![](media/image1.png) Number range CHAPTER**[Office of the Federal
Environmental Executive]{.smallcaps}**

[1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Mail Code 1600J Washington, DC
20460]{.smallcaps}

[(202) 343-9125 www.ofee.gov]{.smallcaps}

*[Promoting Sustainable Environmental Stewardship Throughout the Federal
Government]{.smallcaps}*

> For Immediate Release
>
> Tuesday, June 10, 2008
>
> Contact: Juan D. Lopez, (202)343-9481
>
> lopez.juan@ofee.gov

**FEDERAL PROGRAMS HONORED AT THE WHITE HOUSE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
ACHIEVEMENTS**

Federal employees representing Federal departments and agencies from
across the United States gathered today at the Eisenhower Executive
Office Building, in Washington, DC, to accept awards for their
commitment to environmental stewardship. The awards presented today are
part of the White House "Closing the Circle" awards program under
Executive Order 13423, *Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and
Transportation Management*. This Executive Order, signed by President
Bush on January 24, 2007, is designed to further expand and strengthen
the Federal government\'s commitment to effective use of Environmental
Management Systems; acquisition of green products and services;
pollution prevention, including reduction or elimination of the use of
toxic and hazardous chemicals and materials; cost-effective waste
prevention and recycling programs; sustainable design/high performance
buildings; vehicle fleet management, including the use of alternative
fuel vehicles and alternative fuels; and electronics stewardship.

"The President has called on each of us to become aware, to participate
and to contribute to environmental care, and for the Federal government
to lead by example, be a good neighbor, and be a good steward for our
natural resources." said Joe Cascio, the Federal Environmental
Executive. "In that spirit, the Closing the Circle Awards recognize
individuals, teams, and organizations that went that "extra mile" and
have answered the President's call."

Created by executive order, the Office of the Federal Environmental
Executive (OFEE) is part of the White House Council on Environmental
Quality and works to promote sustainable environmental stewardship
throughout the Federal government by assisting agencies in integrating
environmental considerations into their operations.

**2008 WHITE HOUSE CLOSING THE CIRCLE AWARDS WINNERS**

**[Environmental Management Systems -- Military]{.underline}**

**U.S. Air Force**

Robins Air Force Base, GA

Environmental Management Systems Team

*Environmental Management for the Future*

Robins Air Force Base is located on more than 8,000 acres in Georgia and
employs more than 25,000 people, making it the largest industrial
facility in the state. It is situated near thousands of acres of
wetlands, making its demonstrated leadership in environmental
stewardship particularly worthy of commendation.

Robins AFB has created a focused, leadership-driven EMS by incorporating
its existing environmental programs into an integrated management
system, which also includes safety and occupational health principles.

Some of their key EMS successes include:

-   The diversion of more than 20,000 tons of both construction and
    demolition and non- construction and demolition solid waste from the
    landfill, saving \$1.3 million in total lifecycle cost.

-   The composting of ALL yard and stable waste for use in landscaping
    projects, avoiding \$230,000 in disposal costs.

-   A partnership with the State of Georgia to initiate a carpooling
    program on the Base, in which more than 1,000 trips were logged,
    saving a collective \$17,000 for employees in fuel costs, as well as
    reducing unnecessary automobile pollution.

The EMS includes a compliance evaluation program that records and tracks
all findings from inspections and assessments in a web-based
Environmental Findings Database. By consolidating all findings into a
single system, the data can be easily analyzed to detect trends and
identify systemic root causes.

**[Environmental Management Systems -- Civilian]{.underline}**

**U.S. Postal Service**

Washington, DC

Environmental Performance Track Initiative Team

*Environmental Performance Track Initiative*

During the last year, the U.S. Postal Service updated and completed full
implementation of its EMS for 25 plants, 23 vehicle maintenance
facilities (VMF), and 5 large Post Offices in the 8 districts of the
Northeast Area and 2 districts within the Western Area. These districts
employ more than 78,000 people, span more than 260,000 square miles, and
deliver mail to 27.5 million Americans.

Their EMS was started in 1994, making it one of the Federal government's
earliest implemented programs.

A critical element of their EMS is the application of standardized
protocols for handling every significant environmental aspect associated
with their facilities. With the same EMS protocols at each facility
across the nation, the USPS is able to significantly reduce training
costs.

