Risk Management Research
Technology Transfer Success Stories
- Patent Issued for NRMRL Crop Monitoring Technology
- EPA Cincinnati Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Earth Day
- Wilson Recognized for Contributions to Risk Assessment
- Edison Cuts Ribbon on Green Parking Lot
- Varma Receives Visionary of the Year Award
- Kosusko Recognized for Development of Pesticide Technology Verification Protocol
- Scientists Receive Innovation Award
- WSWRD Receives AWWA Best Paper Award
Patent Issued for NRMRL Crop Monitoring Technology
In May 2010, a patent was issued for a remote imaging technology developed by NRMRL researcher John A. Glaser.
The technology uses spectral imagery from a special digital camera to monitor color changes in plant foliage as an indicator of pest infestation and other environmental stressors. The technology can be placed on both satellite and airborne platforms.
The idea was derived from a 2001 NRMRL workshop on resistance monitoring and field survey techniques. Concerns were raised about the effectiveness of then current technologies for monitoring pest populations and the development of insect resistance to pesticides.
For more information, see Remote Observation and Monitoring of Genetically Modified Crops—A New Approach to Sustainability
EPA Cincinnati Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Earth Day
Thousands of Cincinnati area citizens joined EPA, the Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition, and other organizations on April 17, 2010 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The event commemorated four decades of environmental stewardship prompted by the first Earth Day in 1970.
More than 90 environmental organizations, government agencies, and businesses shared their good work at Sawyer Point in downtown Cincinnati.
Guests sampled Earth-friendly products and organic food, learned about various green initiatives in the area, and discovered new ways to recycle and reduce waste in their daily lives. The stage featured live music throughout the day, including student performances from Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts.
The family event placed a special emphasis on children’s education, with hands-on learning activities, animal presentations from the Cincinnati Zoo, instructional puppet shows, and a recycled costume contest with cash prizes for area 3rd and 4th graders. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission was also on hand with their 2,200 gallon “Life Below the Waterline” aquarium that demonstrates the diversity of life present in the Ohio River and the improvements that have been made in water quality.
Wilson Recognized for Contributions to Risk Assessment
Dr. John Wilson, a research microbiologist with NRMRL’s Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Division, received a Friend of ORCR Recognition Award for his assistance in the risk assessment efforts of the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery.
Wilson was approached by ORCR scientist Dr. Zubair Saleem for guidance in conducting a preliminary risk assessment of exposure to petroleum contamination from spills of motor fuel from underground storage tanks, a project supporting EPA’s Office of Underground Storage Tanks.
Prior review of the draft report had raised concerns that the exposure model being used conformed to conventional wisdom on biodegradation of petroleum vapors and did not reflect the latest data. Wilson provided ORCR with better data to calibrate the model.
Edison Cuts Ribbon on Green Parking Lot
The Permeable Pavement Demonstration Site at the Edison Environmental Center opened October 28, 2009 with an event hosted by ORD, NRMRL and Region 2.
The lot has three different types of permeable pavement and several rain gardens. The NRMRL team will evaluate the effectiveness of each pavement type and the rain gardens in removing pollutants from stormwater, and how they help water filter back into the ground. The parking lot will be functional during the study to accurately evaluate how the different types of pavement handle traffic and vehicle-related pollution, such as leaking oil.
The research conducted at the site supports WSWRD’s Aging Water Infrastructure Research Program. Researchers will measure water quality parameters for the next 10 years to establish performance variations associated with time and seasonal changes.
Design/Construction of a Permeable Pavement Demonstration Site at the Edison Environmental Center (PDF) (2 pp, 268 KB) (EPA/600/F-09/038) October 2009
Parking Lot Demonstration Video (WMV) (40 sec., 3.8 MB) This demonstration is on the porous concrete section of the parking lot.
Varma Receives Visionary of the Year Award
Dr. Raj Varma of NRMRL’s Sustainable Technology Division was awarded the Green Technologies Visionary of the Year Award October 14, 2010 at the Second Annual Green Technologies for the Environment Conference in Bloomfield, Connecticut.
Varma received the award for developing new technology to generate zerovalent iron using tea polyphenals. Green technology company VeruTEK is currently exploring the commercialization of this technology with clients in the United States and worldwide for the remediation of pollutants such as halogenated materials.
VeruTEK chief executive officer Dr. John Collins presented the award, noting that Varma’s work will have profound effects on new efforts to clean up toxic materials in the environment.
Kosusko Recognized for Development of Pesticide Technology Verification Protocol
NRMRL scientist Mike Kosusko was a recent recipient of a Superior Accomplishment Recognition Award from the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP).
Kosusko was recognized for his contributions to the Drift Reduction Technology (DRT) Program, a joint OPP and ORD initiative aimed at reducing risks to humans and the environment from off-target pesticide spray drift. He serves as project manager for DRT verification under ORD’s Environmental and Sustainable Technologies Evaluation program.
Kosusko shared the award with ORD’s Dr. Norman Birchfield. Together, they have provided OPP staff with guidance about the evaluation program, engaged contractors and other industry partners, coordinated the execution of protocol validation tests, and provided insights to improving the initiative’s verification test protocol. Their technical assistance has played a significant role in moving the DRT initiative from development to the operational stage.
Outcomes of the initiative will have significant impacts on EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment by reducing pesticide exposure to humans, sensitive species, crops, and waterways.
Scientists Receive Innovation Award
NRMRL scientists Joe Williams and Curtis Cooper were recent recipients of the Office of Environmental Information’s (OEI's) Chief Information Officer Innovation Award.
Williams, NRMRL’s Acting Assistant Laboratory Director for Water Research, was recognized for his leadership role in the design and development of Watershed Central, a web-based resource for watershed information and management tools. Cooper, a post-doc in the Ground Water and Ecosystem Restoration Division, was recognized for his leadership in the design, testing, and evaluation of the site’s wiki component.
Watershed Central facilitates the exchange of information among people involved in the watershed planning process. Users can reference environmental data, watershed models, guidance documents, nearby local organizations, technical resources, and funding. The site is interactive, allowing user input via the Watershed Central Wiki and discussion forums.
The award was shared with staff from OEI, Office of Water, and Region 4. The team received the award at the OEI Awards Ceremony July 28, 2010 in Washington, D.C.
WSWRD Receives AWWA Best Paper Award
The American Water Works Association selected “Pitting Corrosion of Copper in Water With High pH and Low Alkalinity” as co-winner of the 2009 AWWA Water Science and Research Division Best Paper Award. The paper was written by Water Supply and Water Resources Division engineer Michael Shock and Acting Chief of Water Supply and Water Resources Division (WSWRD), Treatment Technology Evaluation Branch Dr. Darren Lytle. Dr. Lytle accepted the award at AWWA’s annual conference, held June 14–18, 2009 in San Diego.