ETCorp Brings Award Winning Pollution Response Technology to the US

San Francisco, CA, November 12, 2009 --(PR.com)-- ETCorp will bring the GPAC System™ to the US in response to a personal invitation from Richard Martyn, a Federal On-Scene Coordinator with over 20 years emergency response experience with the USEPA. Richard recently visited Perth, Western Australia to train with the local Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC); during the exercise he was impressed with the new technology being used to speed up and coordinate incident response. “The GPAC System™ that is in place at the DEC in Perth is a one of a kind monitoring platform. When I saw this system in person I was very impressed and wanted not only my group to become aware of this system but also the entire EPA emergency response program,” said Richard in a letter to ETCorp.

ETCorp’s GPAC System has already provided the DEC with an innovative solution to the problem of effectively monitoring pollution levels. DEC pollution response manager Dr Jimmy Seow explained how the technology has enhanced the department's chemical monitoring capability. "The GPAC Systemä integrates real time video footage of an incident with data from chemical sensors which monitor things such as air toxicity in the event of a chemical fire. The system can be controlled and accessed remotely, which enables us to gather and share images and information from an incident within the DEC and with other organisations, resulting in better and faster management decisions during an emergency or pollution investigation," he said.

This pioneering approach using ETCorp’s GPAC Systemä to improve pollution surveillance was recognised at the 2009 Australian Telecommunications Users Group (ATUG) Awards, winning the DEC a national award for the best use of broadband in emergency situations.

Following the USEPA invitation, Sahid Sesay, Special Projects Officer and inventor of the GPAC System™ will be taking a three month road trip across the US in a vehicle deployed with the same technology used by the DEC in Western Australia. Starting November 2009, Sahid will be demonstrating the best available technology for mobile pollution monitoring to key decision makers from the USEPA and Office of Transportation in San Francisco, Air and Water Quality Monitoring Agencies in Houston, Texas and the Office of Traffic Pollution, Ann Arbor, Michigan amongst others. The 4,000 mile journey will culminate at the Pentagon presenting the technology to various Federal agencies.

The journey is timely; as recently reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, the USEPA has stepped up its crack down on emissions from large industrial sources following new legislation to set mandatory, nationwide limits on the amount of greenhouse gases. The Senate climate bill has the support of President Obama and preserves the USEPA's authority to regulate under the Clean Air Act, requiring polluters to reduce greenhouse gases by installing the best available technology and improving energy efficiency.

In line with these new regulations the USEPA are activity seeking out the latest technology to ensure that they can accurately measure and record pollution levels, and share this data with other agencies. It is imperative for the USEPA to have the tools in place prior to the new legislation taking effect next year. The GPAC System™ is an integral part of the solution and the USEPA is exploring adoption of this ground breaking technology to enable them to stay one step ahead of the polluters.

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