RENO, Nev., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. (Altairnano) said today that an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) draft white paper on nanotechnology does not go far enough in calling for federal funding of studies on the environmental, health and safety impacts of nanotechnology. The EPA solicited public comment on the paper from Dec. 21, 2005, to Jan. 31, 2006.

"An otherwise excellent report, this draft falls short of our expectations in one area: providing a compendium of federal funding programs that could support private-sector and public/private-sector collaborations to fill current research gaps," said Alan J. Gotcher, Altair Nanotechnologies CEO. "Since nanomaterial innovators and nano-commercializers are the ones 'on the ground,' it's critical to have them collaborating with government and academic research groups in these R&D programs."

A partnership between Altairnano, the National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the University of Nevada to study the environmental and occupational impact of nanoparticles in Altairnano's facilities is just one example of how voluntary collaborations are already under way without government intervention.

"In the fall of 2005 we began collecting and analyzing nanoparticles and air samples at Altairnano's Reno facility," said Tabitha Maher, a researcher with the University of Nevada. "We will have quantitative data on our study in about a month. However, preliminary results show that Altairnano's particulate aggregates are of a size that would not likely harm either the environment, employees or consumers."

Through its partnership with NIOSH and the U. of Nevada, and its "green" initiatives and products (e.g., Lithium-ion nano-battery technology), Altairnano is already meeting the white paper's recommendations related to environmental stewardship. In its response to the EPA white paper, Altairnano called on other members of the industry to do the same, and for the federal government to help them.

For a copy of Altairnano's comments, or an interview, please contact Sanda Pecina (202-367-1622, specina@akerpartners.com ), or Matt Taylor (202-367-1631, mtaylor@akerpartners.com .)

ABOUT ALTAIR NANOTECHNOLOGIES INC.

Altair ("Altairnano") is a leading supplier and innovator of advanced ceramic nanomaterial technology. Based in Reno, Nevada, Altairnano has assembled a unique team of materials scientists who, coupled in collaborative ventures with industry partners and leading academic centers, have pioneered an array of intellectual property and products. Altairnano's robust proprietary technology platforms produce a variety of crystalline and non- crystalline nanomaterials of unique structure, performance, quality and cost. The company has scalable manufacturing capability to meet emerging nanomaterials demands. Altairnano's two divisions, Life Sciences and Performance Materials, are focused on applications where its nanotechnology may enable new high growth markets. For additional information on Altairnano and its nanomaterials, visit http://www.altairnano.com .
Source: Altair Nanotechnologies Inc.