October 29, 2003 EarthFax Awarded a Phase II SBIR Grant

Salt Lake City, Utah - EarthFax Development Corporation (“EarthFax”) has received a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (“SBIR”) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The purpose of this grant is to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of large-scale production of pelleted inocula for use in fungal-based remediation of contaminated soil.  Under a previous Phase I SBIR grant, EarthFax successfully demonstrated the feasibility of producing pelleted inocula at the laboratory-scale.

According to Dr. Richard T. Lamar, Director of Research and Applications at EarthFax, “Key objectives of this project will include identifying suitable equipment for large-scale production of pelleted inocula, investigating the feasibility of larger packaging of the pellets, determining the most effective application rates of pelleted inocula, conducting a pilot-scale investigation to assess the comparative effectiveness of pelleted and standard fungal inocula, and preparing an economic analysis of pelleted inoculum production based on large-scale production and delivery.”

Fungal-based bioremediation relies on the pollutant degrading ability of white-rot fungi, a group of naturally-occurring organisms that cause the decay of fallen trees.  Research has shown that these fungi can degrade a broad variety of compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, wood preservatives, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, herbicides, explosives, PCBs, cyanide, and dyes.  It is intended that this SBIR grant will eventually lead to more economical application of fungal-based bioremediation in the field.

SBIR grants are issued by various federal agencies and departments under a competitive program that encourages small businesses to develop their innovative ideas.  Phase II SBIR grants are awarded for approximately 2 years to firms whose work under the Phase I  grant program appears sufficiently promising.

EarthFax Development Corporation, located in North Logan, Utah, was formed in 1993 as an affiliate of EarthFax Engineering, Inc. to improve techniques for field application of fungal bioremediation.  The company operates in this capacity under a technology sublicense from Intech One-Eighty Corporation.  EarthFax Engineering, Inc. is a privately-owned environmental and civil engineering consulting firm located in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The company specializes in characterization and remediation of environmental contamination at industrial facilities. Additional information regarding the EarthFax companies can be found on their web site at www.earthfax.com.