Pollution Prevention in the Hospitality Industry:
How Managing the Environment Can Help
Your Bottom Line
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2
Workshop Summary
January 7, 2009
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 would like to thank those individuals who
agreed to be speakers or moderators for the workshop (Appendix E). In addition, EPA Region 2 would
like to acknowledge those individuals who provided suggestions for the agenda for this event (Appendix
F). For specific questions regarding the overall workshop, or information in this summary, please contact
Joseph Bergstein, Pollution Prevention Team, EPA Region 2 at 212-637-3890.
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Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Summary 4
Welcome/Introduction 4
Presentation 1: Why Go Green? 4
Presentation 2: EPA and the Green Meeting Standard 4
Presentation 3: EPA Partnership Programs 5
Presentation 4: Waste Wise 6
Presentation 5: Exemplary Practices - Waste Wise 6
Presentation 6: Green Cleaning 6
Presentation 7: Exemplary Practices - Green Cleaning 7
Presentations: ENERGY STAR® 7
Presentation 9: Exemplary Practices - ENERGY STAR 8
Presentation 10: Water Sense® 8
Presentation 11: Exemplary Practices - Water Efficiency 8
Facilitated Discussion 9
Appendix A: Region 2 EPA's Focus in the Hospitality Sector 14
Appendix B: Questions, Answers, and Comments 16
Presentation 1: Why Go Green? 16
Presentation 2: EPA and the Green Meeting Standard 16
Presentation 3: EPA Partnership Programs 16
Presentation 4: Waste Wise 17
Presentation 5: Exemplary Practices - WasteWise 17
Presentation 6: Green Cleaning 20
Presentation 7: Exemplary Practices - Green Cleaning 20
Presentation 9: Exemplary Practices - ENERGY STAR® 22
Presentation 10: WaterSense® 23
Appendix C: Agenda 24
Appendix D: Evaluation 26
Appendix E: Participants, Moderators, and Speakers 28
Appendix F: Steering Committee 32
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Introduction
On January 7, 2009, 60 representatives from government, hospitality facilities, industry suppliers, non-
governmental organizations, and academia gathered to learn more about opportunities to prevent pollution
within the hospitality industry. The workshop served as a platform to exchange ideas about how
hospitality establishments can improve their bottom line, satisfy customer demand for environmentally
conscientious hospitality facilities, and reduce their impact on the environment. The workshop included
welcoming remarks by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 11 presentations, one
facilitated discussion, and closing comments by EPA. Key change agents in the hospitality industry and
government representatives gave presentations to introduce reasons why the hospitality industry should
go green; present an overview of EPA partnership programs; and provide detailed looks at waste
management, green cleaning, energy management, and water efficiency in the industry. Presentations are
available on the EPA Region 2 Pollution Prevention in the Hospitality Industry Web site
http: //www. epa. gov/region02/p2/ghi main .htm and are available only with permission of the speaker.
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Summary
Welcome/Introduction
Joseph Bergstein, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2 and Joann Brennan-McKee,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
Joseph Bergstein opened the Pollution Prevention in the Hospitality Industry: How Managing the
Environment Can Help Your Bottom Line workshop by welcoming participants, mentioning registration
and schedule information, and reviewing the materials in the folders. The handouts included the workshop
agenda (Appendix C), an evaluation form (Appendix D), an attendee list (Appendix E), and the majority
of the day's presentations. Mr. Bergstein then introduced Joann Brennan-McKee, deputy director for the
Division of Environmental Planning and Protection in EPA Region 2.
Ms. Brennan-McKee informed participants that the hospitality industry is one of six sectors EPA is
focusing on as it develops a 5-year pollution prevention strategy. Ms. Brennan-McKee described the
desired outcomes of the workshop including participants seeing the importance of environmental
stewardship, learning about EPA partnerships that help the environment and save hoteliers money, and
offering suggestions to EPA for providing additional assistance to the hospitality industry through
outreach and materials.
Presentation 1: Why Go Green?
Rod Millot, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Presentation: Why Go Green?
