Home \ Issues \ Inglis on the Issues \ Appropriations: Complete FY'10 Projects Requested
Using the criteria of:
U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis presented the following opportunities to the following appropriations subcommittees for FY 2010:
Project Name: Moldable Fabric Armor
Amount Requested: $2.8 Million
Local Match: N/A (Defense Procurement)
Recipient: Miliken and Company, 920 Miliken Rd, Spartanburg, SC 29304
Description: Milliken has recently entered the composite material marketplace, with its introduction of Tegris (formerly marketed as MFT). Tegris is a class of materials called self-reinforcing thermoplastic composites used in the fabrication of composite materials and systems. It is light weight, low cost and environmentally friendly. Tegris has had adoptions on armor systems for the U.S. military vehicles. These vehicles are in theatre in Iraq and Afghanistan and Tegris has performed as designed. Milliken plans to leverage this proposed work effort to conduct mold trials and ultimately produce a full size molded composite armor system that is suitable for use on a specific platform and meets the required protection levels. Milliken will work with ARL and a designated U.S. DOD prime vehicle contractor to select, fabricate and test the specific component, such as hood, quarter panel or underbody hull component. The planned work will continue to provide methods to utilize Tegris for use in DOD armor systems, to lead to lighter weight, higher performing armor protection. The part will be tested structurally to ensure compliance with the existing requirements. Additionally, testing will be conducted at Aberdeen to explore a range of threats from conventional small arms, and armor piercing rounds to non-conventional blasts.
Benefit: Support is needed to continue the work that began in July 2007 under ARL Cooperative Agreement #W911NF-07-2-0074. An annual program plan (APP) was mutually developed for three years with the Cooperative Agreement Manager (CAM) at the onset of the award. The scope of the work effort will be to leverage the past work to fabricate a full-scale molded part that is suitable for use on an existing tactical vehicle platform.
Project Name: Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems for Soldier Portable Power
Amount Requested: $5 Million
Local Match: N/A (Defense Procurement)
Recipient: University of South Carolina, 1218 Henderson St, Columbia, SC 29201
Description: The U.S. military has a critical need to reduce the weight and increase the run time of batteries used to power battlefield devices such as radios, Global Positioning Systems, night-vision goggles, remote sensors, surveillance equipment and unmanned vehicles. The University of South Carolina and NanoDynamics Energy, Inc. have teamed up for Phase II of an ongoing effort for the development, proof of concept and manufacture of military-specific wearable power units. The development team is projecting energy density exceeding 1300 watt-hours per kilogram with a target weight of 4 kilograms for the wearable power unit.
Benefit: War fighters on long duration missions are required to carry multiple batteries that could weigh up to 30 lbs for a single soldier in a single mission. This significantly limits the war fighter’s ability to carry other mission critical items such as ammunition, MRE’s and water. As the war fighter is equipped with additional devices that require power, the need to reduce the weight burden of the batteries has become increasingly critical. Existing battery technologies as well as alternative power solutions being pursued elsewhere are unlikely to satisfy this need. We are continuing the targeted effort initiated in FY 09 by Congressional action to address this serious deficiency.
Project Name: Greenville Readiness Center
Amount Requested: $1.6 Million
Local Match: N/A (Defense Procurement)
Recipient: South Carolina National Guard, 1 National Guard Rd, Stop #8, Columbia, SC 29201
Description: This project would allow for the planning and design including architectural, engineering, survey and environmental support of the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Greenville, South Carolina. This design would allow for adequate facilities for the training and readiness of newly assigned Army National Guard Aviation force structure.
Benefit: The unit’s ability to meet their readiness, recruiting and retention, and training objectives will be adversely affected if the personnel are not provided with adequate facilities. Delays in funding this project will force the continued use of inadequate facilities, which will have a negative impact on troop readiness and soldier morale.
Project Name: Defense Fuel Cell Manufacturing (DFCM) Project
Amount Requested: $5.1 Million
Local Match: N/A (Defense Procurement)
Recipient: South Carolina Research Authority, 1330 Lady St, Suite 503, Columbia, SC 29201
Description: The DFCM project is a joint effort that includes South Carolina companies Palmetto Fuel Cell Technologies LLC, Tetramer Technologies LLC, and SCRA, along with Protonex from Massachusetts. The primary activity of the Phase II effort will be the development of an advanced fuel cell that includes a next generation membrane (Tetramer) and the Membrane Electrode Assembly (Palmetto) integrated into a fuel cell system (Protonex). The merits of the project’s technologies will be validated through a series of demonstrations, and a path for transitioning Phase I fuel cell prototype manufacturing operations into full-scale commercial manufacturing operations will be developed.
