f/EPA
New England Office
Center for
Environmental
Industry &
Technology
TECHNOVATION
VOLUME 2000 - 3
2000 ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATOR AWARDS SHOWCASE INSIDE
EPA New England
Environmental Technology Innovator Awards
This is the third year of EPA New
England's Environmental Tech-
nology Innovator Award Pro-
gram. This year, seven winners were se-
lected from a pool of 27 applicants, as
representing New England's most inno-
vative companies. The selection process
was administered by EPA's Regional Sci-
ence Council. The council evaluated each
application based on the following crite-
ria: (1) the ability of the technology to
address an environmental problem, (2)
the ability of the claims to be verified,
(3) field trial evaluations, and (4)
innovativeness.
The awards were presented to the win-
2000 Award Winners seen here with EPA New
England Regional Administrator Mindy Lubber
(front row, center) and CEIT Director Maggie
Theroux (back row, second from the left).
ners at the New England EnviroExpo
2000 held May 9 in Boston, Mass. The
award recipients were:
• Andersen Technology Corp.,
Cotuit, Mass. (Headquartered in
Palm Desert, Calif.)
• Cape Technologies, LLC, South
Portland, Maine
• CASTion Corp., Ludlow, Mass.
• CF Technologies, Inc., Hyde Park,
Mass.
• Couterpane, Inc., Stowe, Vt.
• SeptiTech, Inc., Gray, Maine
• SolmeteX, Inc., Billerica, Mass.
This issue of Technovation highlights
the 2000 Environmental Technology In-
novator Award winners.
The New Regional Administrator Addresses the Award Winners
The new Regional Administrator
for EPA New England, Mindy
Lubber, addressed the winners of
this year's Environmental
Technology Innovator
Awards. Mindy told those
gathered that EPA New
England undertakes this
award presentation and
other activities to promote
environmental technolo-
gies because of their impor-
tance in making progress
toward a clean environ-
ment. She recognized the
major role that innovators,
like the award winners.
EPA New England
Regional Administrator
Mindy Lubber addresses the
award winners.
played in creating improvements in en-
vironmental performances that would
have been impossible even 15 years ago.
She pointed to the fact
that this progress needs to
continue. We still have riv-
ers that are too polluted to
swim or fish in, toxic waste
too near homes and fami-
lies, and air that is un-
healthy to breathe in the
summers, trapping children
and asthmatics indoors.
She also highlighted the
tremendous challenges we
face in reducing the cost of
implementing the Clean Air, Clean Wa-
ter and Safe Drinking Water Acts. We
need to have smarter, cheaper, and bet-
ter ways of dealing with our environmen-
tal problems. We need the inventors and
entrepreneurs creating new solutions.
She ended by spotlighting other ser-
vices offered by the EPA New England's
Center for Environmental Industry and
Technology (CEIT). Other CEIT activi-
ties are outlined in the 'About CEIT"
article in this issue.
We need the inventors and
entrepreneurs creating new solutions.
-------
2000 ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATOR AWARDS SHOWCASE
CAPE Technologies, LLC Immunoassay Kits for Dioxin/Furcm/PCB Analysis
CAPE Technologies of South
Portland, Maine, has developed
a simple, rapid, low-cost method
to screen for dioxin and related com-
pounds in a variety of sample types, in-
cluding soil, sediment, ash and biologi-
cal matrices. Conventional dioxin mea-
surement technologies are extremely
costly and time
consuming. These
methods typically
require expensive
dedicated labora-
tory space, sophis-
ticated instrumen-
tation and highly
trained techni-
cians. The combi-
nation of difficulty,
time and cost of
conventional dioxin analysis often limits
the number of analyses performed to a
statistically unreliable level, undermining
the overall quality of dioxin contamina-
tion data. In addition, timely decisions
in monitoring or remediation actions are
often impossible because conventional
methods can not provide rapid analysis
on site.
