United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Administration and Resources Management's Newsletter on Energy Conservation
and Sustainable Facilities
September 2003
EPA Headquarters
employees are helping
reduce air pollution and
traffic congestion in the
nation's capital by
using alternative forms
of transportation, mak-
ing the Agency one of
the best places to work
in the Washington, DC
metropolitan area.
A Model Employer: EPA Named One of
the Best Workplaces for CommutersSM
Cn June 25, 2003, the Greater
Washington Region's Best
Workplaces for Commuters™
Coalition recognized EPA Headquarters as
one of the Greater Washington, DC Region's
Best Workplaces for Commuters™ a mark of
excellence for environmentally and employee-
friendly workplaces.
Formerly the Commuter Choice Leadership
Initiative, Best Workplaces for Commuters™ is a
joint EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality
and Department of Transportation (DOT) volun-
tary program that recognizes organizations that
offer employees outstanding commuter benefits,
such as free or discounted transit passes, com-
pressed work schedules, and telecommuting.
More than 2.2 million people commute each
day in the Washington, DC metropolitan region,
and more than 70 percent of them drive to work
alone. This contributes to a decline in the
region's air quality; for 38 days in 2002, air pol-
lution levels in the Washington, DC Region vio-
lated federal health standards. Employers who
participate in Best Workplaces for Commuters™
help improve the region's air quality by offering
benefits that encourage employees to use alter-
native forms of transportation.
"EPA supports any initiative that promotes the
reduction of air pollution and alleviates traffic
congestion," said Melvin Joppy, Team Leader of
the EPA's Facilities Operations and Transportation
Management Branch and primary contact for
EPA's involvement in Best Workplaces for
Commuters™.
To qualify as one of the Greater Washington
Region's Best Workplaces for Commuters™, EPA
Headquarters met a National Standard of
Excellence in commuter benefits. As one of the
Best Workplaces for Commuters™, EPA provides
employees with the following:
• A central point of contact for information,
who actively informs employees of commuter
benefits available.
• Access to a regional or employer-provided
Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program.
• At least one primary commuter benefit, which
can include a monthly transit/vanpool pass
subsidy, cash in lieu of free parking, or a sig-
nificant telecommuting program.
• At least three supporting commuter benefits,
which can include carpool/vanpool incen-
tives, lockers/showers for bikers or walkers,
incentives for living near work, or onsite
amenities such as day care or dry cleaning.
EPA Headquarters employees are eligible
for a $100-per-month transit subsidy, which
can be used on Metrorail or any of the
region's bus systems. Employees may also take
advantage of many of the supporting benefits
that are offered, such as bicycling and walking
continued on page 2
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ENERGIZING EPA
page
Spreading the Word to Conserve Water in Labs
Laboratories use much more water than the average
building; in fact, EPA laboratories use approximately
38,000 gallons of water per employee each year. EPA
has made water conservation in its labs a high priority, in part
to comply with Executive Order (EO) 13123, Greening the
Government Through Efficient Energy Management. EO
13123 requires facilities to implement water management
plans, report baseline water use, and employ best manage-
ment practices (BMPs) in at least four of the following areas:
1. Public information and education programs
2. Distribution systems audits, leak detection and repair
3. Water-efficient landscape
4. Toilets and urinals
5. Faucets and showerheads
6. Boiler/steam systems
7. Single-pass cooling systems
8. Cooling tower systems
9. Miscellaneous high water-using processes
10. Water reuse and recycling
To help fulfill the first BMP—public information and education
programs—EPA has created a new water conservation and man-
agement poster for all of its laboratories. The poster, which can be
integrated into an existing educational program or provide a
Every Drop Counts
One stuck toilet wastes more than 2,500 gallons of
water each day.
A low-flow faucet saves 5,000 gallons of water annually.
Report leaks or malfunctioning water equipment to
your facility manager.
Typical Laboratory Water Uses
Cooling Tower
Make-up (40%)
Boiler Feed (4%)
Sanitary (7%)
Laboratory
Process (8%)
Reverse
Osmosis
Reject (11%)
Irrigation
(13%)
Single-Pass Cooling (17%>
foundation for a new educational program, summarizes EPA's
commitment to water management, illustrates typical laboratory
water use, and summarizes EO 13123 and its 10 BMPs. Lab
employees can also learn from the poster how their actions make
a difference. For instance, eliminating continuous flows of tap
water to cool equipment can produce big results; one gallon per
minute of continuous flow is enough water to supply the sanitary
needs of 100 employees.