Mr. Millot discussed some of the driving forces behind the current sustainability movement and how this
movement impacts the hospitality industry. As sustainability and "green" behaviors are becoming more
mainstream, Mr. Millot reminded the audience that hotels must adapt to remain profitable. Increasing
efficiency can help hoteliers reduce costs, achieve environmental results, gain recognition, win new
business, and be more attractive to employees. Mr. Millot urged hoteliers to communicate their
achievements to consumers, but to avoid "greenwashing" their message.
Presentation 2: EPA and the Green Meeting Standard
Harry Lewis, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pollution Prevention Division
Mr. Lewis described EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program, which identifies
products and services that meet guidelines for government purchases. According to a
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2007 Federal Rule, procurement officers must consider a list of environmental attributes when dealing
with requests for proposals. This list of 14 questions1 covers several categories, including
accommodations, energy and water performance, and large venues. Using the Federal Rule and the EPP
program as its basis, Mr. Lewis said that EPA, along with the American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) International, is developing a green meeting standard for agency meetings and
conferences that focuses on the purchasing of goods and services from a sustainability point of view.
This standard is currently voluntary, but Mr. Lewis indicated this green meeting standard would
eventually be integrated into procurement systems. If the green meeting standard were imposed on all
government agencies, it would have a large impact on the hospitality industry. Since consumer demand
for sustainability standards is substantial, Mr. Lewis said that he hopes developing and adopting green
standards will encourage large associations across the United States who arrange conferences to follow
EPA's lead in planning green events.
Presentation 3: EPA Partnership Programs
John Filippelli, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
Presentation: EPA Partnership Programs - Tools you can use to green facilities while lowering costs
Mr. Filippelli explained that voluntary environmental partnership programs grew out of a need to help
companies address pollution prevention in their day-to-day activities, after an era of environmental
regulations in the 1970s. Mr. Filippelli described EPA's Pollution Prevention Program and said that there
are a wide range of partnership programs that can help businesses save money and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions through recycling and energy- and water-efficient practices. Mr. Filippelli highlighted the
Performance Track program and Memorandums of Understanding as additional strategies for achieving
environmental results and cost savings.
1 The 14 questions addressed in the 2007 Federal Rule:
1) A linen/towel reuse option that is communicated to guests.
2) Easy access to public transportation or shuttle services.
3) A policy to turn off lighting and air conditioning when rooms are not in use.
4) Bulk dispensers or reusable containers for beverages, food and condiments.
5) Reusable serving utensils, napkins and tablecloths when food and beverages are served.
6) An energy efficiency program.
7) A water-conservation program.
8) Paperless check-in & check-out for guests.
9) Use of recycled goods, or a recycling program.
10) Recyclable products.
11) Sourcing of food.
12) Use of biobased or biodegradable products.
13) Employee training on these green activities.
14) Other "green" environmental initiatives such as receiving environment-related certifications, participating in
voluntary partnerships, supporting a green suppliers network, etc.
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Presentation 4: Waste Wise
Lorraine Graves, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
Presentation: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Waste Wise Program
Ms. Graves introduced the Waste Wise program which targets waste reduction in three areas: waste
prevention, recycling, and purchasing and manufacturing recycled-content products. Ms. Graves
explained that Waste Wise offers partners technical assistance and tools such as the Food Waste
Management Cost Calculator and the WAste Reduction (WARM) Model (to calculate emission
reductions). Ms. Graves provided examples of WasteWise partners' cost savings and highlighted the
benefits of joining, which include an individualized climate profile to help hoteliers communicate
environmental benefits to management, customers, and employees.
Presentation 5: Exemplary Practices - WasteWise
Charles Link, Princeton Hyatt
Presentation: Hyatt Regency Princeton
Mr. Link outlined his hotel's commitment to the environment and its approach to sustainability, which
includes five strategic focus areas. Mr. Link mentioned that every Hyatt has a green team working to
determine areas of opportunity and challenges for the property. Mr. Link described Hyatt Princeton's food
and organics recycling certification process, facility waste audit and results, and its three main areas of
focus in solid waste management. Mr. Link provided a cost savings analysis of the food waste recycling
program.
