For Release: Friday, September 12, 2008
N.Y.S. to Host International "Green Chemistry" Confab
Selection Underscores State's Leadership in Pollution Prevention; DEC Slates Pollution Prevention Week Activities
New York State will be the center of the "green" chemistry and engineering movement when Albany hosts an international "Green Chemistry Conference," Sept. 15-18. It is the first time this gathering of technical experts is being held in the United States.
The conference will bring together chemical engineers and chemists working in industry and academia to delve into the latest research in innovative technologies and processes. It will focus on how emerging green technology can help businesses meet today's environmental and economic challenges.
The aim of green chemistry is to assist industry in reducing its environmental impact by decreasing the use of toxic chemicals, cutting waste generation, decreasing exposure risks to workers, and promoting more efficient use of raw materials and energy.
The conference is being held by the BHR Group, a British consortium of technology companies that regularly hosts the international gathering, and Clarkson University of Potsdam, N.Y. Co-sponsors are DEC and the New York Pollution Prevention Council. The conference coincides with national "Pollution Prevention Week." (Details about related DEC events below.)
The conference features national and international leaders in nanotechnology and green chemistry. This includes three homegrown New York green chemistry leaders: Dr. Roshan Jachuck of Clarkson University, Dr. Anil Netravali of Cornell University and Dr. Martin Walker of the State University of New York at Potsdam. Jeff Sama, who serves as DEC's Director of Permits and Pollution Prevention and chairman of the New York State Pollution Prevention Council, will deliver opening remarks.
"The growth of green chemistry and engineering has been dramatic in recent years, with a focus on reducing toxic chemicals and hazardous substances right from the start, and cutting energy costs," Sama said. "That New York State is the site of this conference is a sign we are being recognized as a leader in this area."
The conference, open only to participants, will be highly technical in nature, with such topics as "Intensification of Silicon Reactions Process," "Fluidized Bed Process Intensification," and "Development of a Thermally-Intensive Reactor and Process for Upgrading Heavy Crude Oil." The summit will be held at the Holiday Inn on Wolf Road in Colonie, near the Albany International Airport. (More information is available at www.bhrgroup.com/Green_Chemistry_2008.aspx on BHR's web site.)
In conjunction, on Sept. 18, DEC will host a Pollution Prevention Week celebration that is open to the public, at DEC's "green certified" building at 625 Broadway in Albany. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. It will feature displays about New York environmental leaders, the annual "Environmental Excellence Awards" to businesses and schools, and the pollution prevention intern program. Formal activities begin at 10:15 a.m. with an address by DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis, followed by the keynote speaker, Rochester Institute of Technology's Edward Pinero, who serves as the executive director of the Pollution Prevention Institute, a cutting-edge research consortium lead by RIT, working with Clarkson University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and SUNY Buffalo.
For more information about the DEC celebration, contact Michelle Hinman, Pollution Prevention Unit, 518-402-9469.
Media interested in attending the Green Chemistry Conference should contact the DEC Press Office.
