CCAT(SM) San Diego Funds Groundwater Contaminant Removal System; Unique DoD-engineered Technology Successfully Tested at Superfund Site.

SAN DIEGO -- The Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT) in San Diego, CA today announced the Center has funded the successful testing of the U.S. Navy-designed Adjustable Depth Air Sparging (ADAS) technology. The Department of Defense (DoD)-supported CCAT program awards funding and commercialization assistance to technologies dedicated to military, defense, Homeland Security and First Responder operations.

CCAT provided $10,000 to ADAS technology licensee Xpert Design and Diagnostics, LLC (XDD) of Allentown, PA to complete the test process in June, 2006. XDD successfully demonstrated the ADAS system to assist in the removal of volatile organic compounds in an area of active groundwater remediation at a Superfund Site in New Jersey. The test process was performed to collect measurable data that evaluated both the ease of implementation and performance of the ADAS technology compared to that of standard air sparging systems.

Air sparging technology injects pressurized air into the subsurface's saturated zone (groundwater region), bringing pollutants and other contaminants closer to the surface, where they can be more easily removed from the environment for eventual treatment. The ADAS technology differs from standard air sparging methods in that the ADAS' air injection depth can be easily raised and lowered without specialized equipment across the full thickness of the treatment area, rather than injecting air through a single short screen interval (two to three feet). The primary component of the ADAS technology is the inflatable flow-through air packer. The flow-through packer is an innovative device that seals off portions of the air sparge well so that air can be injected into the saturated zone at various depths, depending on the placement of the packer. Once airflow has ceased, the packer will automatically deflate allowing the operator to readjust the device to inject air at a new depth.

In addition to the funds awarded for test purposes, CCAT, through the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego (SSC San Diego), contributed $17,000 earlier this year to the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center at Port Hueneme, CA toward development and completion of the ADAS technology. The licensing process with XDD, completed in March of this year was facilitated by TechLink, of Bozeman, MT, which assists the DoD in commercializing leading-edge new technology by partnering DoD laboratories with private sector companies for technology licensing, transfer, and research and development.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

The Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT) is supported by Congress and funded by the Department of Defense as a public-private collaborative partnership among academia, industry, and government. With Centers located at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) and San Diego State University (SDSU), the CCAT program provides funding and business development support services to small entrepreneurs, small businesses, and government/university research scientists that have developed technology for use in the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, as well as the commercial marketplace. Additional program partners include the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Jacobs School of Engineering, von Liebig Center and The Security Network with support from the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego. For more information about CCAT, visit www.ccatsocal.org.