For more information on EPA's water conservation efforts, visit
. To request a
copy of the poster, contact Justin Spenillo of the Sustainable
Facilities Practices Branch at 202 564-0639 or
.
A Model Employer
alternatives, priority subsidized parking for carpools and van-
pools, and an Intranet-based carpool locator service. In addi-
tion, EPA annually co-sponsors a transportation fair promoting
the use of mass transportation and alternative fuel vehicles.
EPA strongly considers location when looking for office space.
Because of the convenient locations of EPA Headquarters build-
ings, employees have access to a wide variety of retail stores,
restaurants, and dry cleaners, as well as easy access to public
transportation. Convenient access to such amenities makes it easi-
er for employees to use an alternative mode of transportation.
Best Workplaces for Commuters™ provides tools and guidance
to help U.S. employers incorporate commuter benefits into their
standard benefits plan, reap financial benefits, and gain national
recognition. A coalition of leading government and business orga-
continued from page 1
nizations focused on reducing traffic congestion, improving air
quality, and making commuting less stressful and costly spearhead-
ed the Best Workplaces for Commuters™ campaign in the Greater
Washington Region: Commuter Connections, General Services
Administration, Greater Washington Board of Trade, Metropolitan
Washington Work/Life Coalition, National Capital Planning
Commission, DOT, EPA, and the Washington Metropolitan Area
Tranist Authority.
For more information on the Greater Washington Region's Best
Workplaces for Commuters™, including EPA's participation, visit
or contact Melvin Joppy at 202 564-6232 or
.
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ENERGIZING EPA
page
EPA Continues to Green Its Power Sources
As part of its ongoing commitment to purchasing green
power, EPA recently added three facilities to the list of
those who have "gone green" with renewable energy:
the Region 2 Office in New York City; the Edison, New Jersey
Region 2 Laboratory; and the Region 6 Laboratory in Houston,
Texas. Green power, or renewable energy, reduces many of
the harmful emissions associated with conventional fossil
fueled power generation.
Getting Wind on the East Coast
The Region 2 Office, which serves New Jersey, New York,
Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, is the first EPA Regional
Office in the country to meet all its electric needs from wind-
generated power. Region 2 is now also the largest federal purchas-
er of clean wind energy in New York State.
"Switching to a non-polluting energy source for our office has a
direct and positive impact on our mission to protect public health
and the environment," Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny said.
"We also hope the switch will inspire other agencies and offices to
follow our lead and convert to wind power."
Working with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA),
EPA began purchasing wind energy in June 2003 from the Fenner
Wind Power Project. By switching to green power for the approxi*
mately 6.1 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity it uses annual'
ly, the Region 2 Office is helping to eliminate more than 7 million
pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) that would be emitted into the
atmosphere each year. The CO2 reduction is equivalent to the
amount removed from the air by 450,000 trees or the amount
emitted by cars driven 6.3 million miles annually. In addition, sulfur
dioxide emissions will be reduced by an estimated 34,500 pounds
and nitrogen oxides by 12,000 pounds annually.
Region 2 has also signed a contract to purchase green power
for its Edison, New Jersey, Laboratory. Deliveries are scheduled to
start in September 2003 and will total approximately 6 million kWhs.
Not Messing With Texas
EPA's environmental laboratory in Houston recently entered
into a three-year contract to provide 3.4 million kWh
Renewable Energy Certificates ("green tags") from 3 Phases
Energy Services. The power purchased will be 100 percent
wind energy from the 204-megawatt New Mexico Wind Energy
Center. This is the most inexpensive wind power purchase that
EPA has made to date costing slightly less than 1 cent per kWh
more than conventional power.
The laboratory currently consumes more than 22 billion Btus
annually and provides office and lab space in support of regional
monitoring and criminal, civil, and enforcement activities.
Nationally, 10 percent of EPA's electricity comes from renew-
able sources, which serve facilities in California, Colorado,
Washington, Massachusetts, and Ohio. EPA's Office of Air &
Radiation developed the Green Power Partnership, a voluntary pro-
gram that is working to make green power purchasing a common
business practice. As an Agency, EPA is also a founding partner in
this program.
Since the Green Power Partnership began in the summer of
2001, 11 7 organizations have committed to using green power
for a total of 680 million kilowatt hours. Those purchases will help
to remove 940 million pounds of CO2 from the air, roughly the
same amount absorbed by 130,000 acres of forest.
