One important challenge that continues to receive the attention of scientists and engineers worldwide is the creation of a more sustainable environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA; www.epa.gov) recognizes achievements in this area through the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, which “promote the environmental and economic benefits of developing and using novel green chemistry.”
Last month, the 2020 recipients of these awards were announced. Details about the award and selection criteria can be found on the EPA’s website. The five winners of the 2020 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards are described here (Source: EPA).
Greener Reaction Conditions Award— Merck & Co. (Rahway, N.J.; www.merck.com) was recognized for improving the process used to produce certain antiviral drugs. The existing synthesis processes were inefficient due to poor chemoselectivity and the need for multiple reaction steps that involved expensive and hazardous reagents. Merck developed a catalyst that reduced the process to two reaction steps with a high purity yield. The new process is said to improve manufacturing efficiency and sustainability of one antiviral drug by more than 85%, with improvements in energy use, water depletion and other metrics.
Greener Synthetic Pathways Award — Genomatica (San Diego, Calif.; www.genomatica.com) received this award for developing a new brand of 1,3-butylene glycol — which is used in cosmetics — via a one-step fermentation process that uses renewable sugar feedstock and engineered E. coli. Genomatica’s process replaces the traditional fossil-fuel-based production route that uses acetaldehyde and heavy metals, thereby reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and eliminating the use of more hazardous materials. The company has already produced the butylene glycol at commercial scale.
Designing Greener Chemicals Award — Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway Company (Littleton, Colo.; www.jm.com) was recognized for developing a thermoset binder for fiberglass reinforcement that is approximately 90% biobased, and free from formaldehyde. The process uses renewable carbohydrates produced from corn, potato or wheat starch. In addition to eliminating formaldehyde, the new technology uses water and energy more efficiently and produces a product with performance advantages.
Academic Award — Recognition was given to professor Steven Skerlos, from the University of Michigan and Fusion Coolant Systems (Canton, Mich.; www.fusioncoolant.com) for developing a technology that uses supercritical CO 2 for metalworking in place of traditional oil-based metalworking fluids. The traditional fluids can be difficult to treat after use, because they may contain hazardous additives, or heavy metals that may be picked up during the metalworking itself. The new technology developed at the University of Michigan, and being commercialized by Fusion Coolant Systems, uses little to no oil lubricant.
Small Business Award—Vestaron Corp. (Kalamazoo, Mich.; www.vestaron.com) received this award for the development of a new biopesticide that controls targeted pests with no adverse effects on the environment, people and wildlife. The novel insecticide is based on a peptide that is found in a spider’s venom. The peptide is produced by yeast fermentation using sugar derived from corn.■
Dorothy Lozowski
Dorothy Lozowski, Editorial Director
Featured Conference
November 9-11, 2026Irving Convention Center | Dallas, TX
Explore this topic and more — live at Clean Americas. Join environmental, health, safety, and emergency response professionals tackling the industry's most urgent hazards. View Conference Program →
When a major incident strikes, the people stepping into Incident Command aren't always the ones who trained for it. Engineers, operators, trades supervisors, and compliance specialists may suddenly find themselves filling Command and General Staff roles — not because they volunteered, but because the situation demands it. Panelists will share practical strategies for leading without positional authority, tools and frameworks that help personnel rapidly orient to ICS roles, and approaches for closing the gap between day-to-day job functions and emergency command readiness before the next incident makes it urgent.
Speaking
Scott Andrews (Trans Mountain Canada Inc., Manager Emergency Management)
Kelly Codlin , MSPH, CIH (Marathon Petroleum Company, Emergency Preparedness Director)
Nick Hickson (Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), Hazmat Training Manager)
Josh Dubach MSc, CEM (Onterris, Senior Response Management Consultant)
This session will examine produced water as the largest waste stream in the oil and gas industry and one of its most pressing emerging challenges. It will address the growing volumes of produced water, the increasing regulatory and public scrutiny of constituents such as PFAS, salts, and Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), and the operational implications for management, treatment, reuse, and disposal. The discussion will also explore how operators, regulators, and communities are redefining approaches to produced water management in response to environmental, technical, and stakeholder pressures.
Speaking
Steve Pepper, Ph.D., (Onterris, Director of Response Management)
Charles Maguire (Railroad Commission of Texas, Advisor, Oil and Gas Division)
Prof. Shane Walker Ph.D. (Texas Produced Water Consortium, Director)
Ray Cheatham (Onterris, Energy Sector Leader)
This session will present a detailed case study of a large-scale lithium-ion battery fire response that extended over 12 months. Attendees will explore the hazards associated with thermal runaway events, the operational challenges of suppressing lithium battery fires, and the response strategies that proved effective in this prolonged incident. The
Drawing on insights from U.S. EPA Region 9 wildfire response efforts, the session will also highlight tactics such as hazard characterization, air monitoring and evaluation, and household hazardous waste collection and disposal. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of the complexities involved in large-scale battery fire incidents and the critical factors to consider when planning and executing an effective response.
Speaking
Robert W. May PG (Clean Harbors, Senior Vice President, Branch Services and Sales)
Crosley Welch (Missouri Department of Natural Resources, State On-Scene Coordinator)
Samuel Cheek , CSP, RRPT (U.S. EPA, Region 6, Federal On-Scene Coordinator)
Christopher Myers (U.S. EPA, Region 9, Federal On-Scene Coordinator)
This session introduces use of remote sensing technologies to detect, characterize and monitor spills across marine and coastal environments. Discussion will highlight how tools can integrate into modern spill response workflows to improve safety and support data-driven decision making.
