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EPA Press Advisory: (1) EPA Achieves Highest Marks for E-Government Efforts from OMB; (2) Application Deadline Nears for President's Environmental Youth Awards; (3) Contracts for Nanomaterials and Clean Technologies AwardedFollowing are some Agency developments which may interest you. If you need (1) EPA Awarded Highest Marks for E-Government Efforts from OMB Suzanne Ackerman 202-564-7819/ ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov EPA was rated "green" in both status and progress for the Agency's implementation of the E-Government initiatives on the President's Management Agenda (PMA) Scorecard from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Green is the highest level an Agency can achieve and signifies that EPA has met all the standards for success in this category. The PMA was launched by President Bush in 2001, and is aimed at improving management throughout the federal government. PMA focuses on five areas of government management where significant improvement and progress can be made: human capital, competitive sourcing, improving financial management, E-Government, and budget and performance integration. In 2003, EPA was selected by OMB to be the lead agency on the government-wide E-Rulemaking initiative, which created an online portal (www.regulations.gov) that gives citizens ready access to proposed regulations across all agencies and a streamlined method for submitting comments. Other areas where EPA has made significant strides in E-Government include: the National Environmental Information Exchange Network, enterprise architecture, Central Data Exchange, E-dockets. To use the new federal electronic rulemaking system, go to: http://www.regulations.gov/ The PMA scorecard is available at: http://www.results.gov/agenda/scorecard.html (2) Application Deadline Nears for President's Environmental Youth Awards Enesta Jones, 202-564-7873/ jones.enesta@epa.gov EPA is accepting applications for the 2004 President's Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) until July 31. Students in kindergarten through twelfth grade in all 50 states and the U.S. territories are eligible and encouraged to submit applications. Since 1971, EPA has sponsored PEYA annually to honor students from around the country who develop innovative projects that help protect local environments and promote environmental awareness in their communities. Projects recognized in 2003 included: starting an educational campaign that led to the first "green" playground in a neighborhood; conducting an experiment to display the benefits of crushing used oil filters and recycling the oil; and creating a new pedestrian and bike trail. Applicants must be sponsored by an adult and submit evidence of their finished project, along with a completed application, to their local EPA regional office. Pending availability of funding, students are recognized at a ceremony held annually in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the PEYA Program and previous winners, and get an application, visit: http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/awards.html (3) Contracts for Nanomaterials and Clean Technologies Awarded Suzanne Ackerman 202-564-7819/ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov To help create new commercial processes that benefit the environment, EPA has awarded $900,000 to four companies for development and commercialization of nanomaterials and environmentally clean technologies through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Nanotechnology, referring to material and device fabrication on an atomic or molecular scale, has great potential for both environmental contaminant removal and creating clean manufacturing processes that use less hazardous chemicals. Aeromet Technologies, Inc. of Sandy, Utah will craft a cleaner process for bonding steel tire cords to rubber during tire manufacturing, the largest commercial application requiring bonding of metal to rubber. The new bonding material based on nanoparticles will eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals such as cobalt and cyanide. Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc. of Torrance, Calif. will adapt immunoassays, highly sensitive biological laboratory tests, to develop field monitors that test more precisely for organic pollutants in water supplies and food processing. Intematrix Corporation of Moraga, Calif. will produce strong, lightweight composites from polymers and carbon nanotubes for applications such as auto manufacturing. Nanotubes are a sequence of atoms arranged in a long cylindrical structure that are excellent electricity conductors. Carbon nanotubes can enhance the strength and electric conductivity of automobile composites, eliminating the need for the present spray primer process with volatile organic compounds. TDA Research, Inc. of Wheat Ridge, Colo. will continue its work on environmentally friendly, foaming agents used in firefighting foams. Fluorine-free foams are being developed to replace those that are widely used but contain toxic substances. The SBIR Program was created in 1982 to spawn commercial ventures for small businesses that improve the environment, create jobs, and increase productivity and economic growth. An SBIR business must have less than 500 employees and at least 51 percent of the business must be owned by U.S. citizens. For more information, visit: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/sbir/ R136 # # # Release date:07/14/2004 Receive our News Releases Automatically by Email
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