The CAPE Technologies method of-
fers a solution to these difficult problems
through new developments in immu-
noassay technology. Immunoassay meth-
ods are used extensively in clinical and
veterinary diagnostics because of their
low cost, ease of use, speed and reliabil-
ity. In the environmental field, immu-
noassays have found wide application
since the early 1990's, following the de-
velopment of the 4000 series of solid
The low recurring costs and ease
of use of the system encourage
more analyses to be performed,
resulting in a more complete and
more detailed assessment of the
scope of contamination.
waste methods under SW-846. Now, this
powerful technology has been success-
fully applied to the more demanding and
complex analysis of dioxins and furans.
CAPE Technologies has developed a
complete system around its new immu-
noassay technology, which consists of im-
munoassay test kits, sample preparation
kits and inexpen-
sive supporting
equipment. The
low capital cost and
simplicity of the
system allows it to
be used in tempo-
rary or mobile labs
with very little set-
up time. The low
recurring costs and
ease of use encour-
age more analyses to be performed, re-
sulting in a more complete and more de-
tailed assessment of the scope of contami-
nation.
In the last decade, immunoassays for
industrial wastes such as polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) have been integrated
into the site assessment and remediation
process, dramatically changing the way
contaminated sites are managed. CAPE
Technologies has now opened the door
for the same improvement in manage-
ment of dioxin sites. Same day analysis
on site is possible for soils and sediments
at high pico gram per gram (pg/g) levels
using a rapid extraction and one step
cleanup. Same day or next day analysis
is possible on site for biological samples
at low pg/g levels using a proprietary
sample cleanup device. CAPE Technolo-
gies reports that successful laboratory and
field demonstrations of the dioxin/furan
immunoassay system have now been
completed and data are being compiled
for distribution. A prototype kit is also
available for analysis of dioxin-like PCBs.
Dioxin-like PCBs are expected to be re-
defined as "dioxins" in the EPAs dioxin
reassessment, which will soon be released.
The CAPE Technologies methods can
provide analysts and site managers with
a unique tool that is a valuable comple-
ment to conventional methods. These
methods encourage applications for de-
tection of dioxins, furans and dioxin-like
PCBs in health-related situations where
screening by the conventional methods
is prohibitively costly and non-responsive
to time concerns.
For more information contact:
Robert O. Harrison, Ph.D.
CAPE Technologies, LLC
3 Adams Street
South Portland, ME 04106
207-741-2995
e-mail: cape-tech@ceemaine.org
web site: www.cape-tech.com
Disclaimer: EPA does not endorse or recommend any product offered for sale by companies fea-
tured in this publication. Furthermore, EPA has not confirmed the accuracy or legal adequacy of
any disclosures, product performance or other information provided by the companies and used
by EPA in production of this publication.
TECHNOVATION Volume 2000 —3
-------
2000 ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATOR AWARDS SHOWCASE
Andersen Technology Corporation Lime Slurry Treatment Pro
-------
2000 ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATOR AWARDS SHOWCASE
Counterpane, Inc. Polyester Fiber Reclamation
An estimated 500 million volumi-
nous pounds of non-biodegrad-
able, polyester fabric remnants
are dumped in landfills an-
nually by U.S. textile,
clothing and home fur-
nishing manufacturers.
Counterpane, Inc. of
Stowe, Vermont, a
woman-owned small
business, has developed a
patented, sustainable, low
energy process to me-
chanically reprocess pre-
consumer polyester textile
remnants into open,
Loading the "card"
with recycled polyester
fleece fiber and wool.
Judith Wallick, President of Counter-
pane, Inc., began researching textile re-
cycling while working for the Turtle Fur
Company in Morrisville,
Vermont, manufacturers
of cold weather apparel.
Subsequent research has
been supported by the
Vermont Agency of Natu-
ral Resources, Vermont
EPSCoR (Experimental
Program to Stimulate
Competitive Research),
Vermont Public Service
Department, EPA, U.S.
