Verification Program Aids Success of Emergent Technology

Created to accelerate the entrance of environmental technologies into the marketplace, the ETV program has partnered with organizations from the public and private sectors for 12 pilot projects to verify the performance of commercially ready environmental technology. As EPA’s partner for the Advanced Monitoring Systems (AMS) pilot, Battelle will evaluate and verify the performance of air, water, and soil monitoring technologies submitted by vendors. The testing will not result in product endorsements or certifications, only independent verification of performance under specific, predetermined test conditions, following stringent quality assurance procedures.

Battelle has formed air and water stakeholder committees to provide guidance for the AMS pilot. The committees are composed of volunteers from the regulatory community, industry, environmental groups, insurance underwriters, financial investment groups, technology users, and professional and trade associations. The stakeholders assist Battelle in identifying and prioritizing technology needs for testing, developing the verification protocols, and reviewing verification reports.

To date, the AMS pilot has conducted verification tests of portable NO/NO2 emission analyzers and on-line turbidimeters. Future technologies to be verified include ambient fine particulate monitors, optical open-path air monitors, and hand-held water analyzers. After tests are completed, ETV verification reports and statements are issued for each technology tested to summarize performance data. The reports and statements provide participating manufacturers with a scientifically based marketing tool that can be used to attract customers as well as investors, stockholders, and lenders. The verification statement is jointly signed by EPA and Battelle.

The verification testing presents a winning situation for all involved. For technology developers and vendors, the benefits are substantial: increased credibility associated with third-party, high-quality, consistent and widely accepted data; assistance in developing, verifying, and applying environmental monitoring technologies; possible shorter route to regulatory acceptance; increased public recognition; and larger markets with more business opportunities. Technology users and purchasers also benefit, through an increased availability of technologies to meet their needs, access to valid performance data, and help in evaluating competing technologies. Regulators enjoy access to verification results, increased ability to make informed decisions, and the more rapid deployment of technologies to meet agency needs.

Battelle’s AMS pilot benefits everyone by aiding the entrance into the marketplace of innovative technical solutions to the problems that threaten human health and the environment.

Verification reports and statements are available on line at the ETV Web site at www.epa.gov/etv. For more information about the AMS pilot, please contact Helen Latham at (614) 424-4062 or via e-mail at lathamh@battelle.org.