Presentation 6: Green Cleaning
Jim Darr, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pollution Prevention Division
Presentation: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing - Approaches for Green Cleaning
Mr. Darr explained the immensity of the federal building inventory, which includes 500,000 buildings.
The 3.1 billion square feet of space consists of several different building types, most of which include
lodging. Mr. Darr said that EPA uses the federal Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program
to include key environmental factors with traditional availability, price, and performance considerations
when making purchasing decisions.
Mr. Darr described the EPP guiding principles and reminded participants that one will rarely find a
cleaning product that is superior in all respects, but purchasers must be aware of greenwashing and
exaggerated marketing claims when deciding on a product. Mr. Darr gave general guidance for
identifying EPP attributes for cleaning products: purchasers should consider corporate environmental
performance, product content and use, and product packaging and shipping. Mr. Darr also mentioned the
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Design for the Environment logo and recognition program, in addition to the steps a company must take
to have a product recognized. Mr. Darr gave examples of other programs that identify green products and
federal pilot projects on green cleaning.
Presentation 7: Exemplary Practices - Green Cleaning
Ed Virtue, Hotel Monaco Washington DC - A Kimpton Hotel
Presentation: KIMPTON hotels & restaurants EarthCare
Mr. Virtue highlighted Kimpton's EarthCare program and its accomplishments in providing eco-friendly
products and services to its guests. Mr. Virtue explained that Kimpton began its green cleaning initiative
when EPA started developing a green meeting standard (which would affect government meetings in the
hotel industry). Mr. Virtue described some of the ways Kimpton hotels have invested in green cleaning.
For example, by switching to aerators for bathroom sink faucets, one Kimpton hotel saved one million
gallons of water in a year.
Mr. Virtue reminded the audience that hotels can create demand for the environmentally-responsible
products they want to use because suppliers want to make customers happy—especially customers who
buy large quantities of products. Mr. Virtue described some strategies for beginning a green cleaning
program for hotels and said that one of the most important things to do is to track savings. Mr. Virtue
provided examples of calculations showing how investing in green cleaning can save money.
Presentation 8: ENERGY STAR®
Andrew Schulte, ICF International working in support of ENERGY STAR
Presentation: ENERGY STAR Overview
Mr. Schulte provided an overview of the ENERGY STAR program and how corporations and small
businesses, specifically hotels, can use ENERGY STAR tools. Mr. Schulte introduced the single largest
ENERGY STAR tool, the National Energy Performance Rating System, which hotels can use to see how
they measure up against other hotels of similar size and location. This tool is free to use and helps
hoteliers keep track of their progress in energy and resource efficiency overtime by benchmarking with
the Portfolio Manager.
Mr. Schulte explained that the increase in building rating activity has made this tool and ENERGY STAR
the gold standard for measuring energy performance. The tool can help hoteliers set goals, track savings,
and recognize improvements regardless of their baseline. Finally, Mr. Schulte informed the participants of
the ENERGY STAR Challenge, which is a call to action for the commercial building industry to improve
energy performance by 10 percent.
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Presentation 9: Exemplary Practices - ENERGY STAR
John Lembo, Ferreira Group
Presentation: ENERGY STAR for Hospitality
Mr. Lembo outlined the savings the hospitality industry could realize by reducing energy use by 10
percent as part of the ENERGY STAR Challenge. Mr. Lembo introduced the ENERGY STAR
partnership categories and listed the number of facilities labeled by category; over 6,000 buildings have
been labeled. Although ENERGY STAR labeling is not free, Mr. Lembo discussed its value and
concluded that the label is worth the time and money for hoteliers because of the cost savings from
reduced use of fuel, water, and power. Mr. Lembo concluded his presentation with descriptions of the
different categories included in a comprehensive energy management and sustainability plan.