Department of Agricul-
blendable, spinable fiber. The company
reports that this fiber is reclaimed using
90% less energy than conventional ther-
mal technology and is projected to cost
45% less than other recycled fiber made
from poly ethylene terepthalate (PET)
bottles. By-products of the reprocessing
are non-woven textiles exhibiting distinc-
tive softness and drape.
ture, Maiden Mills Industries, Patagonia
Clothing Company and the American
Needle punched
non-woven
textile emerging
from the loom
and rolling onto
the bolt.
Plastics Council.
The company is currently in the final
phase of industrial trials of textile samples
that showed promise in the laboratory.
In collaboration with the Institute of Ma-
terials Science at the University of Con-
necticut, Counterpane is continuing fi-
ber fusion research to optimize their
"green," supple textiles. Color assorted,
non-woven textiles for the U.S. outer-
wear apparel and bed blanket markets are
planned as the initial commercial prod-
ucts.
For more information contact:
Judith Leslie Wallick
Counterpane, Inc.
P.O. Box 1522
Stowe, VT 05672-1522
e-mail: jwallick@together.net
SolmeteX, Inc. Dental Solution
ercury is characterized as ex-
tremely toxic to humans and
the environment. It is readily
taken up in the food chain and will bio-
accumulate and bio-magnify in aquatic
life. Most of the remedial attention has
been concentrated on incinerators, elec-
tric power utilities, chloro-alkali facilities
and the health care industry. However,
studies have shown that as much as 25%-
35% of the mercury found at sewage
treatment facilities can be attributed to
the discharge of dental waste (specifically
dental amalgams).
SolmeteX, Inc. of Billerica, Massa-
chusetts, applied its patent pending tech-
SolmeteX, Inc. 's KeyleiX*
cup for treating flows from
standard dental facilities
nology Keyle:X®, to the dental waste
problem. The company developed two
systems for the treatment of dental waste
streams. The Keyle: X® cup, which com-
bines mechanical and chemical filtration,
treats flows from standard dental facili-
ties-those with less than fifteen chairs-
removing both particulate mercury and
dissolved mercury. The Amalgam Efflu-
ent Management System (AEMS) treats
flows from large dental facilities-large
practices and clinic central systems.
The technology of the Keyle :X® resin
allows SolmeteX to design and package
small compact systems that are simple to
use and maintain. Keyle :X® is report-
edly able to remove mercury at speeds
that are 30 times faster than typical res-
ins, allowing SolmeteX to design a small
system that does a big job. The product
also has high holding capacity. This com-
bination means that the system is much
smaller and less expensive.
In December of 1998, SolmeteX in-
stalled a dental amalgam removal system
TECHNOVATION Volume 2000 —3
-------
2000 ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATOR AWARDS SHOWCASE
SeptiTech, Inc. High Surface Area Biological Trickling Filtration
SeptiTech's tank being winched up a cliff on Fox
Island, off the coast of Maine.
eptiTech, Inc. of Gray, Maine,
S combined the patent pending
technology of the SeptiTech
waste water treatment system
with an innovative, high intensity, ultra-
violet disinfection system and low impact
surface drip irrigation technology to pro-
vide a solution to the waste water prob-
lems of seasonal residents of MacMahan
Island located off the coast of Maine.
MacMahan Island, a small island only
one quarter mile wide and
about one mile long, needed a
safe and acceptable alternative
to subsurface leach fields. Its
soils are rocky, thin, non-absor-
bent and shallow to bedrock
and its fresh water aquifer typi-
cally dries up by August. Con-
ventional leach fields would do
serious harm to the fragile is-
land ecosystem because they
would require preparatory road
construction and tree cutting,
and barging and deposition of
18,000 yards of fill (two foot
ball fields, six feet deep) to the island.
