(Dulles, VA, October 15, 2003) - In a presentation to attendees at the 2003 Virginia Biotechnology Summit in McLean, Virginia, Mr. Bruce W. Ferguson, President of Edenspace Systems Corporation, today announced the signing of a $296,000 market study with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to evaluate the possibility of training the nation's farmers to clean the environment, using living plants in a process called phytoremediation. Mr. Ferguson indicated that by bringing modern, low-cost agricultural techniques to bear on major environmental problems, Edenspace seeks to increase farm employment and income while at the same time improving environmental quality for Americans nationwide.

Phytoremediation is an environmental phytotechnology that uses crop plants, horticultural plants and trees to reduce runoff of phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers, as well as to remove arsenic, organic contaminants such as oil, and metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium from soil and groundwater, thereby reducing health risks and increasing property values. Some chemicals such as lead and arsenic can be recovered from the plants and recycled, providing significant cost and liability advantages over alternatives such as excavation and landfill or incineration.

"Much of the equipment and many of the skills needed for successful phytoremediation are the same as those used in farming, soil preparation, fertilization, seeding, weed and pest control, irrigation, and harvest," observed Dr. Michael J. Blaylock, Edenspace's Principal Investigator on the project. "Farmers who receive additional training in phytoremediation techniques should be able to address large-scale environmental challenges at Superfund sites, brownfields, and mining and industrial locations for which no cost-effective cleanup alternatives currently exist." Dr. Blaylock listed several examples of potential farmer-led projects, including:

• Removing lead from residential, mining and industrial sites or firing ranges
• Creating barrier strips to reduce fertilizer runoff
• Removing arsenic from orchards, or from soil near pressure-treated lumber
• Planting trees to remove contaminants from groundwater, reduce erosion of topsoil and sequester carbon
• Removing cadmium and other metals from farmland

In addition to helping to clean the environment, the new initiative offers an alternative source of income for farmers. Small farms face severe economic challenges that have steadily eroded the nation's farm base. Acknowledging the problems of drought and low farm prices, the United States Government has authorized more than $20 billion per year in farm aid to boost farm incomes, encourage conservation, and buy crop and livestock insurance. While the 2002 Farm Bill provided increased financial support to many farmers, crop subsidies and certain other forms of assistance are coming under increased political and diplomatic pressure. To preserve the U.S. farm capability, new sources of income must be identified for farmers. With its reliance on agricultural techniques, phytoremediation is an ideal candidate.

Specific goals of the study announced today include: (i) developing an integrated national database of contaminated sites suitable for agricultural phytoremediation, (ii) developing and applying a quantitative model of the likely costs and benefits of the approach, (iii) developing phytoremediation training instructions and materials, (iv) conducting proof-of-concept field demonstrations with canola farmers in California and tobacco growers in the Southeast, and (v) evaluating infrastructure alternatives to provide farmers with training, equipment and supplies, and contract and regulatory assistance.

"We look forward to bringing the power of the Green Revolution to environmental cleanup," said Mr. Ferguson. "A dramatic expansion in the role of the farmer is underway, as farming increasingly produces not only food and textiles, but pharmaceuticals and chemical feedstocks for manufacturing. Now we'd like to invite farmers to help grow a clean environment." Mr. Ferguson noted that a new consortium of public and private stakeholders could be a desirable approach for implementing the new initiative.

Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Edenspace Systems Corporation is a commercial leader in the use of live plants to improve human health and clean the environment. Its techniques employ plants to detect, concentrate and remove lead, arsenic, radionuclides, chlorides (salts), hydrocarbons, and other minerals from water and soil. With expertise in plant science, soil science, genetics and agronomy, Edenspace is developing new markets for the restoration and enrichment of our surroundings.

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Note to Editors: For a JPEG image of a field of lead-extracting sunflower plants growing at a small arms firing range, please contact Dr. Blaylock.