Presentation 10: WaterSense®
Lome LaMonica, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
Presentation: EPA WaterSense - A Focus on the Hospitality Industry
Mr. LaMonica explained that increasing population, aging infrastructure, and climate change contributed
to the realization that promoting an ethic of water efficiency should be a national priority. After outlining
the major sources of inefficient water use, Mr. LaMonica discussed the creation of the WaterSense
program as a national product labeling and partnership program that aims to protect water resources for
future generations. He described the different partnership categories and explained the meaning of the
WaterSense label. Mr. LaMonica said that if you see the WaterSense label on products and packaging,
you know the product has met WaterSense specifications for efficiency and performance. Mr. LaMonica
assured the audience that there are strict guidelines for using the WaterSense mark to protect the integrity
of the brand.
Mr. LaMonica explained that water savings also translates into energy savings because the energy needed
to treat and transport water in the United States adds up to 56 billion kilowatt hours per year. Using water
more efficiently saves energy, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, which can impact climate change.
Mr. LaMonica said that hoteliers could see significant savings in the industry as a whole by implementing
water-efficient practices and installing water-efficient products.
Presentation 11: Exemplary Practices - Water Efficiency
Dan Cook, Conservation Solutions Corporation
Presentation: Water Efficiency - A detailed look at water efficiency in the hospitality sector
Mr. Cook explained that there is not a lot of drinkable water on the surface of the planet, compared to all
the sources of water. He stated that agriculture will drive the impending water crisis because countries are
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tapping groundwater for irrigation needs. Mr. Cook defined water conservation and mentioned that one
way to conserve water would be to increase the cost of water so people are paying for what they use. If
water rates increase, people have more motivation to invest in water-efficiency measures.
Mr. Cook suggested that hoteliers use metering to determine where water is used in their hotels and focus
on reducing water and energy use simultaneously. Mr. Cook gave several suggestions for saving water in
the bathroom: fixing leaks, using faucet aerators, using showerheads designed for the specific water
pressure in a room, installing dual flush or 1.28 gallon per flush toilets, and considering zero flush urinals.
Mr. Cook presented various calculations of savings and payback periods for each product type and then
described ways of saving water in the kitchen, swimming pools, and laundry rooms. Mr. Cook
highlighted the importance of heating water efficiently and suggested a chemical-free water treatment
system that eliminates the use of chemicals and can represent up to three Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ credits. Mr. Cook encouraged hoteliers
to use efficient irrigation systems, rain water recovery systems, and water reuse systems. Mr. Cook used
graphs and calculations to show that the economics of water conservation are sound and compelling.
Facilitated Discussion
Dan Ruben, Boston Green Tourism
Mr. Ruben led participants in a discussion about what hoteliers are doing green their facilities, what is
working, and what is challenging. Participants responses and discussion follows:2
Question 1: Over the course of this workshop, we have heard many reasons for hotels to go
green. What is the number one reason that your hotel wants to go green?
• We've received a number of requests for proposals asking about our environmental programs
over the past few years.
• At first we started going green to save money, but then our reasons for going green evolved into a
way to staying ahead of the competition.
• To show employees corporate social responsibility.
• We find going green is important from a government standpoint. For us, revenues mean more
than costs to go green.
! Participants' contributions have been edited for clarity and to remove identifiable information.
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Question 2: Are you getting requests about your green initiatives from non-corporate or
non-government entities?
• Yes, individual travelers look at green ratings on travel sites now.
• Organic and fair trade food is driving chefs at hotels to reverse engineer through the supply chain
[to obtain green-minded food for guests], which has exploded into a whole movement.
Question 3: Are you getting requests for greener alternatives through your food
departments?
• The most difficult part of providing organic/fair trade options is the cost—it's more expensive to
provide the same menu. The lesson we've learned is to change the menu in response to the local
and organic options we have.
• Each department is responsible for their costs, so it is difficult to implement this type of
purchasing.
• Local food is expensive. Often there's a disconnect between the individual hotel and the
corporate office. The individual hotel might not have the power to start buying local.
• We've come across a situation where we found that it was less expensive to buy local eggs than
to get them from the corporate supplier, but we didn't have the power to buy them. It depends on
your corporate office; it's easier for some than for others.
• Many local restaurants are able to use food that they find at local markets, which changes at
various times throughout the seasons. It's not as easy to buy like that for a hotel with a set menu.