The combined recycling and pollution programs in the Northeast and
Western Areas have resulted in more than \$2 million from avoided
landfill disposal costs and more than \$1 million in savings from
recycling of undeliverable mail, cardboard, plastic, and metals.

**[Recycling -- Civilian]{.underline}**

**U.S. Department of Transportation**

**Federal Highway Administration**

Washington, DC

Recycling Team

*Recycling Leadership in the Transportation Sector*

The Federal Highway Administration promotes recycling as an integral
part of road construction, and leads by example in the industry through
its research, educational, and promotional efforts.

As a result of the Federal Highway Administration's stewardship,
approximately 80 percent of the 200 million tons of old roadways are
processed and reused in future highway construction projects. To put
this in perspective, the amount of municipal solid waste recycled
yearly, including cans, bottles, and newspapers is less than half that
amount.

These green road recycling practices have led to the prevention of
almost 2 million tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the
atmosphere.

Finally, partnering with the EPA, the Federal Highway Administration
sponsored a Green Highways Partnership workshop to forge cooperation
between state environmental and transportation agencies. As a result
their leadership, states in the Mid-Atlantic region have committed to
using recycled and environmentally-friendly materials for their
roadways.

**[Alternative Fuel and Fuel Conservation in Transportation --
Military]{.underline}**

**U.S. Marine Corps**

Camp Pendleton, CA

Southwest Region Fleet Transportation Team

*Deploying Alternative Fueled Vehicles*

The Southwest Region Fleet Transportation Team is a regional
organization comprised of Garrison Mobile Equipment fleets located at
seven Marine Corps installations in California. The Fleet Managers at
each of these locations consist of a team that has proven their
dedication to the reduction of oil-based fuel usage.

Along with their impressive fleet of more than 1,200 alternative fuel
vehicles (AFVs), the Fleet Transportation Team employs a host of other
products and management techniques to increase vehicle efficiency.

Their use of biodiesel cut their consumption of petroleum diesel by 20
percent. The Team also uses on-board wireless location and performance
monitoring devices, which collect information about engine performance,
speed, and location of the vehicles. This ensures that the engine is
consuming fuel efficiently and as cleanly as possible. These GPS devices
also allow managers to reduce the number of unnecessary trips and
improve route planning, as well as reduce the amount of air pollution
caused by burning fossil fuels.

In addition, Camp Pendleton is currently finishing the construction of a
hydrogen fuel station, which will be available for use by civilians, as
well as the government, in the near future.

**[Alternative Fuel and Fuel Conservation in Transportation --
Civilian]{.underline}**

**Department of Energy**

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN\
Fuel Efficiency and Transportation Initiatives Team

*Green Transportation Initiative*

Through the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's green transportation
initiative, the Fuel Efficiency and Transportation Initiatives Team has
increased the use of biobased materials and specifically alternative
fuel, reduced reliance on petroleum-based materials, reduced tail pipe
emissions, and provided personnel with safer, more cost-effective
transportation options.

The Laboratory's campus is designed to minimize the use of automobiles
for on-campus travel and promote the use of bicycles. For employees
commuting to and from work, the Laboratory provides an excellent
interactive website for the facilitation of carpools.

The Team continues to expand its fleet of flex-fuel vehicles, which now
numbers more than 100 vehicles. The facility has an on-site E-85 fuel
tank, whose usage continues to increase each year.

**[Waste/Pollution Prevention -- Military]{.underline}**

**U.S. Air Force**

Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA

Materials Diversion Center Team

*Moving Mountains of Waste*

Vandenberg AFB demonstrates that it is possible to move mountains ---
that is, mountains of solid waste that would normally end up in the
landfill --- and turn them into useful materials for other users and
purposes. This past year, their stellar efforts resulted in a cost
avoidance of \$4.3 million through waste stream reuse and \$5.9 million
in reduced contractor services.

Recently, the AFB was charged with removing a decommissioned rail line
running through the base. During this project, more than 1,200 tons of
railroad ties and nearly 750 tons of rails were reused by other
entities, saving an estimated \$823,000 in demolition costs and
diverting these reusable materials from the landfill.

Another notable initiative was the recycling of more than 1,800 tons of
metal, 9,500 tons of concrete, and 30 tons of wood from structures and
facilities from a deactivated missile program on the base. This effort
resulted in savings of more than \$1.3 million for the Air Force and
American taxpayers.

