United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Green Chemistry Challenge
Awards Program:
Nomination Package for ^
011 Awards
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for 2011
Contents
Introduction[[[ 1
Scope of the Program[[[ 1
A. Source Reduction[[[ 1
B. Green Chemistry 2
C. Eligibility of Organizations for Awards..................................... 2
D. Additional Requirements[[[ 2
Focus Areas[[[ 2
Award Categories[[[ 3
Selection Criteria 4
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Nomination Package for 201 1 Awards
HE PRESIDENTIAL GREEN CHEMISTRY CHALLENGE was established
-L to recognize and promote innovative chemical technologies that prevent
pollution and have broad applicability in industry. The Challenge is sponsored
by the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention of the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with the American
Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute and other members of the chemical
community.
This nomination package contains explicit instructions on how to enter the
competition. Entries must be sent no later than December 31. Awards will be
presented the following summer in Washington, D.C.
A. Source Reduction
The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge recognizes chemical technologies
that incorporate the principles of green chemistry into chemical design,
manufacture, and use. For the purposes of the program, green chemistry is
defined as the use of chemistry for source reduction.
The term "source reduction" includes any practice which:
(i) reduces the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the
o /
environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling, treatment,
or disposal; and
(ii) reduces the hazards to public health and the environment associated
with the release of such substances, pollutants, or contaminants.
The term includes equipment or technology modifications, process or
procedure modifications, reformulation or redesign of products, substitution of
raw materials, and improvements in housekeeping, maintenance, training, or
inventory control.
The term "source reduction" does not include any practice which alters the
physical, chemical, or biological characteristics or the volume of a hazardous
substance, pollutant, or contaminant through a process or activity which itself is
not integral to and necessary for the production of a product or providing a service.
Source reduction prevents the formation of any hazardous substance in any chemical
product or process. Source reduction is the highest tier of the risk management
hierarchy as described in the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 (PPA).1 It is
preferable to recycling, treatment, or disposal. Chemical technologies that
include recycling, treatment, and disposal may be eligible for the Challenge
Program if they offer source reduction over traditional technologies for recycling,
treatment, and disposal.
Introduction
Scope of the
Program
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Focus Areas
B. Green Chemistry
Green chemistry reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous
substances from chemical products and processes. Green chemistry improves
upon all types of chemical products and processes by reducing impacts on
human health and the environment relative to competing technologies.
Green chemistry technologies encompass all types of chemical processes
including syntheses, catalyses, reaction conditions, separations, analyses, and
monitoring. A green chemistry technology can involve implementing incremental
improvements at any stage. It can, for example, substitute a greener feedstock,
reagent, catalyst, or solvent in an existing synthetic pathway. A green chemistry
technology also can involve substituting an improved product or an entire
synthetic pathway. Ideally, a green chemistry technology incorporates the
principles of green chemistry at the earliest design stages of a new product
or process. Benefits to human health and the environment may occur at any
points in the technology's lifecycle: extraction, synthesis, use, and ultimate fate.
C. Eligibility of Organizations for Awards
Companies (including nonprofit organizations) and their representatives
are eligible for Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for operating
outstanding or innovative source reduction programs (including research
programs).
Public academic institutions, such as state and tribal universities and their
representatives, are eligible for Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards
for projects or programs that prevent, reduce or eliminate air or water pollution
or the adverse health effects of solid waste entering into the waste stream.
D. Additional Requirements
To be eligible for an award, a green chemistry technology must have
reached a significant milestone within the past five years (e.g., been researched,
demonstrated, implemented, applied, patented, etc.). It must also have a significant
U.S. component: the research, development, or aspects of the technology that
occurred within the United States. If the only aspect of the technology within
the Unites States is product sales, the nomination may not meet the scope of the
program.
If you have a question about the eligibility of your technology, please email
us at greeiichemistry@epa.gov
N
ominated green chemistry technologies should be an example of one or
more of the following three focus areas:
1. The use of greener synthetic pathways
This focus area involves designing and implementing a novel, green
pathway for a chemical product. Examples include synthetic pathways
that:
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« Use greener feedstocks that are innocuous or renewable (e.g.,
biomass, natural oils).
« Use novel reagents or catalysts, including biocatalysts and
microorganisms.