Speaking
James Hanzalik (Clean Gulf Associates, Vice-President)
Gordon Staples (MDA Space Ltd., Senior Radar Applications Scientist)
Grant Coolbaugh (Applied Research Associates / Ohmsett, Mechanical Engineer)
Speaking
Allyson Purcell MEP, CEM (ConocoPhillips, CMER Director)
Michael Delio (Maxum Petroleum, EHS & SECURITY MGR)
This session provides a practical, ground‑level introduction to the essential steps required after a battery undergoes a thermal event. We’ll break down how to assess site conditions, stabilize and prepare damaged cells or packs, select appropriate containment and packaging methods, and navigate the regulatory landscape that governs transport and disposal. The lecture emphasizes real‑world decision‑making, safety considerations, and compliance requirements, giving participants a clear framework they can apply immediately in field operations or emergency response planning.
Speaking
Mark Steadman (The Battery Network, Program Manager)
Sustainability
Awarding ‘green chemistry’
| By Dorothy Lozowski
One important challenge that continues to receive the attention of scientists and engineers worldwide is the creation of a more sustainable environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA; www.epa.gov) recognizes achievements in this area through the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, which “promote the environmental and economic benefits of developing and using novel green chemistry.”
Last month, the 2020 recipients of these awards were announced. Details about the award and selection criteria can be found on the EPA’s website. The five winners of the 2020 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards are described here (Source: EPA).
Greener Reaction Conditions Award— Merck & Co. (Rahway, N.J.; www.merck.com) was recognized for improving the process used to produce certain antiviral drugs. The existing synthesis processes were inefficient due to poor chemoselectivity and the need for multiple reaction steps that involved expensive and hazardous reagents. Merck developed a catalyst that reduced the process to two reaction steps with a high purity yield. The new process is said to improve manufacturing efficiency and sustainability of one antiviral drug by more than 85%, with improvements in energy use, water depletion and other metrics.
Greener Synthetic Pathways Award — Genomatica (San Diego, Calif.; www.genomatica.com) received this award for developing a new brand of 1,3-butylene glycol — which is used in cosmetics — via a one-step fermentation process that uses renewable sugar feedstock and engineered E. coli. Genomatica’s process replaces the traditional fossil-fuel-based production route that uses acetaldehyde and heavy metals, thereby reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and eliminating the use of more hazardous materials. The company has already produced the butylene glycol at commercial scale.
Designing Greener Chemicals Award — Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway Company (Littleton, Colo.; www.jm.com) was recognized for developing a thermoset binder for fiberglass reinforcement that is approximately 90% biobased, and free from formaldehyde. The process uses renewable carbohydrates produced from corn, potato or wheat starch. In addition to eliminating formaldehyde, the new technology uses water and energy more efficiently and produces a product with performance advantages.
Academic Award — Recognition was given to professor Steven Skerlos, from the University of Michigan and Fusion Coolant Systems (Canton, Mich.; www.fusioncoolant.com) for developing a technology that uses supercritical CO 2 for metalworking in place of traditional oil-based metalworking fluids. The traditional fluids can be difficult to treat after use, because they may contain hazardous additives, or heavy metals that may be picked up during the metalworking itself. The new technology developed at the University of Michigan, and being commercialized by Fusion Coolant Systems, uses little to no oil lubricant.
Small Business Award— Vestaron Corp. (Kalamazoo, Mich.; www.vestaron.com) received this award for the development of a new biopesticide that controls targeted pests with no adverse effects on the environment, people and wildlife. The novel insecticide is based on a peptide that is found in a spider’s venom. The peptide is produced by yeast fermentation using sugar derived from corn.■
Dorothy Lozowski
Dorothy Lozowski, Editorial Director
Featured Conference
When a major incident strikes, the people stepping into Incident Command aren't always the ones who trained for it. Engineers, operators, trades supervisors, and compliance specialists may suddenly find themselves filling Command and General Staff roles — not because they volunteered, but because the situation demands it. Panelists will share practical strategies for leading without positional authority, tools and frameworks that help personnel rapidly orient to ICS roles, and approaches for closing the gap between day-to-day job functions and emergency command readiness before the next incident makes it urgent.
This session will examine produced water as the largest waste stream in the oil and gas industry and one of its most pressing emerging challenges. It will address the growing volumes of produced water, the increasing regulatory and public scrutiny of constituents such as PFAS, salts, and Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), and the operational implications for management, treatment, reuse, and disposal. The discussion will also explore how operators, regulators, and communities are redefining approaches to produced water management in response to environmental, technical, and stakeholder pressures.
This session will present a detailed case study of a large-scale lithium-ion battery fire response that extended over 12 months. Attendees will explore the hazards associated with thermal runaway events, the operational challenges of suppressing lithium battery fires, and the response strategies that proved effective in this prolonged incident. The
Drawing on insights from U.S. EPA Region 9 wildfire response efforts, the session will also highlight tactics such as hazard characterization, air monitoring and evaluation, and household hazardous waste collection and disposal. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of the complexities involved in large-scale battery fire incidents and the critical factors to consider when planning and executing an effective response.
This session introduces use of remote sensing technologies to detect, characterize and monitor spills across marine and coastal environments. Discussion will highlight how tools can integrate into modern spill response workflows to improve safety and support data-driven decision making.
This session provides a practical, ground‑level introduction to the essential steps required after a battery undergoes a thermal event. We’ll break down how to assess site conditions, stabilize and prepare damaged cells or packs, select appropriate containment and packaging methods, and navigate the regulatory landscape that governs transport and disposal. The lecture emphasizes real‑world decision‑making, safety considerations, and compliance requirements, giving participants a clear framework they can apply immediately in field operations or emergency response planning.