Kaptur and Brown host Lake Erie Water Technology Business Summit

Room filled to capacity as leaders researchers and innovators seek solutions to water concerns

TOLEDO, OH—More than 120 small business owners, researchers and others came out to the“Lake Erie Water Technology Business Summit” this morning hosted by Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur and Senator Sherrod Brown with representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Cleveland District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“Entrepreneurs, small business owners and researchers play an important role in finding solutions to major public problems, such as the watershed and water treatment issues we are dealing with currently,” said Kaptur.“Our goal today was to connect these local leaders with services that can help them find practical applications for their work. This kind of partnership is critical for fostering good science, which has proven to be our best tool in pursuing lasting solutions to these problems.”

The event included a discussion of federal and state programs that could help small business owners, researchers or other stakeholders to develop and bring a new product or technology to market, including efforts to find and implement solutions to Lake Erie water issues. The discussion also covered nutrient management solutions for the Western Lake Erie Basin for farmers, agribusinesses and municipalities, including a presentation by EPA’s AgSTAR bio-energy program, a research and educational partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Energy.

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