**[Waste/Pollution Prevention -- Civilian]{.underline}**

**U.S. Postal Service**

Washington, DC

Reuse of Mailing Products Team

*Vendor Partnerships for Envelope Reuse*

In 2007, the United States Postal Service successfully implemented a
program for the reuse and recycling of mailing products by forming
partnerships with its customers, vendors, and business partners.

Among the many notable aspects of the program, the Postal Service worked
with two national supply companies to encourage the use of reusable
mailing materials, including courtesy and reply envelopes. With outbound
reply mail approaching 90 billion pieces in 2007, this effort to reduce
unnecessary paper usage is certainly commendable. For every billion
reply envelopes eliminated, more than 1,000 acres of forest and 15
million gallons of fuel are conserved!

The Postal Service also worked in partnership with a national company in
an effort to recycle and reuse discarded newspaper, magazines, and
general mail. By diverting this paper from the waste stream,
approximately 2.2. million cubic yards of landfill space is saved each
year.

**[Green Purchasing -- Military]{.underline}**

**Department of Defense, Defense Logistics Agency**

Defense Supply Center, Philadelphia, PA

Subsistence Biobased Cutlery Team

*Biobased Cutlery Program*

For nearly a decade, the Defense Supply Center \-- Philadelphia has
placed a major emphasis on introducing biobased food utensils in the
Department of Defense supply chain.

After extensive research and development that spanned several years,
Defense Supply Center \-- Philadelphia overcame numerous financial and
bureaucratic obstacles to initiate a full-scale biobased utensil
acquisition program last year.

DSCP's biobased procurement for these items has totaled almost \$2.5
million from March 2007 to January 2008. These green products have
replaced their conventional counterparts and now reach thousands of
military service members around the world each month.

**[Green Purchasing -- Civilian]{.underline}**

**U.S. Department of Agriculture**

Washington, DC

Purchasing-BioPreferred Team

*Leading USDA Green Purchasing through Bi-Preferred implementation*

USDA's Purchasing - BioPreferred Team led by example this past year by
securing green services and products and by institutionalizing this
process through rules, regulations, guidelines and outreach programs.
These efforts were operated through the Department's Sustainable
Operations Council, which was established by Assistant Secretary Boyd
Rutherford after the passage of Executive Order 13423.

The Department recently updated its Acquisition Regulation to require
that green products were used in all contracts over \$5 million and is
currently establishing a Track and Report system for green products to
support their plans to dramatically increase green purchasing in the
next half decade.

In early Fiscal Year 2007, USDA developed a new brand identity,
BioPreferred^SM^, and a comprehensive marketing strategy to reach
Federal buyers.

Demonstrating its green purchasing efforts, the USDA awarded a blanket
purchase agreement for remanufactured toner cartridges to a
service-disabled veteran-owned small business exclusively for the use of
the 2400 Service Centers throughout the country. Over \$20 savings per
cartridge has saved these Centers alone more than half a million
dollars.

**[Electronics Stewardship -- Civilian]{.underline}**

**Department of Homeland Security**

**Transportation Security Administration**

Washington, DC

Electronics Stewardship Team

*Electronics Stewardship at TSA*

TSA's Electronics Stewardship Team used the Federal Electronics
Challenge as its guide to develop its program in 2005. Since that time,
the team has greatly improved TSA's practices used in the acquisition
and procurement, operations and maintenance, and the disposition of
electronics.

Demonstrating its commitment to stewardship, TSA chose to participate as
a Gold-level partner in the FEC this past year. They have ensured that
all computers, monitors, and laptops procured were EPEAT-registered and
additionally have procured environmentally preferable printers, copiers,
and fax machines. Working with computer manufacturers, they ensured that
all computers and electronic components are either reused or recycled
during the agency's refresh projects.

Along with the promotion of other educational tools, the Stakeholders
Team developed literature for all employees detailing best management
practices for computers and peripherals, including the procurement and
disposition of electronics. The Agency has also mentored fellow
Department of Homeland Security components to help improve their own
electronic stewardship programs.

It is not surprising that the TSA was recently recognized for its
electronics stewardship efforts, receiving an agency-wide 2007 EPEAT
Silver Award.

**[Sustainable Design/Green Buildings -- Military]{.underline}**

**U.S. Army**

Fort Bragg, NC\
Sustainable Community Team

*Sustainable Design through LEED*

Fort Bragg's **Sustainable Community Team - Facilities** has made
remarkable strides towards sustainability through its successful efforts
to integrate Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
standards in the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of
installation infrastructure. Fort Bragg's innovative advancements are
made even more noteworthy by the fact that, with a military population
of more than 52,000 soldiers and growing, it is also the largest Army
installation in the United States.