The system implemented by SeptiTech
involves a marriage of several technolo-
gies, which begins with proprietary, ad-
vanced pre-treatment by SeptiTech,
coupled with the high intensity ultravio-
let disinfection and the final discharge of
the treatment effluent via drip hose. The
SeptiTech processor is a patent pending
tertiary level biological trickling filter
plant. It receives household waste water
from a standard septic tank and report-
edly treats the water to tertiary levels -
97-98% removal of Biochemical Oxygen
Demand (BOD) and Total Suspended
Solids (TSS). Treatment water is disin-
fected using high intensity ultraviolet
light and is discharged in small, frequent,
uniform doses, throughout the day and
night, to a drip hose that is covered with
two inches of organic duff. The hose
"leaks" along its entire length, dispers-
ing the treated water into the environ-
ment at the ground surface for rapid root
absorption and transevaporation.
For more information contact:
James R. Gray
SeptiTech, Inc.
220 Lewiston Road
Gray, ME 04039
207-657-5252
e-mail: info@septitech.com
web site: www.septitech.com
SolmeteX, Inc. Dental Solution
SolmeteX, Inc. 's Amalgam Effluent Management System for
treating flows from large dental facilities.
at the U.S. Great
Lakes Naval Dental
Research Institute in
Great Lakes, Illinois.
The Naval Dental Re-
search Institute has a
dental facility with 35
chairs and is aggres-
sively trying to reduce
the amount of mer-
cury discharged to the
sewer. The U.S. Navy
issued the following
statement, "These
data indicate the
SolmeteX system is effective in reducing
mercury levels to less than 0.2 ug/1, which
is the detection limit for method 245.1."
For more information contact:
Owen E. Boyd
SolmeteX, Inc.
29 Cook Street
Billerica, MA 01 821
978-262-9890
e-mail: oboyd@solmetex.com
web site: www.solmetex.com
TECHNOVATION Volume 2000 —3
5
-------
2000 ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATOR AWARDS SHOWCASE
CASTion Corporation Controlled Atmosphere Separation Technology
CASTion Corporation of Ludlow,
Massachusetts, designs, manu-
factures and markets the Con-
trolled Atmosphere Separation Technol-
ogy (CAST®) systems. The CAST® sys-
tems are designed for recovering clean re-
usable water and valuable reusable chem-
istries from hazardous aqueous metal fin-
ishing processes in the electronics, auto-
motive, aerospace, machinery/hardware
and decorative/jewelry industries. Spe-
cific applications include electroplating,
chromating, galvanizing, pickling or etch-
ing, anodizing, phosphating and alkaline
parts washing. These processes all gen-
erate a large volume of hazardous waste
containing heavy metals such as cad-
CASTion Corporation's Controlled Atmospheric
Separation (CAST®) technology.
mium, copper, chrome, nickel, gold, sil-
ver, platinum and zinc, and chemical an-
ions such as chlorides, sulfates and cya-
nides.
CAST® systems are a proprietary com-
bination of vacuum flash distillation and
patented liquid/vapor separation system.
The CAST® system is a refinement of ex-
isting applications of distillation technol-
ogy though the use of CASTion's pat-
ented liquid/vapor separation system,
forced circulation flash distillation con-
figuration, design and construction. As
with other distillation systems, the
CAST® system design allows for recov-
ery of chemical solutions which cannot
be recovered using conventional atmo-
spheric evaporator designs
alone.
The CAST® system is a
zero-discharge mode of op-
eration with purified waste-
water recycled internally and
with the concentrated haz-
ardous chemistry recycled,
reclaimed or sent to a RCEA
licensed hazardous waste
management company.
There is no discharge of
wastewater to the sewer or
the atmosphere. CAST® is
a zero-discharge alternative
to traditional wastewater
treatment by chemical pre-
cipitation prior to sewer dis-
charge. It is also a wastewa-
ter recovery alternative to at-
mospheric evaporation.
CAST® systems have un-
dergone successful evalua-
tion under the Massachu-
setts Strategic Enviro Tech-
nology Partnership (STEP).
