The SERDP and ESTCP Program Office is moving to the Mark Center in Alexandria, Virginia, effective June 21, 2012. The main phone number for the Program Office at its new location is 571-372-6565. Additional contact information for the Program Office and its staff will be posted at http://www.serdp-estcp.org/About-SERDP-and-ESTCP/SERDP-ESTCP-Office.

In a high-profile speech focusing on environmental threats to national security, Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta cited ESTCP’s Installation Energy Test Bed initiative as a key component in DoD’s efforts to build a more sustainable and secure energy future for the nation. Speaking at an Environmental Defense Fund reception in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, Secretary Panetta said it is vital to the security of the United States for DoD to address environmental challenges such as climate change and energy efficiency.

Congratulations to SERDP researcher Dr. Tissa IIlangasekare, AMAX Distinguished Chair of Environmental Sciences and Engineering and Professor of Civil Engineering at Colorado School of Mines, who was awarded the 2012 European Geosciences Union's (EGU) Henry Darcy Medal. He was recognized by the EGU for "fundamental contributions to engineering hydrology and exceptional support to the hydrological community" and was presented with the award at the EGU General Assembly on April 26, 2012, in Vienna, Austria.

The fourth installment in a Remediation Technology Monograph Series, Delivery and Mixing in the Subsurface: Processes and Design Principles for In Situ Remediation, describes the principles of chemical delivery and mixing systems and their design and implementation for effective in situ remediation. Released earlier this month, this monograph was written by several leading experts from academia and industry and edited by Dr. Peter K. Kitanidis and Dr. Perry L. McCarty of Stanford University.

In a keynote speech at an energy innovation summit last week, Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter referred to ESTCP's Installation Energy Test Bed initiative as an example of how the Department of Defense (DoD) is aligning itself with the research and development agenda of the Department of Energy (DOE).

The Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment, Dorothy Robyn, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator, Paul Anastas, signed an agreement that formalizes the partnership between the Department of Defense (DoD) and EPA to develop and implement technologies that will help create sustainable American military bases all over the world.

ESTCP released a solicitation on February 2, 2012, requesting proposals for demonstration of installation energy technologies. FY 2013 funds will be awarded through a competitive process to Federal and private organizations. The due date for all pre-proposals is Thursday, March 29, 2012. More information about the solicitation is available on the SERDP and ESTCP web site at www.serdp-estcp.org/Funding-Opportunities/ESTCP-Solicitations/Installation-Energy-Solicitation.

The Department of Defense (DoD) could generate 7,000 megawatts (MW) of solar energy—equivalent to the output of seven nuclear power plants—on four military bases located in the California desert, according to a study released today by DoD’s Office of Installations and Environment. The year-long study, conducted by the consultancy ICF International, looked at seven military bases in California and two in Nevada. The Executive Summary and full document are found here.

ESTCP released a solicitation on January 12, 2012, requesting proposals for demonstration of environmental technologies. FY13 funds will be awarded through a competitive process to Federal and private organizations. The due date for all pre-proposals is Thursday, March 15, 2012. More information about the solicitation is available on the SERDP and ESTCP web site at http://www.serdp-estcp.org/Funding-Opportunities/ESTCP-Solicitations/Environmental-Technologies-Solicitation.

After decades of investments by the Department of Defense and aerospace companies, environmentally friendly alternatives to cadmium (Cd) plating used for corrosion protection of weapons systems components are now moving toward production. In August 2011, SERDP and ESTCP sponsored an ASETSDefense workshop to apprise attendees of the emerging Cd plating alternatives, arrive at a collective understanding of the related issues, define requirements for various applications, and help coordinate future RDT&E efforts to bring the best options to production. Based on the results of this workshop, ESTCP is now soliciting proposals for funding in FY 2013 for the demonstration and validation of alternatives to Cd plating in manufacturing and maintenance of weapons systems.