News Releases from Region 06
Federal Green Challenge Winners in Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas Save Taxpayers’ Money and Promote Efficiency
DALLAS – (August 21, 2019) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes federal facilities for conserving resources and saving taxpayers’ money as part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC). The challenge is a national effort under EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program, which encourages federal agencies to lead by example in reducing the federal government's environmental impact.
“EPA is recognizing facilities across the federal government for their leadership in improving waste management, conserving water, and other important efforts to improve environmental outcomes,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Their accomplishments not only reduce the federal government’s impact on the environment but also save taxpayers millions of dollars.”
“The Federal Green Challenge winners are making a difference in the communities they serve by taking bold steps to save resources and reduce waste,” said Regional Administrator Ken McQueen. “I applaud these federal agencies for stepping up their efforts to be good stewards of public resources at their facilities.”
The following agencies in Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas will be recognized at an upcoming event for their efforts in saving resources and reducing waste from 2017 to 2018:
Louisiana:
- General Services Administration’s Custom House in New Orleans reduced use of potable water by 75 percent, or from 1,513,899 gallons in 2017 to 372,950 gallons in 2018.
- General Services Administration’s Hale Boggs Federal Building and District Courthouse in New Orleans diverted 83 percent of waste material from landfills in 2018.
New Mexico:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces developed an app called Reuse Market Place (ReMaP) for employees to post items for other departments to reuse, such as furniture, supplies, and chemical products. ReMaP has helped save over $45,000 and diverted 10 tons of materials from landfills.
Texas:
- General Services Administration’s Justice Park Drive Federal Building in Houston reduced consumption of natural gas by 42 percent, from 2,218,539 cubic feet in 2017 to 1,269,020 cubic feet in 2018.
- General Services Administration’s Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse in Dallas increased composting of municipal solid waste by 776 percent, or from 2.59 tons in 2017 to 25.58 tons in 2018.
- Veterans Administration’s Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center in Bonham reduce water and energy use through employee engagement events to increase recycling participation and xeriscaping throughout the grounds.
- Sending more than 235 tons of end-of-life electronics to third-party certified recyclers.
- Reducing transportation costs by more than $23 million.
- Using approximately 536 million fewer gallons of potable water.
- Decreasing paper purchasing by nearly 2,800 pounds.
- Diverting an estimated 675,000 tons of waste from landfills.
EPA is recognizing the following top performers with national Federal Green Challenge awards for their significant efforts in improving the efficiency of their facilities in FY18:
Improvement by Target Area – Highest Increased Percentage Over Previous Year
- Waste:
- The Drug Enforcement Agency, Southeast Laboratory (Miami, Florida) recycled 4.11 tons of material.
- Electronics:
- Department of Energy, East Tennessee Technology Park (Oak Ridge, Tennesse) recycled 16.2 tons of electronic equipment with a third-party recycler.
- The Drug Enforcement Agency, Southeast Laboratory (Miami, Florida) purchased 27 units of Gold level EPEAT certified registered equipment and enabled power management monitoring on 98% of the units.
- Purchasing:
- The Drug Enforcement Agency, Southeast Laboratory (Miami, Florida) reduced printer and copier paper purchased by 700 pounds.
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Manchester Medical Center (Manchester, New Hampshire) created an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and Pollution Prevention Policy.
- Water:
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Decatur, Georgia) reduced its water consumption by 1,000,000 gallons.
- Transportation:
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Decatur, Georgia) incorporated 356 electric, hybrid and alternate fuel vehicles into their operations and implemented an employee ride share program, saving employees over $964,000 and reducing carbon emissions by more than 2,308,000 pounds.
- Department of Energy, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, California) increased sustainable electric vehicle charging infrastructure for its growing fleet of electric vehicles.
For more information on the Federal Green Challenge and this year’s winners, please visit www.epa.gov/fgc.
Connect with EPA Region 6:
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6
About EPA Region 6: https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central
# # #