As of June of last year, Fort Bragg remained the only military
installation that had both a LEED program for existing buildings as well
as new construction. The first phase of Fort Bragg's existing buildings
program includes 43 buildings encompassing more than 5.2 million square
feet and is the second largest contributor of square footage to the U.S.
LEED-Existing Buildings program in the *entire* U.S. Green Building
Council inventory.

This past year, Fort Bragg registered 43 buildings in the U.S. Green
Building Council's LEED Portfolio Program. This unique pilot program
greatly reduced registration and certification costs by about 40
percent - from around \$116,000 to an estimated \$69,000. Fort Bragg is
the first -- and, currently, the only -- DOD entity to participate in
the LEED-EB Portfolio Program.

Performance targets set by the Sustainable Fort Bragg team call for the
installation to meet at least LEED Silver standards by fiscal year 2012,
Gold by fiscal year 2017 and Platinum by fiscal year 2020 for 100
percent of all new MILCON construction. These targets affect an
estimated 20 million square feet of proposed and existing
infrastructure.

**[Sustainable Design/Green Buildings -- Civilian]{.underline}**

**General Services Administration**

New San Francisco Federal Building, CA

SFFB Project Team

*A Model of Sustainable Architecture*

The new and innovative San Francisco Federal Building was completed in
February 2007 and has rightfully been lauded by the Federal government,
industry leaders, NGOs, and professional organizations as being a model
for sustainable buildings. The building houses 1,500 employees from
various Federal agencies throughout its 523,000 rentable square feet of
space.

The building was designed to consume one-third of the energy of a
typical California office building, approximately 30,000 BTUs per square
foot per year. The total estimated utility-bill savings to the
government as a result is approximately \$500,000 per year.

Much of the energy savings is a result of an innovating sunscreen
wrapping around the south façade of the building. This screen regulates
the amount of direct sunlight entering the building, absorbing much of
the solar energy that would typically enter the building. This solar
energy fuels a passive heat pump that helps to cool the building
throughout the year. Additionally, the screen helps to modulate light
inside the office space, which minimizes the use of traditional electric
lighting.

If the building performs as designed, it will save enough energy - 6.9
million kilowatt hours -- to power 600 homes or take 830 cars off the
road for one year. In other terms, it will prevent the potential release
of more than 8,100 tons of greenhouse gases each year.

**[Sowing the Seeds for Change]{.underline}**

**Federal Environmental Management Systems Metrics Workgroup**

Washington, DC

*Taking Aggressive Actions Achieving Impressive Results*

The Federal EMS Metrics Workgroup is a collaborative effort among a core
group of Federal agencies serving as the main proponent for measuring
EMS implementation across the Federal community.

This workgroup established innovative and challenging metrics for
measuring and rating EMS implementation while giving agencies a voice in
the process. For example, in response to agency concerns, the workgroup
proposed that EMS metrics remain unchanged for 3 years to create
stability, ensure efficiency, and maintain a stewardship focus. This
change also allows agencies and the Federal government to monitor trends
over time.

The Federal EMS Workgroup also developed a government-wide EMS reporting
standard, greatly reducing the workload for facilities and agencies
without forgoing valuable data collection. Rather than taking weeks,
their reports can now be completed in a matter of hours or days. Such
reports also make the review process more efficient and provide a
consistent overall view of EMS implementation across the Federal
government.

The EMS electronic reporting module developed by the Workgroup serves an
excellent model for other environmental, energy, and transportation
elements to begin similar reporting.

**Department of Labor**

Washington, DC

Data Management and Information Analysis Team

*New Automotive Use Tracking On-line System (AUTOS)*

This past year, DOL's Data Management and Information Analysis Team
created a ground-breaking online automated fleet system to assist with
data collection on their agency's fleet. This system ensures that the
Dept of Labor targets its resources effectively by identifying
unnecessary or underutilized vehicles in use by the agency.

DOL system users have access to real-time delivery of fleet inventory,
costs, fuel utilization, and accident detail information that was
previously unavailable. Such information significantly cuts down on the
staff hours needed to complete vehicle reports and responding to
inquiries.

Because of their innovation and commitment to environmental stewardship,
the DOL went from being Red to Green in all areas of the OMB's
Transportation Score Card, and was one of only two agencies to do so.