The EPA on Monday, April 5, awarded $2.38 million to 34 small businesses to develop innovative, sustainable technologies.

The grants were awarded under the agency's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program

EPA is also requesting applications for the development of new environmental technologies. The application deadline is May 11.

The agency awarded funding to businesses in 16 states, focusing on 10 key environmental research areas:

• Increasing the efficiency of green building materials and systems;
• Manufacturing innovation;
• Prevention, monitoring and control using nanotechnology;
• Reducing greenhouse gases;
• New treatment technologies for drinking water;
• Improving water infrastructure;
• Reducing emissions from small air pollution sources and vehicles and biofuels production facilities;
• New approaches for cleaning up and monitoring hazardous waste sites; and
• New tools for homeland security systems.

Examples of new technologies include NEI Corp., based in Somerset, N.J., which will develop a self-healing nanocomposite to protect drinking water pipes from corrosion. Lao K, LLC, based in Albany, Ore., will develop a new soy-based adhesive that can be used to produce plywood without using toxic materials.