority for action?

(3) Are there additional areas of emphasis that EPA should address

in planning and funding its technology development, commercialization,

and diffusion activities?

(4) Are there particular environmental technology needs or

impediments to development on which you feel the Agency should focus

more of its attention?

(5) How do you propose that EPA measure the success of its efforts?

Technology Program Focus Areas for FY 1995

The Technology Innovation Strategy will be used to guide the

Agency's planning and budgeting for specific projects in both base

programs and under the President's Environmental Technology Initiative

during this fiscal year and in future years. The Environmental

Technology Initiative (ETI) FY 1994 Program Plan, described later in

this notice, provides detailed descriptions of the ETI budget themes

and projects being funded this fiscal year. Planning for FY 1995 is now

underway and EPA is interested in receiving comments from the public on

specific focus areas that should be emphasized in funding projects next

year. These focus areas may be within the broad context of an entire

technology innovation area or may be specific to one facet of EPA's

Strategy. An example of a broad focus area recommendation would be the

need for EPA assistance in all aspects of encouraging the development

and use of more cost-effective technologies for small businesses. An

example of a focus area recommendation specific to one part of the

Strategy (e.g., Objective #2) would be the need for EPA to help assure

the quality and credibility of performance data for new technologies by

creating more locations for safe technology testing.

The President's Environmental Technology Initiative

In his State of the Union speech on February 17, 1993, President

Clinton outlined a new initiative to improve environmental quality and

strengthen the American economy. The goal of the President's

Environmental Technology Initiative (ETI) is to spur the development

and use of more advanced environmental systems and treatment techniques

that can yield domestic environmental benefits and increase exports of

American technologies to other countries. ``Dark green'' environmental

technologies are being emphasized in the Initiative that is,

technologies, goods, and services whose development is triggered

primarily by environmental improvement objectives. ``Dark green''

technologies include: products and services to monitor and assess

pollutant releases and exposure levels; innovative technologies which

prevent pollution, control air and water pollution levels, and

remediate contaminated soil and groundwater; and, manage environmental

data. The Initiative is funded at $36 million in FY 1994 and, in the

President's plan, is to be funded at $80 million in FY 1995, with

overall funding projected to be $1.8 billion over nine years. In

approving funding for Fiscal Year 1994, the Senate Appropriations

Committee instructed the Agency to develop a detailed program

plan2. Today, EPA is announcing the availability of the

Environmental Technology Initiative: FY 1994 Program Plan (S/N 055-000-

00465-8) which describes 73 specific projects that will be initiated by

the end of September, 1994. These projects span four general areas

outlined below:

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\2\ U.S. Senate, 103rd Congress, Appropriations Committee report

103-137, September 9, 1993, p. 105, Washington, DC.

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1. Accelerating the development and use of innovative environmental

and restoration technologies;

2. Fostering clean technologies through pollution prevention for

small businesses;

3. Fostering the use of U.S. technologies to solve international

environmental problems;

4. Defining technology gaps, and identifying barriers to, and

incentives for developing and commercializing environmental

technologies.

The Program Plan released today is not a solicitation or request

for proposals for grants or contracts from EPA. It describes the nature

and scope of work in each project area and invites interested parties

to contact individual project managers, especially if they are working

on a similar project or they are interested in becoming a project

partner. Project managers will, in turn, be developing partnerships

among interested parties who can share in the projects' activities and

results. EPA anticipates that federal agencies, state and local

governments, tribes, educational institutions, non-profit and not-for

profit entities, and private sector parties may be interested in

discussing partnership opportunities. By this approach, EPA is seeking

to engage and leverage the creativity, expertise, and resources of

other government agencies and the private sector in areas of mutual

interest.

Both the Administration and the Congress have stressed the need for

partnerships that provide both direct support to private sector

innovation and close coordination with other Federal agencies. These

partnerships may take many forms. For example, in the ``Clean Car

Technology Demonstration Program'' (Project No. 11), EPA's National

Vehicle and Fuel Emissions laboratory and Office of Air and Radiation,

the Department of Energy, and the National Institute for Science and

Technology, other Federal laboratories, and domestic manufacturers are

demonstrating ways to improve passenger car and light truck fuel

economy and technologies which lower carbon dioxide emissions. To

promote technologies that prevent pollution in small businesses, EPA,

the International Fabricare Institute, Neighborhood Cleaners

Association, Greenpeace, and the Occupational Health Foundation are

working on dry and wet cleaning technologies that do not use

perchloroethylene (Project No. 33). To improve the U.S. environmental

technology industry's competitiveness abroad, EPA, the Agency for

International Development, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the

Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation are

proposing ways to demonstrate the performance of pollution control,

monitoring and pollution prevention technologies globally and at sites

to be selected in Asia, Central or Eastern Europe or Mexico (Project

No. 53).

For some projects, EPA may transfer funding to another Federal

agency that will match those funds with funds of their own or with

those of a private sector partner. Not all collaborative efforts,

however, may entail transfers of funding among Federal partners or

private partners. Rather, EPA is more interested in finding partners

who can offer collaboration, resources and expertise to make each

project a success. Many partnership opportunities are available. For

example:

--Developing technologies to depolymerize/repolymerize plastics for

recycling (Project No. 4);

--Changing to cleaner processes in plating and metal finishing that

reduce the use of toxic chemicals, generate less waste, and reduce

energy and natural resource consumption (Project No. 5);

--Piloting applications of advanced adsorption technologies that can

filter wastewater, drinking water and contaminated groundwater and

clean-up polluted aquatic ecosystems (Project No. 7);

--Developing alternative surface cleaning technologies to replace

products and systems using hazardous chemicals or volatile organic

solvents that pose health or environmental risks (Project No. 8);

--Evaluating techniques that are used to reduce metallic ores to base

metals for applications in managing solid and hazardous wastes (Project

No. 18);

--Demonstrating supercritical carbon dioxide extraction technologies

that reduce reliance on toxic solvents and the generation of hazardous

wastestreams (Project No. 19);

--Documenting the performance of soil washing as an alternative

remedial technology for cleaning up contaminated sites (Project No.

20);

--Demonstrating pilot-scale chemical dechlorination by the recently-

licensed, base-catalyzed decomposition process to clean-up soils

contaminated with PCBs, pentachlorophenol, and chlorinated insecticides

and herbicides (Project No. 23); and,

--Developing and demonstrating new metalforming technologies to find

substitutes for toxic chlorinated solvents, cyanides and cadmium that

prevent pollution and reduce the generation of hazardous wastestreams

(Project No. 38).

Parties interested in these or any other projects, or becoming a

project partner, may contact the project manager identified in the FY

1994 Program Plan. Project managers are interested in hearing from

those who are working on similar projects; those who are interested in

offering expertise, experience, test sites or other resources; and,

those who are qualified to comment on the technical aspects of each

project's value, significance and appropriateness.

Dated: January 21, 1994.

David M. Gardiner,

Assistant Administrator for Policy, Planning and Evaluation.

[FR Doc. 94-1739 Filed 1-27-94; 8:45 am]

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