For the 12th straight year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized efforts in developing less-toxic alternatives to existing technologies and reducing or eliminating waste in the manufacturing process. The 2007 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, which are described briefly below (Source: EPA), were presented earlier this summer at a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. The recipients join a respectable roster that EPA says has collectively led to the elimination of over 940-million pounds of hazardous chemicals and solvents, over 600-million gallons of water, and over 340-million pounds of carbon dioxide.
Greener Synthetic Pathways Award — Development and Commercial Application of Environmentally Friendly Adhesives for Wood Composites:Adhesives used in manufacturing plywood and other wood composites often contain formaldehyde, which is toxic. Professor Kaichang Li of Oregon State University, together with Columbia Forest Products and Hercules Inc., has developed an alternate adhesive made from soy flour. The environmentally friendly adhesive is stronger than and cost-competitive with conventional adhesives. During 2006, Columbia used the new, soy-based adhesive to replace more than 47-million pounds of conventional formaldehyde-based adhesives.
Greener Reaction Conditions Award — Direct Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide by Selective Nanocatalyst Technology: Hydrogen peroxide is an environmentally friendly alternative to chlorine and chlorine-containing bleaches and oxidants, but it is expensive, and its current manufacturing process involves the use of hazardous chemicals. Headwaters Technology Innovation (HTI) has developed an advanced metal catalyst that makes hydrogen peroxide directly from hydrogen and oxygen, eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals, and producing water as the only byproduct. HTI has demonstrated its new technology and is partnering with Degussa AG on future ventures.
Designing Greener Chemicals Award — BiOH Polyols: Foam cushioning used in furniture or bedding is made from polyurethane, a man-made material. One of the two chemical building blocks used to make polyurethane is a “polyol,†which is conventionally manufactured from petroleum products. Cargill Inc. has introduced BiOH polyols, which are manufactured from renewable, biological sources such as vegetable oils. Foams made with BiOH polyols are comparable to foams made from conventional polyols. As a result, each million pounds of BiOH polyols saves nearly 700,000 pounds of crude oil. In addition, Cargill’s process reduces total energy use by 23% and carbon dioxide emissions by 36%.
Small Business Award — Environmentally Benign Medical Sterilization Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: Sterilizing biological tissue for transplant is critical to safety and success in medical treatment. Common existing sterilization techniques use ethylene oxide or gamma radiation, which are toxic or have safety problems. NovaSterilis has invented a technology that requires neither hazardous ethylene oxide nor gamma radiation and instead uses carbon dioxide and a form of peroxide to sterilize a wide variety of delicate biological materials such as graft tissue, vaccines and biopolymers.
Academic Award — Hydrogen-Mediated Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation: A fundamental aspect of chemistry involves creating chemical bonds between carbon atoms. Chemical processes commonly used to make such bonds usually generate significant amounts of waste. Professor Michael J. Krische, from the University of Texas at Austin, has developed a broad new class of chemical reactions that make bonds between carbon atoms using hydrogen and metal catalysts. This new class of reactions can be used to convert simple chemicals into complex substances, such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and other important chemicals, with minimal waste.
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)
Environment, Health, Safety & Security
U.S. EPA Honors Green Chemistry
| By Chemical Engineering
For the 12th straight year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized efforts in developing less-toxic alternatives to existing technologies and reducing or eliminating waste in the manufacturing process. The 2007 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, which are described briefly below (Source: EPA), were presented earlier this summer at a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. The recipients join a respectable roster that EPA says has collectively led to the elimination of over 940-million pounds of hazardous chemicals and solvents, over 600-million gallons of water, and over 340-million pounds of carbon dioxide.
Greener Synthetic Pathways Award — Development and Commercial Application of Environmentally Friendly Adhesives for Wood Composites:Adhesives used in manufacturing plywood and other wood composites often contain formaldehyde, which is toxic. Professor Kaichang Li of Oregon State University, together with Columbia Forest Products and Hercules Inc., has developed an alternate adhesive made from soy flour. The environmentally friendly adhesive is stronger than and cost-competitive with conventional adhesives. During 2006, Columbia used the new, soy-based adhesive to replace more than 47-million pounds of conventional formaldehyde-based adhesives.
Greener Reaction Conditions Award — Direct Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide by Selective Nanocatalyst Technology: Hydrogen peroxide is an environmentally friendly alternative to chlorine and chlorine-containing bleaches and oxidants, but it is expensive, and its current manufacturing process involves the use of hazardous chemicals. Headwaters Technology Innovation (HTI) has developed an advanced metal catalyst that makes hydrogen peroxide directly from hydrogen and oxygen, eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals, and producing water as the only byproduct. HTI has demonstrated its new technology and is partnering with Degussa AG on future ventures.
Designing Greener Chemicals Award — BiOH Polyols: Foam cushioning used in furniture or bedding is made from polyurethane, a man-made material. One of the two chemical building blocks used to make polyurethane is a “polyol,†which is conventionally manufactured from petroleum products. Cargill Inc. has introduced BiOH polyols, which are manufactured from renewable, biological sources such as vegetable oils. Foams made with BiOH polyols are comparable to foams made from conventional polyols. As a result, each million pounds of BiOH polyols saves nearly 700,000 pounds of crude oil. In addition, Cargill’s process reduces total energy use by 23% and carbon dioxide emissions by 36%.
Small Business Award — Environmentally Benign Medical Sterilization Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: Sterilizing biological tissue for transplant is critical to safety and success in medical treatment. Common existing sterilization techniques use ethylene oxide or gamma radiation, which are toxic or have safety problems. NovaSterilis has invented a technology that requires neither hazardous ethylene oxide nor gamma radiation and instead uses carbon dioxide and a form of peroxide to sterilize a wide variety of delicate biological materials such as graft tissue, vaccines and biopolymers.
Academic Award — Hydrogen-Mediated Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation: A fundamental aspect of chemistry involves creating chemical bonds between carbon atoms. Chemical processes commonly used to make such bonds usually generate significant amounts of waste. Professor Michael J. Krische, from the University of Texas at Austin, has developed a broad new class of chemical reactions that make bonds between carbon atoms using hydrogen and metal catalysts. This new class of reactions can be used to convert simple chemicals into complex substances, such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and other important chemicals, with minimal waste.
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.