CASTion Corporation re-
ports that their systems have
achieved significant perfor-
mance improvement over
competing vacuum distillation in the
form of much higher purity of recovered
distilled water (typically 99.99 + % rejec-
tion on contaminant metals and chemi-
cals). CAST® systems also achieve lower
operating cost (4-5 cents per gallon of
wastewater processed, as documented by
the Massachusetts STEP evaluation). The
CAST® is a zero-discharge alter-
native to traditional wastewater
treatment by chemical precipita-
tion prior to sewer discharge.
It is also a wastewater recovery
alternative to atmospheric
evaporation.
CAST® systems achieve much higher pro-
duction reliability due to the use of ven-
turi to draw system vacuum instead of a
vacuum pump and the use of commer-
cially available plate and frame external
heat exchangers to replace a refrigeration
system to achieve distillate condensation.
CAST® systems have been successfully
installed at such leading global custom-
ers as British Oxygen/Edwards Vacuum,
Handy & Harman, Litton Industries/
Winchester Electronics, Swarovski Jew-
elry and Teradyne, Inc.
For more information contact:
Stephen Brown
CASTion Corporation
290 Moody Street
Ludlow, MA 01056
413-589-1601
e-mail: sbrown@castion.com
TECHNOVATION Volume 2000 —3
-------
2000 ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATOR AWARDS SHOWCASE
CF Technologies, Inc. Critical Fluid Processing
CF Technologies, Inc. (CF
TECH), a Massachusetts com-
pany, develops critical fluid pro-
cessing technology for industrial appli-
cations. CF TECH has developed a tech-
nology for recycling spent oil absorbents
and is assisting its client, CRI Recycling
Services, Inc. (CEJ), in commercializing
the process as a service business.
An estimated 120 million gallons of
oil are spilled on the floors of U.S. manu-
facturing and maintenance facilities each
year. This oil is typically cleaned up with
granular absorbent materials, polypropy-
lene mats and pads, cellulose and/or rags,
generating about 8 million drums of
spent oil absorbents with 15 gallons of
waste oil per drum on average. Approxi-
mately 95% of these oil-soaked
absorbents end up in landfills, 5% are in-
cinerated, and recycling is just beginning.
Most of the waste oil is contaminated
with lead or other heavy metals. Real
estate development of waste oil contami-
nated brownfields and environmental
concerns with disposal methods
prompted the development of CF
TECH's recycling technology.
CF TECH's patent pending technol-
ogy uses liquefied gases as solvents to
extract the oil from the absorbent to be
recycled and reused. The recovered oil is
recycled either as a fuel oil in waste fired
boilers, or rerefined to lube oil feedstocks.
CF TECH reports that testing has shown
Flow chart of spent oil absorbent recycling
process using CF Technologies, Inc. s
Critical Fluid Processing.
that the recycled absorbents have absor-
bent properties similar to that of the vir-
gin materials and that the properties do
not diminish as the material is reused
multiple times.
The commercial process is operated in
a batch mode. Spent absorbent materi-
als are placed into pressurized vessels (ex-
tractors) and are "washed" with liquefied
gas solvent in a closed loop process. The
extraction removes 98 + % of oil and
grease, and the absorptive capacity of the
recycled absorbent ranges from 80% to
100% of the original material. The sys-
tem has a nominal capacity of six 5 5-gal-
lon drums of absorbent per hour. When
operating at full capacity, each plant will
be recycling more than 500,000 gallons
of oil and 10,000,000 pounds of
absorbents annually.
The CRI service includes picking up
the oily absorbent; dropping off empty
drums and new or recycled absorbent;
and providing a "Certificate of Recy-
cling." The service is currently offered in
Minnesota, Wisconsin and California and
is now being introduced in New England.
For more information contact:
John Markiewicz
John Moses
CF Technologies, Inc.
One Westinghouse Plaza
Suite 200
Hyde Park, MA 02136-2059
617-364-2500
e-mail: imosescft@aol.com
NEWMOA Technology Review Committee
In March 1998, the six New England
States, EPA New England, the Northeast
Waste Management Officials' Association
(NEWMOA) and the New England Gov-
ernors' Conference signed a Memoran-
dum of Agreement to promote interstate
regulatory cooperation for waste site as-
sessment and cleanup technologies.