The Sustainable Facilities Practices Branch (SFPB) typically part-
ners with a region or laboratory when it wants to acquire green
power and sets up the procurement parameters. Parameters can
include a preferred type of green power (i.e., wind, solar, geother-
mal) or a specific geographic area to be considered for green
power sources. SFPB then uses GSA or the Defense Energy Supply
Center's contracting authority and expertise to procure the power.
Contact SFPB at 202 564-21 72 if you would like your facility to
"Go Green" or visit for more
information on green power.
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ENERGIZING EPA
page 4
Putting a LID on Stormwater in the Chesapeake Bay Region
Erosion, urban flooding, sewer overflows, and increased
levels of pollutants are just a few of the problems faced
by local and regional watersheds as a result of rain.
Large amounts of stormwater runoff from heavy rainstorms
can lead to major environmental concerns if not properly
managed, especially in urban areas with large quantities of
concrete and asphalt—materials that prevent water from
being naturally absorbed and filtered through soil.
To address urban stormwater concerns and respond to an
agreement approved by EPA in December 2001 to protect
watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay region, EPA's Sustainable
Facilities Practice Branch (SFPB) is working with the Office of
Water's Non-Point Source Branch and the General Services
Administration to implement Low Impact Development (LID)
strategies at EPA's Federal Triangle complex in Washington,
DC. These efforts will also help EPA meet water conservation
goals outlined in Executive Order 13123 by reusing rainwater.
In addition to reducing environmental impacts from urban
stormwater runoff, LID offers benefits such as simple integra-
tion into existing infrastructure, increased cost-effectiveness,
and enhanced aesthetics when compared to more conven-
tional stormwater management systems.
The Federal Triangle LID implementation plan uses a multi-
faceted approach to achieve a reduction in peak runoff and
pollutant loads. EPA's LID strategy focuses on several of the
campus' courtyards. Plans call for the incorporation of native
landscaping, coupled with an array of bioretention techniques,
including bioretention cells, permeable pavers, and soil
amendments (see box at right) designed to filter out pollutants
as well as reduce stormwater runoff. In addition, EPA hopes to
construct a green roof pavilion that will serve both a functional
and educational role. The LID project will
offer employees and visitors a first-hand
look at some of EPA's innovative approach-
es to managing stormwater.
EPA hopes that by incorporating LID
strategies into its Federal Triangle facilities,
it can reduce the peak volume and pollu-
tant load of stormwater runoff, thus reduc-
ing the environmental impact on the
nearby Potomac and Anacostia River
Watersheds. As part of the campus' multi-
objective, multi-phased project, EPA plans
on showcasing its LID practices—allowing
local government, students, and visitors to
observe and monitor creative solutions to
urban stormwater management.
The Low-Down on LID
LID is a relatively new concept in stormwater management
pioneered in Prince George's County, Maryland, in the
early 1 990s. LID encompasses a variety of innovative site
design techniques aimed at controlling the volume and
quality of stormwater runoff. LID techniques include:
• Bioretention—A soil and plant-based stormwater manage-
ment system designed to mimic natural hydrological
processes.
• Vegetated roof covers—Alternative to impervious rooftops
that uses vegetation to retain and filter stormwater.
• Permeable pavements—Porous pavements that allow
water to seep into the underlying soil, reducing runoff.
• Stormwater cisterns—Large storage tanks used to collect
rainwater, typically paired with rain gutters that used to
connect to storm sewer lines.
• Rain gutter disconnects—Rain gutters that have been dis-
connected from storm sewer lines, redirecting water into
bioretention systems or cisterns.
EPA is currently finalizing its LID implementation designs for
Phasel—the Ariel Rios South courtyard and Constitution
Avenue—and hopes to gain approval for the plan from the
Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning
Commission this Fall.
For more information about LID efforts at EPA's Federal
Triangle complex, visit or contact SFPB at 202 564-21 72.
Laboratories
for the
21st Century
2003 Annual Conference
Adam's Mark Denver Hotel,
Denver, Colorado
October 21-23, 2003
"What the cathedral
was to the 14th century,
the laboratory is
to the 21st century—
i it is the building
type that embodies,
^ in both program
and technology,
the spirit and
culture of our age
and attracts the
greatest intellectual
and economic
resources of our
I society."
I —Don Prowler
i (1950-2002)
www.epa.gov/labs21 century
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