US EPA's Technology Innovation Network: Evaluating Pilot Projects on Air Sensors and Monitoring

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1 US EPA's Technology Innovation Network: Evaluating Pilot Projects on Air Sensors and Monitoring Martha Otto Matt Hoagland, Anand Mudambi US EPA NEMC San Antonio, Texas August 2013

2 Outline Technology Innovation and Environmental Protection Technology Innovation at US EPA Evaluating Air Sensor and Monitoring Projects Preliminary Findings and Recommendations Next Steps *NOTE: Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Government or any agency thereof. 2

3 Technology Innovation and Environmental Protection Innovative Technologies Advance protection of human health and the environment, while furthering economic growth Help businesses reduce costs, expand markets, increase profitability Smart environmental protection creates jobs. 3

4 EPA Vision for Technology Innovation Promote innovation that eliminates or significantly reduces the use of toxic substances and exposure to pollutants Seek prospective technological advances that have the greatest potential to achieve multiple environmental goals Partner with a diverse set of new and existing stakeholders to speed the design, development and deployment of the next generation of environmental technologies 4

5 EPA Objectives Design EPA policies, regulations, standards, permits, and procedures to leverage technology innovation Catalyze technology design, development, finance, commercialization and adoption through partnerships with stakeholders Stimulate cross-agency consideration, development, commercialization, and adoption of breakthrough technologies Develop new relationships with the investment community 5

6 Facilitating Technology Innovation at US EPA Science and Technology Policy Council Senior Managers who review select science issues that have relevance across Programs and Regions Technology Innovation Steering Committee Senior level managers who guide EPA efforts to promote innovation from development to deployment Technology Innovation Network (TIN) Includes representatives across programs and regions Promotes cross-agency engagement 6

7 Initial Project Areas Evaluated by the TIN Air Sensors Biodigesters and biogas Automotive Supply Chain Energy efficiency and wastewater treatment 7

8 The TIN s Goals in Project Evaluation Observe current activities Promote visibility of projects Identify barriers; how they were overcome; lessons learned Raise issues to senior leadership Facilitate progress Share best practices 8

9 Project Evaluation Process Reach out to EPA leaders in each topic area Collect essential information about the pilot project Goals Objectives Timelines Internal and external participants Innovations Barriers 9

10 Air Sensor and Monitoring Projects Evaluated Office of Air and Radiation s AirNOW program Office of Enforcement and Compliance s Next Generation compliance program EPA Region 2 community grants for participatory monitoring 10

11 Air Sensor and Monitoring Projects Evaluated (Cont.) EPA Region 6 sensor technology initiatives Open source challenge: benzene monitor Open House for air sensor evaluation and collaboration Village Green project 11

12 Preliminary Findings Challenges for cross-agency projects Technical issues Regulatory hurdles The need for collaboration 12

13 Finding: Cross-Agency Projects Many of the most promising technology innovation efforts are cross-program, but have varying levels of support for funding, staffing commitments, accountability Preliminary Recommendations: Senior level champions Matrix management Ongoing commitment to technology innovation for the long term, especially when regulations are not the driving forces 13

14 Findings: Technical Issues Sensor evaluation and calibration Management and analysis of increasing amounts of data Externally generated data quality and reliability Preliminary Recommendation: Work (across Agency program and regional offices) to develop a unified and consistent approach to addressing technology verification and data management issues 14

15 Regulatory Hurdles Findings: Regulations that are based on a specific technology might preclude the use of innovative technologies Difficulties in crafting regulations to ensure flexibility Preliminary Recommendation: Develop Cross-Agency workgroup to focus on overcoming identified regulatory hurdles, with a clear understanding of potential legal and health-related risks 15

16 The Need for More Collaboration Finding: Various stakeholders working on similar projects, with limited resources Preliminary Recommendations: Increase communication and collaboration across the Agency programs and offices Leverage resources by collaborating with other Federal agencies, states, businesses, associations Engage the community (citizen science) 16

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18 For More Information Summary Martha Otto USEPA/ Office of the Science Advisor (202) Matt Hoagland USEPA/Region 1 (617) Hoagland.matt@epa.gov 18