Question 4: Have you gotten lots of requests for green weddings or other green events?
• We offer the option to customize meetings for our clients so they can request green meetings.
• We offer "Zero/Zero Events," which means zero waste and zero carbon.
• We provide food that is 70 percent local and 30 percent organic at our green meetings. We find
that customers will pay more for green events.
• Why does a green event have to cost more, though? If the default business plan is "green," would
the price for these products and food decrease?
• Hopefully. In reality at this point in time, it doesn't, but the price will go down as more people
demand more local/organic/green options.
Question 5: On the purchasing side, is it possible to demand green products and get them?
• The green cleaning sector can do it.
• We can't find cheaper organic food.
• If we show cost savings, we can buy local.
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• The more purchasing power you have, the less food will cost. Vendors that buy for big chains are
being more flexible now because people are asking for green and organic foods. For instance, in
our ARAMARK contract, we specify that a certain percentage of the food they buy for our
cafeteria must be organic.
• Larger buyers like hotels negotiate contracts for buying a certain percentage of food from the
supplier, so they should be able to specify that a certain percentage of that is local or organic.
• For us, the corporate office is very rigid. The life of an executive chef is boring, especially in a
unionized environment. Recipes that are designated in advance determine what you can make.
The chef can't create food on a day-to-day basis.
• Sometimes in a unionized environment, if you can make a suggestion sound beneficial to the
workers as well, it's much easier to get them to buy in.
Question 6: What kind of pushback have you gotten from your green initiatives?
• The payback periods for efficient products can be one to two years, which doesn't go far if your
corporate office has certain payback requirements.
• We've gotten complaints over reusing our water bottles.
• We've gotten a few complaints about using in-room sensing systems—when the system
determines there is no one in the room (by using an infrared system), the lights go out and the
temperature returns to the baseline. We only get about three complaints per year about this
though.
• To an extent, many efficient items shouldn't be seen by customers. For example, a hotel institutes
a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) retrofit. The hotel became more efficient, but they didn't want
to participate in a case study because they didn't want to look cheap. There is a trade-off because
someone is dissatisfied either way. It is in the spin—you can save money and promote corporate
responsibility. Now that the public perception has become more positive, you can use words like
"global warming," "cost savings," and "energy savings."
• Consider the other argument: for the 18 percent who care about your green initiatives, there are
82 percent who don't, so why market your achievements if it might cost you money by deterring
customers from staying?
Question 7: How is the marketing of your green initiatives going? Are you marketing your
green achievements?
• We don't have a central marketing department. Individual hotels can market their efforts, but that
doesn't encourage innovation.
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• There's a learning curve for hotels like there used to be for universities; schools didn't want
potential students thinking they were being cheap. Hotels have the potential to fall in a similar
trap now.
• We can't market all of our properties as green, but we are working to market our green initiatives
and include them on our Web site.
• For New York City hotels, any sector that gets lean and green should resonate with the mayor's
PlaNYC to reduce the city's global warming emissions 30 percent by 2030 (when an additional
one million people are expected to live in the city).
• We don't want our green marketing to backfire because we don't have the certification to point to
as proof.
• There are ways to incorporate a green message without saying specific things that could be
proven wrong. The Jury's Doyle hotel ads use messages like, "When you check into a green
hotel, CO2 checks out." You could buy wind energy, highlight your green weddings in ads or use
your Web sites to say, "We take care of our world."
• The Lennox Hotel, for example, markets their hotels as green not so much to get customers in the
door, but to encourage return business. They have books on green issues and recycling boxes in
all rooms.
Question 8: What are some obstacles to greening that you've found?
• Everything. We tried switching from waste oil collection that charged us to a service that was
free, but we couldn't get out of our contract.
• We've had varied results with in-room sensing systems, which we also use in meeting rooms.
• We installed fuel cells on our rooftop and encountered some installation problems. We're not sure
the effort actually brought any customers to our hotel.