« Are natural processes, such as fermentation or biomimetic synthesis.
« Are atom-economical.
« Are convergent syntheses.
2. The use of greener reaction conditions
This focus area involves improving conditions other than the overall
design or redesign of a synthesis. Greener analytical methods often fall
within this focus area. Examples include reaction conditions that:
« Replace hazardous solvents with solvents with a lesser impact on
human health and the environment.
« Use solventless reaction conditions and solid-state reactions.
« Use novel processing methods that prevent pollution at its source.
« Eliminate energy- or material-intensive separation and purification
steps.
« Improve energy efficiency, including reactions running closer to
ambient conditions.
3. The design of greener chemicals
This focus area involves designing and implementing chemical products
that are less hazardous than the products or technologies they replace.
Examples include chemical products that are:
« Less toxic than current products.
« Inherently safer with regard to accident potential.
« Recyclable or biodegradable after use.
« Safer for the atmosphere (e.g., do not deplete ozone or form smog).
Many green chemistry technologies fit into more than one focus area.
Technologies that do not fit within at least one focus area may not fall within the
scope of the program.
EPA is particularly interested in technologies that reduce or eliminate the
following: lead; mercury; perfluorinated alkyl surfactants; polychlorinated or
polybrominated biphenyls; diisocyanates; or other persistent, bioaccumulative,
and toxic substances.
T
ypically, EPA presents one award in each of the following categories:
« Small Business: A small business2 for a green chemistry technology in
any of the three focus areas.
« Academic: An academic investigator for a technology in any of the three
focus areas.
« Focus Area 1: An industry sponsor for a technology that uses greener
synthetic pathways.
« Focus Area 2: An industry sponsor for a technology that uses greener
reaction conditions.
« Focus Area 3: An industry sponsor for a technology that includes the
design of greener chemicals.
Award Categories
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Selection
Criteria
How to Enter
Nominated chemistry technologies must fall within the scope of the program.
Technologies that meet the scope will then be judged on how well they meet
the following criteria:
1. Science and innovation
The nominated chemistry technology should be innovative and of
scientific merit. The technology should be, for example:
« Original (i.e., never employed before).
« Scientifically valid. That is, can the nominated technology or
strategy stand up to scientific scrutiny through peer review? Does the
nomination contain enough chemical detail to reinforce or prove its
scientific validity? Has the mechanism of action been clarified via
scientific research?
2. Human health and environmental benefits
The nominated chemistry technology should offer human health and/
or environmental benefits at some point in its lifecycle from resource
extraction to ultimate disposal. The technology might, for example:
« Reduce toxicity (acute or chronic) or the potential for illness or injury
to humans, animals, or plants.
« Reduce flammability or explosion potential.
• Reduce the use or generation of hazardous substances, the transport
of hazardous substances, or releases to air, water, or land.
« Improve the use of natural resources, for example, by substituting a
renewable feedstock for a petrochemical feedstock.
Quantitative statements of benefits are more useful to judges than
qualitative ones.
3. Applicability and impact
The nominated chemistry technology should have a significant impact.
The technology may be broadly applicable to many chemical processes
or industries; alternatively, it may have a great impact on a narrow range
of chemistry. Commercial implementation can support the applicability
and impact of a technology. Nominations for pre-commercial technologies
should discuss economic feasibility. The nominated technology should
offer the following:
• A practical, cost-effective approach to green chemistry.
• A remedy for a real environmental or human health problem.
•» One or more technical innovations that can be transferred readily to
other processes, facilities, or industry sectors.
Self-nominations are allowed and welcomed. There is no entry fee and no
standard entry form, but nominations must meet certain requirements.
Nominations must be single-spaced and no longer than eight pages with 12-point
type; references, captions, and footnotes may be as small as 10-point. When
printed on 8V2-by-ll-inch paper, they must have margins of at least 1 inch.
Nominations that do not meet these requirements may be rejected by EPA.
Nominations may include chemical reactions, tables, graphs, charts, photographs,
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diagrams, and other illustrations as part of the eight pages. Although nominations
may be in color, the judges can read the nominations printed in black and white.
Nominations should not, therefore, require color for interpretation.
