U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program
What is ETV?
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) established the
Environmental Technology
Verification (ETV) Program
in 1995 to verify the performance
of innovative technical solutions to
problems that threaten human health
or the environment.
ETV's mission is to accelerate
the use of new environmental
technologies in the domestic and
international marketplace. ETV
provides third-party, quality-assured
performance data so buyers and
users of environmental technologies
can make informed purchase
and application decisions. ETV
operates through public/private
testing partnerships (called Centers)
to evaluate the performance of
environmental technologies for
monitoring, pollution control, and
pollution prevention.
Various groups are actively involved
in ETV, including stakeholders,
technology buyers and users,
vendors, permitters, technology
experts, consulting engineers, and
investment companies.
All test protocols, test plans,
verification reports and statements
are on the ETV Web Site at http://
www.epa.gov/etv.
Battelle
The Business o/Innovation
February 2012
Advanced Monitoring Systems Center
Battelle, a nonprofit technology research and development organization
with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, manages the Advanced Monitoring
Systems (AMS) Center for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA).
The AMS Center, which began in October 1997, verifies the performance
of commercially available technologies for monitoring, sampling, and
characterizing contaminants and natural species in a variety of matrices
including air, water, and soil.
The AMS Center develops test plans, conducts independent tests of
technologies, and prepares verification reports and statements for the
technologies tested. Vendors of these technologies can use the verification
reports and statements for marketing purposes. Regulators, permitters, and
users of the verified technologies can refer to the verification reports and
statements to help make permitting and purchasing decisions.
To date, the AMS Center has completed verification tests for over 150
technologies, including continuous emission monitors for mercury, dioxin,
and ammonia; ambient monitors for fine particulate, ammonia, hydrogen
sulfide and ozone; test kits for arsenic, cyanide, atrazine, microcystin,
Eco// and other water contaminants; and multi-parameter water probes.
Additional technologies are currently in the verification testing process.
The Center will be taking applications until June, 2012.
How the AMS Center Works
Assisting Battelle are stakeholder committees whose members are drawn
from diverse backgrounds, such as state and local regulatory agencies,
professional and trade associations, industry, academia, environmental
groups, investment companies, and the federal government. Stakeholders
help Battelle prioritize environmental monitoring needs, identify
commercially available technologies that meet those needs, develop test
plans, serve as test collaborators, and review verification reports.
Once a technology category has been prioritized for verification, a call for
vendors is announced and vendor applications are received (see http://
www.epa.gov/nrmrl/std/etv/howtoapply.html). The test plan is drafted
by Battelle, with input from stakeholders and vendors, and reviewed by
participating vendors, stakeholders, and EPA representatives. The test
location is selected, with input from vendors participating in the test and the
AMS Center stakeholders.
The AMS Center seeks test collaborators that can provide the test
site, testing equipment, technical support personnel, funding, or other
contributions. Battelle conducts the test and drafts a verification report
and statement for each technology verified. The draft is reviewed by the
vendor's representative, stakeholder volunteers, and EPA officials. After
reports and statements are approved, they are signed by an EPA laboratory
director.
U ited States
Environmental Protec ion
Agency
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program
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Potential Benefits of ETV
For technology
developers
and vendors:
For technology
users and
purchasers:
For regulators
and permitters:
For everyone:
Increased credibility due to independent, third-party testing,
providing high-quality, consistent, and widely accepted data
Access to expertise in developing, verifying, and applying
environmental monitoring technologies
Reduced technology verifications required for the technology's
acceptance by multiple states and localities
Enhanced acceptance of environmental technologies by
regulators and permitters
A sound, science-based marketing tool
Increased public awareness due to ETV's outreach efforts, e.g.,
publications, Web site, conferences
Increased markets and business opportunities
Added confidence for investors, stockholders, and lenders
Aid in evaluating a variety of environmental monitoring
technologies
Access to credible performance data
Assurance that the technology's performance is independently
verified
Increased availability of technologies that meet users' needs
Confidence that the technology's performance has been verified
by an independent third party
Validation by colleagues who are ETV stakeholder committee
members
Test data addressing realistic requirements but not limited to any
single state's regulations
Technological basis for streamlining the regulatory process and/or
simplifying and revising regulations
Increased ability to make informed decisions
More rapid deployment of technologies to meet an agency's
requirements
Cost-effective and efficient solutions to environmental challenges
Growth of the environmental technology sector.
Contact the AMS Center
Amy Dindal
Battelle
Phone: (561) 422-0113
Fax: (614) 458-6697
Email: dindala@battelle.org
John McKernan
US EPA Project Officer
Phone: (513) 569-7415
Fax: (513) 569-7158
Email: mckernan.john@epa.gov
Web: www.epa.gov/etv
Two leak detection and repair
(LDAR) technologies were tested
in collaboration with the American
Chemistry Council and the Texas
Chemical Council at a BP facility in
Naperville, IL. Technology vendors
can use ETV verification reports and
statements (left) in marketing their
technologies.
Useful Marketing Tool
Vendors have realized the value
of having independent verification
data for use in marketing their
technologies. In a survey of vendors
who participated in ETV verification
tests, nearly all reported that
ETV's verification statements were
useful in marketing and that they
would consider submitting another
technology for verification.
Two vendors who participated in
the AMS Center's verification test
for portable nitric oxide/nitrogen
dioxide (NO/NO2) emission analyzers
said customers waited to buy until
the analyzers had been verified
by ETV. Other vendors said the
process was valuable because of
the credibility of independent testing
under EPA oversight, the assurance
of verification statements and reports
given to potential customers, and the
marketing visibility of the ETV logo.
For additional information or
to receive the AMS Center's
newsletter, The Monitor, please
contact Amy Dindal at Battelle.
U ited States
Environmental Protec ion
Agency
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