• Sometimes we use the analogy of "hardware (or green initiatives/systems) versus software (our
guests)." We might have the ENERGY STAR label on our Web site, but if there's no recycling
bins in the hotel, people think we aren't green.
• The issue comes down to the people who are staying. There are all kinds and they may appreciate
different aspects of our green programs.
• Greening is happening in many areas. Do you market your hotel differently in regions that might
be more environmentally advanced?
• I'm not sure. You can look at the company's Web site to see what we're doing. It's not so much
about marketing but about conforming to a national brand.
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• "Green" is not a final point but a never-ending process of trying to develop awareness, educating
guests, and remembering to be flexible.
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Appendix A: EPA Region 2's Focus in the Hospitality Sector
The EPA Region 2 Pollution Prevention Team is working to promote pollution prevention (P2) practices
in the hospitality sector with an eye toward achieving measurable results in pounds of hazardous waste
reduced, gallons of water saved, British thermal units (BTUs) of energy conserved, and dollars saved. The
strategy has four major components: partnership building, outreach/education, technical assistance, and
financial support for development and implementation.
Partnership Building
Region 2 has established effective partnerships to advance P2 in the hospitality industry and has
effectively utilized several of its partnership programs as they apply to this sector. As of January 2008,
three hospitality facilities in Puerto Rico were listed as Waste Wise partners. As of August 2008, eight
lodging facilities in New York and 12 lodging facilities in New Jersey were ENERGY STAR labeled. In
addition to recruiting hospitality facilities to formally participate in one or more of the Agency's
partnership programs, Region 2 is coordinating with several other EPA regional offices and Headquarters'
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances in the development of the national strategy for
greening hospitality facilities. Region 2 is also a member of the Green Hospitality workgroup that is
chaired by the Northeast Waste Management Official's Association (NEWMOA). This involvement
places Region 2 in regular contact with contacts in state environmental agencies, EPA Region 1, and
NEWMOA, who are working in the area of green hospitality.
Outreach/Education
The January 7, 2009, workshop aimed in part to enhance the visibility of several EPA partnership
programs relevant to the hospitality sector, including Waste Wise, ENERGY STAR, and WaterSense.
Other Agency programs and recommended practices have a connection to the hospitality sector including
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing, Integrated Pest Management, GreenScapes, Green Suppliers
Network, and Performance Track. Recognizing that there is only so much that can be covered in a one-
day workshop, EPA Region 2 welcomes the opportunity to discuss these additional programs with
stakeholders in the hospitality sector. We are interested in seeing a continued use of Waste Wise and
ENERGY STAR in hospitality facilities, but also look forward to the sector's participation of some of
these other programs that would result in positive environmental results.
Technical Assistance
The region has conducted conference calls with a variety of stakeholders, including hoteliers, concerning
the online procurement tool Quantity Quotes, which enables the bulk purchase of a variety of ENERGY
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STAR qualified products. EPA is planning to conduct similar technical assistance for WaterSense labeled
products. We are also available to discuss these programs more thoroughly in person and can bring in
additional resources from EPA Headquarters to provide more in-depth information. We are interested in
working with stakeholders who are implementing any of the programs mentioned above so that we may
share success stories that would motivate others to consider these programs in their management strategy.
Financial Support for Development and Implementation
Our P2 program administers two grants programs: The P2 Grants Program and the Source Reduction
Assistance (SRA) Grants Program. Each program solicitation is issued separately and has different
eligibility and fund match requirements.
P2 Grants
This grant targets only state and tribal programs and provides 50 percent matching funds for the purpose
of supporting P2 activities across all environmental media and developing state-based and/or tribal-based
programs.
Source Reduction Assistance Grants
These grant dollars require only 5 percent matching funds, and are targeted at non-profit organizations,
and state, county, municipal, and tribal technical assistance programs, to assist businesses and industries
in identifying better environmental strategies and solutions for reducing or eliminating waste at the source
across all environmental media.