A nomination must include the following:
1. A cover page with the
a. Project title followed by the date of the nomination.
b. Primary sponsor(s): the individual or organizational owner(s) of the
technology. For academic nominations, the primary sponsor is usually
the principal investigator. For nominations with more than one sponsor,
each co-sponsor should have had a significant role in the research,
development, or implementation of the technology.
c. Contact person: the one individual with whom EPA should
communicate regarding the nomination. For academic nominations,
the contact person is usually the principal investigator. For other
nominations, the contact should be a project manager or other technical
representative.
d. Contributors (optional): those individuals or organizations that
have provided financial or technical support for development or
implementation of the nominated technology.
EPA will add the person listed as a contact to a contact database. EPA
periodically sends reminders and updates about the program to those in this
database. Anyone may opt out at any time.
2. The second page should contain the following information:
« Project title.
* Short description of the most recent milestone, with date, that the
nominated technology has reached within the past five years. One or
two lines are sufficient. Examples include, but are not limited to: critical
discovery made, results published, patent application submitted or
approved, pilot plant constructed, technology implemented or
commercialized, and relevant regulatory review (e.g., by EPA under
TSCA3 or FIFRA3; by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under
FFDCA4) initiated or completed. Only one milestone is required.
« A sentence indicating whether the nominated technology is eligible
for the small business award, the academic award, both, or neither.
« Identification of the focus area (or areas) that fit your technology. See
pages 2 and 3 for a description of the three focus areas. No explanation
is needed.
« A one- or two-sentence description of the U.S. component: the
research, development, or aspects of the technology that occurred
within the United States. If the only aspect of the technology within
the Unites States is product sales, the nomination may not meet the
scope of the program.
« Abstract (not to exceed 350 words) that describes the nominated
technology, the problem it addresses, and its benefits. Include the
state of implementation of the technology and any quantitative
benefits such as amount (or potential amount) of hazardous substances
eliminated. EPA plans to publish these abstracts in its annual
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Summary of Award Entries and Recipients booklet. If you are renominating
a technology, you may use the abstract previously published by EPA in
whole or in part.
The information in this section should fit on page 2, but you may continue on page
3 if necessary.
3. The remaining pages should explain in detail how the nominated technology
meets both the scope of the program (see pages 1-2) and the selection criteria
(see page 4). Explain the following:
• The chemistry of the new technology, emphasizing how the technology is
innovative and of scientific merit. Consider including chemical structure
diagrams rather than text to describe your chemistry. Patent numbers or
references to peer-reviewed publications may strengthen your nomination.
The judges recognize the interdisciplinary nature of green chemistry;
however, to be eligible for an award, your technology must include a
significant chemistry component.
« The problem (environmental or human health risk) that your technology
addresses, the importance of that problem, and how your technology solves
the problem.
« How your technology compares with other technologies that may address
the same problem.
« The realized or potential benefits and drawbacks across all stages of your
technology's lifecycle: from feedstocks to manufacture to use of the product
to ultimate disposal of the product.
IMPORTANT: To make the strongest presentation of your technology
for the judges, you should include as much nonproprietary detail as possible
in your nomination. The judges will pay close attention to the specifics
of your chemistry, including detailed reaction pathways, comparisons to
existing technology, toxicity data, quantities of hazardous substances reduced or
eliminated, degree of implementation in commerce, and other technical, human
health, environmental, and economic benefits. The judges recognize that some
sponsors will not be able to conduct a full lifecycle analysis, but like to see a
discussion of impacts across the lifecycle. In addition, EPA strongly encourages you
to compare the cost, performance, and environmental profile of your technology
with any competing technologies. This may help you demonstrate the broad
applicability of your technology.
It may help the judges if you address the status of any novel chemical substances or
organisms under any appropriate laws such as TSCA3, FIFRA3, or FFDCA4, especially
if the technology is or is about to be commercially available.
You may include structure diagrams, tables, other graphics, and references, but all
information must fit within the eight-page limit. You may use color in your nomination,
but be aware that the nomination may be printed in black and white, so information in
color may be illegible.
You may nominate more than one technology, but you must submit a separate
nomination for each technology. You should probably combine multiple applications of
the same general technology in a single nomination, however.
All entries received will be considered public information. No material will be returned.
