The Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) hosted their 15th annual Partners in Environmental Technology Technical Symposium & Workshop November 30–December 2, 2010. This event offered a dynamic opening Plenary Session where the Projects of the Year were announced, 14 technical sessions and three short courses addressing DoD's highest priority environmental challenges, more than 450 technical poster presentations and 13 exhibitors from funding and partnering organizations, and a variety of networking opportunities of interest to the more than 1,200 attendees from the government, academic, and private sectors.

Plenary Session and Project-of-the-Year Awards

The opening Plenary Session featured Rear Admiral David Titley, Oceanographer and Navigator with the U.S. Navy; Dr. Paul Anastas, Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development at the U.S. EPA; and Lenny Siegel, Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight. These speakers addressed emerging environmental challenges facing the Department of Defense (DoD).

During the Plenary Session, SERDP and ESTCP announced the annual Project-of-the-Year Awards. These awards recognize outstanding efforts that have helped DoD achieve its mission while improving its environmental performance.

SERDP PROJECTS OF THE YEAR

• ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION:  Mr. Evan Cox, Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.
  Improved Understanding of the Biodegradation of cis-Dichloroethene and Vinyl Chloride
• WEAPONS SYSTEMS AND PLATFORMS:  Mr. Mark Miller, Benet Laboratories
  Eliminating Chromium from Medium Caliber Gun Barrels
• RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE:  Dr. Thomas Sisk, Northern Arizona University; Dr. Leslie Ries, University of Maryland
  Predicting Responses to Habitat Fragmentation, Restoration, and Management
• MUNITIONS RESPONSE:  Dr. Stephen Billings, Sky Research, Inc. and University of British Columbia
  Robust Statistics and Modeling for Feature Extraction and UXO Discrimination

ESTCP PROJECTS OF THE YEAR

• Dr. John La Scala, Army Research Laboratory
  Composites with Low Hazardous Air Pollutant Compounds for Military Platforms
• Dr. Mark Prouty, Geometrics
  MetalMapper: A Multi-Sensor TEM System for UXO Detection and Classification

Presentations are available under the Plenary Session tab at the top of this page.
 

Technical Sessions and Short Courses

The Plenary Session paved the way for the start of the comprehensive technical program. Technical sessions highlighted research and innovative technologies that address DoD's increasingly complex environmental challenges. Throughout the event, short courses on select technologies in the environmental restoration and munitions management program areas offered unique training opportunities on recent advancements. Additional information, including presentations and short course on-demand videos, is available under the Technical Sessions and Short Courses tabs at the top of this page. 
 

Funding Opportunities

On Thursday, December 2, SERDP and ESTCP Executive Director Dr. Jeffrey Marqusee presented an overview of the proposal submittal processes and discussed opportunities to conduct research and technology demonstrations. This “how to play” briefing offered valuable information about new funding opportunities in SERDP and ESTCP.  Presentation
 

Exhibit Hall

This year’s Symposium & Workshop featured the highly successful poster sessions and exhibit booths and showcased technologies and scientific advancements from a variety of environmental research programs over two days (Tuesday and Wednesday). Attendees had an opportunity to learn firsthand about ongoing and recently completed SERDP research projects and ESTCP technology demonstrations. Information about posters (Tuesday abstracts; Wednesday abstracts) and exhibitors is available under the Exhibit Hall tab at the top of this page.