Benefit: Phase II of the DFCM project will deliver several key breakthrough, advanced manufacturing technologies and improve total DOD weapon system readiness by extending the base knowledge of effective manufacturing processes for fuel cell systems, to include those for the fuel cell, membrane, and MEA, and demonstrating the ability to conduct Low Level Readiness manufacturing for each, improving the conversion efficiency and fuel concentration of the system—as a result of the next generation membrane and MEA—for use with heavier payloads, extended ranges, and/or longer mission times; and increasing the error tolerance of the total fuel cell system and providing for improved ruggedness for military applications in unmanned ground and air vehicles.
Project Name: Clemson University Cyberinstitute (CUCI)
Amount Requested: $6 Million
Local Match: $6.9 Million
Recipient: Clemson University, 1201 Main Street, Suite 1950, Columbia, SC 29201
Description: Clemson University Cyberinstitute will bring together world-class university research, industry, and cutting-edge technologists in the deployment of a state-of-the-art cyberinfrastructure for the State of South Carolina and the region. There is an urgent need in South Carolina for a scalable fiber optical network to support cyberinfrastructure and collaboration between the research universities and the federal and private sectors.
Benefit: Establishing the Cyberinstitute will bring about new collaborative opportunities among South Carolina’s research and academic communities. The further expansion of fiber optic capabilities around the State will allow institutions throughout South Carolina to strengthen their position in the competitive world of cyberinfrastructure.
Project Name: Clemson University Cellulosic Biofuel Pilot Plant
Amount Requested: $5 Million
Local Match: $1.4 Million
Recipient: Clemson University, 1201 Main Street, Suite 1950, Columbia, SC 29201
Description: Clemson University Cellulosic Biofuel Pilot Plant involves the construction and operation of a pilot plant in Charleston, SC to develop commercially viable technology for conversion of cellulosic feedstocks from the I-95 corridor to bio-fuels and other higher value products. Development of a viable and sustainable biofuels industry in South Carolina will promote economic development, increase energy security and improve the environment. Clemson University has partnered with the Savannah River National Laboratory and South Carolina State University to bring together complimentary strengths that support a vertically integrated systems approach addressing issues from feedstock to consumer distribution.
Benefit: Biofuel production is rapidly expanding throughout the United States, being driven by concerns over energy security, the environment, and the need to stimulate rural and agricultural economic growth. For biofuels to play a significant role in this market, alternative feedstocks will be needed. Developing technologies to efficiently convert cellulosic feedstocks to liquid fuels will be important in meeting the nation’s energy goals.
Project Name: High Temperature Hydrogen Generation Systems
Amount Requested: $2.7 Million
Local Match: $5 Million
Recipient: University of South Carolina, 1218 Henderson St, Columbia, SC 29201
Description: The University of South Carolina (USC), working with personnel from the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), has developed and demonstrated unique science and technology to use waste heat from nuclear reactors to generate hydrogen using chemical (sulfur iodine) processing combined with separation using PEM technology. The process is highly effective, and unique to those partners. At the same time, another group at USC, working with SRNL, NASA Glenn, and the ENrG Corporation has developed and are now testing a unique high temperature electrolysis system, based on solid oxide fuel cell technology that is revolutionary. Together, these process represent the leading edge in the field of hydrogen generation, which is critical not only to the field of energy (for refining petroleum, as a fuel, and for shale oil recovery), but also for the chemical industry, synthetic fuel industry, and agricultural industry.
Benefit: Since these two major advances literally lead the field in these dominant areas of high temperature hydrogen production, and since they involve the same major partners (USC and SRNL), the present program proposes to leverage these advances and accelerate the engineering and implementation of this critical technology by creating a science and technology foundation that will enable the development of high temperature hydrogen generation systems that enable expanded and accelerated hydrogen production for energy sustainability and security for our society.
Project Name: Reedy River Feasibility Study
Amount Requested: $600,000
Local Match: $600,000
Recipient: City of Greenville, 206 South Main Street, Greenville, SC 29602
Description: The City of Greenville will conduct a feasibility study examining potential environmental restoration and flood control projects for the Reedy River in the vicinity of Greenville, SC. This study will be conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers, as the next phase in the Corps’ ongoing work to restore and stabilize the Reedy.