Program sponsors are not responsible for lost or damaged entries. EPA acknowledges
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receipt of nominations by email to the person listed as the Contact Person on page
1. If you have not received an acknowledgment by mid January, please contact
the Green Chemistry Program at greenchemistry@epa.gov or (202) 564-8740.
Submit an electronic copy of the nomination in such a format that EPA can select
and copy text from it. Please include the primary sponsor's name in the file name.
It may be to your advantage to submit your nomination as a .pdf file to minimize
possible reading errors, but EPA accepts and is able to read all common file types.
You should email the electronic copy to greenchemistry@epa.gov. If you cannot
send the file via email, you may send it on a CD or flash drive, clearly labeled with
the sponsor(s). The nomination must be sent no later than December 31, 2010.
Note: Irradiation of Federal mail may damage electronic media. To send
a disk or flash drive, please use a package delivery service and the following
address:
Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
c/o Dr. Carol Farris
EPA East, Room 5133
1201 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20004
Telephone: 202-564-8740
A panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society
Green Chemistry Institute will judge nominations. These experts might
include members of the scientific, industrial, governmental, educational, and
environmental communities. The judges may request verification of any
chemistry described or claims made in nominations that are selected as finalists.
The judges will select as award recipients those green chemistry technologies
that best meet selection criteria.
Winners will be notified prior to the official public announcement,
which will be made in summer 2011, in Washington, D.C. A crystal
sculpture will be presented to the primary sponsor(s) of the winning green
chemistry technology in each of the five award categories. Certificates will
be presented to individuals (as identified by the primary sponsor(s)) who
contributed to the research, development, or implementation of the chemistry.
Direct any questions about eligibility, nomination procedures, or the
Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge program to EPA's Industrial
Chemistry Branch at greenchernistry@epa.gov or (202) 564-8740.
Judging Entries
Notification of
Winners
Additional
Information
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Sample Cover
Page
Please use the format below for the cover page of your nomination.
Nominations with an Academic Sponsor
Title of Nomination
Date of Nomination
Primary Sponsor(s):
Full Name (Primary Investigator)
Name of Institution
Contact Person:
Full name
Title
Address
Phone
Email
Contributor (s): (optional) Individuals and/or organizations
Nominations with a Business Sponsor
Title of Nomination
Date of Nomination
Primary Sponsor (s):
Company Name
Full Name (optional)
Title (optional)
Address (optional)
Phone (optional)
Email (optional)
Contact Person:
Full name
Title
Address
Phone
Email
Contributor (s): (optional) Individuals and/or organizations
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Include the following components (see "How to Enter," page 4, for details):
D Cover page.
D Short description of the most recent milestone and date; only one milestone
is required.
D Statement indicating whether the nomination is eligible for an award in the
academic category, the small business category, both, or neither.
D Statement identifying the focus area(s) for the nominated technology.
D Statement of the activities that took place within the United States.
D Abstract (350 words or fewer).
D Detailed description of how the nominated technology meets the scope of
the program and the selection criteria.
Award
Nomination
Checklist
'Pertinent sections of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990: Sec. 6601.
SHORT TITLE. This subtitle may be cited as the "Pollution Prevention
Act of 1990." Sec. 6602. FINDINGS AND POLICY.
(b) Policy. - "The Congress hereby declares it to be the national policy of the United States that
pollution should be prevented or reduced at the source whenever feasible."
Sec. 6603. DEFINITIONS. For the purposes of this subtitle -"(5)(A) The term "source reduction" means
any practice which:
(i) reduces the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant entering any waste stream
or otherwise released into the environment (including fugitive emissions) prior to recycling, treatment, or
disposal, and
(ii) reduces the hazards to public health and the environment associated with the release of such sub-
stances, pollutants, or contaminants."
2 A small business is defined here as one with annual sales of less than $40 million, including all domestic
and foreign sales by the company, its subsidiaries, and its parent company.
Act.
3TSCA is the Toxic Substances Control Act; FIFRA is the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide
4FFDCA is the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
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Printed on 100% post-consumer, process chlorine-free recycled paper.
A rOA Office of Pollution 744K10004
Prevention and August 2010
Toxics (7406M) www.epa.gov
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