Clarkson to play role in pollution institute

POTSDAM — Clarkson University will play a key role in the Pollution Prevention Institute announced Friday by Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer.

As a research and development "test bed," the college will design "green" processing methods and biofuels testing to help businesses reduce pollution to become more competitive. Professor of Chemical Engineering Roshan J. Jachuck will lead Clarkson's development.

"It's one thing to say you make something. It's another thing to say you can make it efficiently, monitor that and confirm it's been done," Mr. Jachuck said. "We're hoping this will start off huge activity, which will put us in the forefront of the international scene with what we're doing in terms of pollution prevention."

Rochester Institute of Technology was selected to host the Pollution Prevention Institute to assist industry in reducing its environmental impact by decreasing the use of toxic chemicals, cutting waste generation and promoting more efficient use of raw materials and energy.

The institute's primary mission is to promote pollution prevention as a way to reduce energy costs and the risk of exposing workers to toxic substances, while making businesses more competitive.

"By creating the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, we are seizing an opportunity to help businesses become greener while improving productivity and reducing environmental damage," Mr. Spitzer said in a statement. "There is tremendous job creation potential that can come from new innovations from the research efforts of the institute and its partners."

The governor proposed $4 million for the institute in his 2008-09 executive budget, on top of the $2 million included in last year's budget for the green program.

Clarkson is one of 16 research and development "test beds," or technological laboratories, across the state, including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University at Buffalo.

Mr. Jachuck said his work will concentrate on green manufacturing methods, including process intensification, which allows industries to operate much more efficiently, as well as redesigning plants to be more energy conscious and to use less hazardous material.

Clarkson will also experiment with different grades of biofuels and develop ways to monitor companies' waste streams.

"The state wants us to be proactive to be able to deliver on our goals," Mr. Jachuck said. "I am very excited to have this. We will be working very closely with existing industries, and we expect new industries to come and establish themselves here to get assistance from us to be more competitive."

The sustainable processing methods are applicable for many facets of industry, from chemical companies to food producers.

In 2005, the federal Toxics Release Inventory revealed that New York companies reported generating 312 million pounds of toxic chemical waste, with 42 million pounds released into the environment.

An earlier report by the state Assembly found that the lack of a focused research and development center and on-site technical assistance for businesses was a major shortcoming in the state's pollution prevention efforts.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation evaluated proposals from universities across the state to host the institute. RIT was unanimously selected, partly because of its agreements to work with other colleges such Clarkson.