Benefit: The Reedy River serves as the primary storm water conveyance for the City of Greenville, with more than 24,382 households and 12,581 families residing in the city (2000 census data). Flooding of the Reedy River has had a regional impact on transportation, economy, public health, and public safety. In 2004, the Greenville area experienced four flooding events; the flood on July 29 of that year was the worst recorded flood in more than 75 years (estimated $5.8 million in damage).
Project Name: Union, SC Regional Wastewater Facility
Amount Requested: $550,000
Local Match: $450,000
Recipient: City of Union, 101 Sharpe Ave, PO Box 987, Union, SC 29379
Description: The Union Regional Wastewater Facilityproject represents a cooperative effort between Union County, the City of Union and the Town of Jonesville to upgrade its regional-grade sewer to an industrial-grade sewer. The project will complete the final 3.88-mile section of the project along the 12.5-mile U.S. Highway 176 corridor in Union County, South Carolina. Jonesville lacks the capacity to handle industrial wastewater, while Union has an industrial-grade sewer facility with excess capacity. The opportunity to connect these two independent systems into the Union County Regional Sewer Project will have a long-term and lasting effect on the entire county.
Benefit: By providing much-needed industrial-grade sewer utility service to the county’s primary economic corridor, Union would be able to attract new economic development to the region by attracting employers that need a higher level of infrastructure, and maintain its competitiveness within upstate South Carolina.
Project Name: Childhood Blindness
Amount Requested: N/A (Language Request)
Local Match: N/A (Language Request)
Recipient: Christian Blind Mission (CBM), 450 East Park Avenue, Greenville, SC 29602
Description: Blindness is a major global health problem with humanitarian and socioeconomic implications. There are an estimated 38 million blind people in the world, the majority of who live in third world countries. Over 1.5 million children are currently blind, and another 7 million suffer from poor vision. These children can often be helped through simple and inexpensive methods of prevention and low cost care from organizations such as the Christian Blind Mission.
Benefit: Without systematic and sustainable blindness prevention interventions, an estimated 75million people – 2 million children – will be blind by the year 2020. CBM’s approach to serving disadvantaged societies empowers individuals and communities to create sustainable solutions to health care and fosters respect for individuals and for different cultures.
Project Name: SC-TAC Airport Taxiway B Improvements
Amount Requested: $4 Million
Local Match: $400,000
Recipient: South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center, 2 Exchange St, Greenville, SC 29605
Description: SC-TAC is the largest general aviation airport in the state of South Carolina, serving the aviation industry as a major aircraft maintenance and modification base. This high priority, taxiway B (North) improvement project would greatly enhance the operational capacity and safety parameters of the airfield, increasing access to current and future airport infrastructure.
Benefit: SC-TAC’s 2600 acre aviation park is home to 80 high tech companies and organizations employing over 3,000 local residents. This upgrade project would facilitate SC-TAC’s ability to attract additional aviation-related businesses and jobs to the complex, adding to the $222 Million economic impact of their operation.
Project Name: Fairforest at N. Blackstock Rd Intersection and Rail crossing
Amount Requested: $15 Million
Local Match: $5.2 Million
Recipient: City of Spartanburg, 366 N. Church St., Suite 700, Spartanburg, SC 29303
Description: The Fairforest Rd. at N. Blackstock Rd. intersection is directly adjacent to a major Norfolk Southern rail line that is also used by Amtrak for passenger service. Because of the present alignment of the rail line and adjacent roadways, two signals control traffic on either side of the at-grade rail crossing, increasing the possibility of a vehicle becoming trapped on the rail line between the two signals.
Benefit: The present situation presents a severe safety hazard to normal vehicular traffic, and school buses which use the at-grade crossing frequently during school hours.
Project Name: Salter’s Road, Greenville, SC
Amount Requested: $2 Million
Local Match: $1.7 Million
Recipient: City of Greenville,206 South Main Street, Greenville, SC 29602
Description: Salter’s Road must be expanded between Laurens and Woodruff Roads and downtown Greenville (along I-85) in order to prepare for current and anticipated development in the high-growth area, as well as facilitate ease of movement along the innovative business and educational corridor.
Benefit: Expansion of Salter’s Road, which connects the new Verdae Development with Millennium Drive running through the City’s “power corridor,” is critical to supporting economic development and expansion of Greenville’s knowledge-based economy and alleviating traffic congestion in the area.Funding would indirectly create new jobs with the upgrade of roadway infrastructure to support more growth and development.