NIST Announces 17 Projects to Support Environmental Assistance to Smaller Manufacturers

The Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology today announced 17 projects to receive cost-shared funding to help the nation's smaller manufacturers reduce or eliminate pollution sources in their operations.

"More efficient use of materials and better management practices will help smaller manufacturers be both environmentally sound and competitive," said Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown. "This is one more example of how the Commerce Department's Manufacturing Extension Partnership is playing a vital role in helping America's small and medium-sized companies adopt modern technologies, enabling them to grow and prosper and create jobs," added Brown.

The awards are for projects in the following three areas:

• Integration of Environmental Services into Manufacturing Extension Centers—These projects, for which an existing MEP center is the lead partner, will support the integration of environmentally focused technical assistance, and especially pollution prevention assistance, into the broader services provided by MEP centers (11 awards).
• Development of Environmentally Related Technical Assistance Tools and Techniques—These projects will support the development and implementation of tools or techniques that will aid manufacturing extension centers in providing environmentally related services to smaller manufacturers (five awards).
• Pilot for a National Industry-Specific Pollution Prevention and Environmental Compliance Information Center—This project will support the pilot implementation of a national center to provide specific industries with easy access to current, reliable and comprehensive information on innovative technologies, pollution prevention opportunities and regulatory compliance (one award).

Coordinated by NIST's MEP, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the projects will leverage the locations and resources of the non-profit manufacturing extension centers. "The goal of this program is to help smaller manufacturers solve environmental concerns in the most-cost effective manner before they become problems requiring regulatory action," said Kevin Carr, acting director of NIST's MEP. "Using MEP's network is a great way to make environmental information and assistance readily accessible to smaller manufacturers," said Carr.

Last January, NIST solicited proposals for projects in the three areas and received 42. Federal funding from NIST and EPA for the 17 projects selected totals about $6.1 million. To leverage federal resources, cost-shared funding totals $3.7 million. Descriptions of the 17 projects are attached.

As a non-regulatory agency of the Commerce Department's Technology Administration, NIST promotes U.S. economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards. MEP's network of 60 locally managed centers in 42 states, plus Puerto Rico, provides services and support to give smaller manufacturers access to new technologies, resources and expertise.