WASHINGTON The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded grants today to six college teams across the country who participated in the 7th annual EPA People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) award competition held at the National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The P3 award competition and National Sustainable Design Expo were a part of the 2011 EPA Earth Day celebration event April 16-17. Since 2004, the P3 annual competition has provided a platform for teams to showcase their sustainable projects designed to protect the environment, encourage economic growth, and use natural resources more efficiently. These projects provide innovative, cutting-edge sustainable solutions to worldwide environmental problems.
"EPA’s P3 Award winners are the environmental and economic future of our nation,” said Paul T. Anastas, assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Research and Development. “Their sustainable innovations, from agriculture to architecture to energy production, keep our nation competitive and protect our health and the environment.”
After an initial peer review process, this year winners were selected from 55 competing teams following two days of judging by a panel of national experts convened by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Each P3 award-winning team receives a grant of up to up to $75,000 to further develop the design, implement it in the field, or move it to the marketplace.
Winners of this year’s awards include:
- University of Massachusetts-Lowell for novel greener routes to halogen-free flame retardant material
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for solar powered water collection, containment and self regulating distribution system
- Purdue University for development of community power from sustainable small hydro power systems
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Oglala Lakota College for use of bone char for the removal of arsenic and uranium from groundwater at the Pine Ridge Reservation
- Drexel University for lightweight green roof systems
- Stanford University for innovative-school partnerships for renewable energy projects and education
Each year, the National Sustainable Design Expo features EPA’s P3 competition while also highlighting and exhibiting other sustainable policies and technologies developed and implemented by government and state agencies, businesses and non-profit organizations. This year’s expo was co-sponsored by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers and Engineers without Borders-USA.
For more information on the P3 Award winners and honorable mentions
More information on EPA's 2011 Earth Day
About the Institute for Sustainability
Established by AIChE in 2004, IfS’s mission is to serve the needs—and influence the efforts—of professionals, academics, companies and government agencies that contribute to the advancement of sustainability and sustainable development. Participants in IfS come from a broad spectrum of industries and disciplines. To learn more, visit http://www.aiche.org/IFS/About/Index.aspx.
About AIChE:
AIChE is a professional society of more than 40,000 chemical engineers in 92 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities and government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontier of chemical engineering research in such areas as nanotechnology, sustainability, hydrogen fuels, biological and environmental engineering, and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org.