NEWMOA subsequently established
a Technologies Review Committee
(TRC) to actively review technologies
and communicate both public and pub-
lic sector use of innovative technologies.
The TRC is made up of one or more staff
members from each of the New England
States and New York, who coordinate
state review, issue advisory opinions and
disseminate information on the use of
innovative technologies.
Advisory Opinion on Immunoassay Field Analysis
On May 24, 1999, the TRC issued an
advisory opinion on Immunoassay Field
Analysis. As an overview, the Advisory
Opinion states that the primary advan-
tage of immunoassay analysis is that ana-
lytical results can be generated in real-
time. This allows decision-making in the
field regarding the need for additional
sampling or further remediation (pro-
TECHNOVATION Volume 2000 —3
vided that proper data validation proce-
dures are followed). It strongly urges
potential users of immunoassay to con-
sult EPA New England's Immunoassay
Guidelines for Planning Environmental
Projects (October 1996) and with kit ven-
dors prior to planning the field effort.
The guidelines can be obtained at http:/
/www epa.gov/region01/measure/ia/
iaguide.html. The Advisory Opinion also
includes ten (10) recommendations for
improving or insuring product perfor-
mance. The Advisory Opinion can be
viewed at http://www.epa.gov/region01/
steward/ceit.
7
-------
ABOUT CEIT
PA's Center for Environmental
Industry and Technology
(CEIT) is moving forward with
our mission to promote New England's
environmental technologies. We have
embarked on numerous programs and
projects designed to sustain the strength
of the environmental industry, make it
easier to commercialize new technolo-
gies, provide more flexibility for envi-
ronmental technology buyers and reduce
costs for the regulated community. The
CEIT acts as a point of contact for the
environmental industry, technology de-
velopers and other interested stakehold-
ers, providing an ombudsman service
for those seeking assistance on the de-
velopment of new technologies.
The following are highlights of our
services:
• Golden Opportunity Series
Through this series, participants learn
about technology transfer; assistance
and verification opportunities; and, fi-
nancing opportunities.
Technology Trade Shows
Technology Trade Shows showcase
new and innovative technologies. Up-
coming trade shows include monitoring
technologies and stormwater technolo-
gies.
• Technovation
CEIT's technical bulletin highlights
promising technologies developed by
New England companies.
• Ombudsman Hotline
The CEIT offers assistance, informa-
tion, and referrals on a wide range of
federal and state programs to the indus-
try through its Ombudsman Hotline: 1-
800-575-CEIT.
• CEIT HomePage
A visit to our Home page at
www.epa. gov/regionOl/steward/ceit
will give you up-to-date information on
business opportunities, upcoming
events, and links to other web sites of
interest to the envirotech industry.
Visit our web site at www.epa.gov/region01/steward/ceit
• EnvirotechNews
CEIT's monthly listserve, Envirotech
News, contains information on upcom-
ing events, business opportunities and
technology opportunities.
To subscribe, send an e-mail to
listserver @ unixmail. rtpnc .epa.gov with
a blank subject line; the body of the mes-
sage must be: subscribe envirotechnews
[your first name] [your lastname].
• Innovative Technology
Inventory (ITI)
The ITI is a web based inventory of
commercially-available innovative envi-
ronmental technologies. The inventory
provides technology description, appli-
cation, performance and cost.
If you would like to know
more about CEIT services or
events, please contact:
Maggie Theroux,
Carol Kilbride or
Junenette Peters
of CEIT at 1 -800-575-CEIT (2348)
or 61 7-91 8-1 783.
©EPA
New England Office
EPA New England
1 Congress Street Suite 1100 (SPI)
Boston, MA 02114-2023
Center for
Environmental
Industry &
Technology
FIRST CLASS MAIL
POSTAGE AND FEES
PAID
EPA
PERMIT NO. G-35
------- |