Environmental Technology; U.S. EPA Technology Innovation StrategyExtension of Public Comment Period; Announcement of Public Meetings To Comment on the Strategy

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-4851-8]

Environmental Technology; U.S. EPA Technology Innovation

Strategy--Extension of Public Comment Period; Announcement of Public

Meetings To Comment on the Strategy

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability, extension of comment period, schedule

of upcoming public meetings.

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SUMMARY: On January 28, 1994, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) announced the availability of the Agency's draft Technology

Innovation Strategy (S/N 055-000-00466-8) and the Environmental

Technology Initiative: FY 1994 Program Plan (S/N 055-000-00465-8) (59

FR 4067) and requested public comments on the Strategy by March 14,

1994. Copies of the draft Strategy were not available for public

distribution until the beginning of March. As a result, EPA is

extending the comment period to April 15, 1994. Internal Agency

deadlines for considering comments in planning and budgeting

environmental technology projects for Fiscal Year 1995 are imminent,

interested parties are encouraged to submit comments as soon as

possible. Comments will continue to be accepted and reviewed after

April 15, 1994 in planning projects for FY1996 and future years. Copies

of the Strategy and the FY1994 Program Plan are available through the

U.S. Government Printing Office.

EPA is also inviting technology developers, vendors, services

providers, exporters, the users of environmental technology and

services, the investment community, governmental and non-governmental

organizations and the general public to discuss the Agency's Strategy

in three public meetings:

1. Friday, March 25, 1994. San Francisco, California. Address:

Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport, 1333 Bayshore Highway, Burlingame,

CA 94010. Telephone: (415) 347-1234. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

2. Wednesday, April 6, 1994. Chicago, Illinois. Sheraton Gateway

Suites, 6501 North Manheim Road, Chicago, Illinois 60018. Telephone:

(708) 699-6300. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

3. Tuesday, April 12, 1994. Washington, D.C. Ramada Renaissance

Hotel, 13869 Park Center Road, Herndon, VA 22071. Telephone: (703) 478-

2900. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Airport hotels have been selected for the convenience of those

traveling by air to the meetings.

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.

Written comments are requested. 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.

Members of the public wishing to make comments at any of the

meetings are invited to identify themselves in writing to Mr. Brendan

Doyle, by March 22, 1994, for the San Francisco meeting; by April 1,

1994, for the Chicago meeting; and, April 8, 1994, for the Washington,

DC meeting. Those interested in making comments are asked to limit

their presentations to no more than five minutes. It is requested that

commenters provide a summary of their commentaries by the appropriate

date and a complete text, if possible. Please send requests to make

comments to: Mr. Brendan Doyle, Office of Policy, Planning and

Evaluation (2127), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20460 or by telefax to: 202/260-2685.

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, safely

manage waste 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 in FY1994 and FY1995 to

foster the development and use of environmental technologies in solving

the nation's environmental problems. 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 can EPA measure the success of its efforts?

(6) Which environmental problems need better, faster, cheaper

technological solutions?

(7) Do you have any suggestions for ways for EPA to develop,

collect and/or disseminate information on the performance of

environmental technologies?

(8) Can you identify specific federal or state environmental

regulations, permitting programs or enforcement activities where

technology innovation is being impeded?

(9) Are there specific industries or businesses whose environmental

problems are not being addressed in the Strategy?

Answers to these questions and comments received on the Strategy

will be considered in EPA's planning and budgeting for technology

development and promotion projects in FY 1995 and future years.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Brendan Doyle (see address above),

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

Dated: March 11, 1994.

David M. Gardiner,

Assistant Administrator for Policy, Planning and Evaluation.

[FR Doc. 94-6261 Filed 03-16-94; 8:45 am]

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