Two P2 grants were awarded in 2008 to promote green hospitality initiatives. A project with the Puerto
Rico Solid Waste Management Authority (PRSWMA) is targeting 10 hospitality facilities to raise
environmental awareness in the hospitality sector. The project will present a model for the collection of
data on energy and water consumption and solid waste generation by the hospitality sector, which may
guide the development of environmental management systems (EMSs). The second grant to Buffalo State
College provides funds for the identification of P2/conservation opportunities at 10 hospitality sector
businesses in upstate New York. On-going assessments are addressing source reduction of hazardous
substances and priority chemicals, environmentally preferable purchasing, resource conservation, and
green hotel issues.
Given that our 2009 grant solicitation (RFP) for P2 proposals indicates that hospitality is a focus of the P2
program, we expect to receive more funding proposals in the next grant cycle related to pollution
prevention in the hospitality sector.
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Appendix B: Questions, Answers, and Comments
Presentation 1: Why Go Green?
Q: Have you seen bankers or investment companies that are considering companies that don't incorporate
green practices as more of a risk than those that are?
A: I haven't seen this yet, but it's coming. Sustainability adds value to business.
Presentation 2: EPA and the Green Meeting Standard
Q: In the hotel industry, people are looking for a universal green standard. Will this be it?
A: There are a number of other standards through the Green Meeting Council, Florida's Green Lodging
program and 13 states around the country that have green lodging programs with lists of best practices.
There's also Green Seal and Canada's Green Key program. We've identified a need for a universal
standard, but we're not sure this is what we'll be doing. We may not be able to supplant other programs
like Green Seal.
Q: For facilities and companies that want to move to be sustainable, can they make changes now that will
be included or recognized by the standard when it is developed?
A: Yes. We're not sure what the standard will look like in the end, but if you're using these green
programs and principles, when it comes time to adopt a uniform standard, you'll already have done many
of these things.
Q: Can we get a preliminary draft of the standard? We're trying to set up a green conference and are
looking for green hotels in Washington, B.C. We'd like to give them a draft of these questions to see if
they have complied.
A: When you send the request for proposals out, you'll send out the 14 questions I discussed earlier. You
can also highlight questions about other green standards and programs. Also ask for details on each
program. If they are ENERGY STAR rated (for hotels), ask them if they use the Portfolio Manager.
Presentation 3: EPA Partnership Programs
Q: Is there an example of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) online?
A: We're trying to get them up on the Web site. We can get you one if you give us your e-mail address.
A: There are also press releases online for Region 2 that include information on the MOUs. Go to
and look for the "Press Room" link.
A: Joe Bergstein and Carlos Ramos, of the Region's Pollution Prevention Team, can send you a draft
MOU for the hospitality sector.
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Presentation 4: Waste Wise
Q: For the cost savings you mentioned for waste sorting, does that factor in the cost for people to do the
sorting too?
A: Yes, that was factored in.
Q: What materials did they recover at Planet Hollywood?
A: There are case studies that we wrote up about this. I'll give them to you.
Q: You said hotels can become members—do you mean of this program?
A: Yes, you can join Waste Wise as an individual hotel instead of the corporate office.
Presentation 5: Exemplary Practices - Waste Wise
Q: How big is this hotel you were talking about?
A: 348 rooms.
Q: As far as renovation goes, can you speak to how you deal with aspects like furniture and carpet, etc.?
A: Hyatt has a whole corporate global initiative, so our headquarters does look at the environmental
impacts of these products.
Q: What is the root of the $11,000 in savings you show in the handout?
A: Cheaper hauling costs, mainly, because you save on tipping fees, you haul lighter loads, and you need
less frequent hauling.
Q: Were these food waste initiatives subsidized by the city?
A: No.
Q: Have you considered composting?
A: No, mostly because of the effluent restrictions in our township.
Q: Do you partner with local food shelves to donate unused food?
A: No, there's a liability issue if someone gets sick or ill from food coming from Hyatt.
Comment: Actually, there's the Good Samaritan Law that protects you from liability.
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Q: Where do you get your soft goods? Do you replace them quarterly?
A: Cintas. Yes.
Q: Do you send your laundry out?
A: No, we use an ozone system which saves us money.
Q: What's left in your dumpster after the resource recovery?
A: Honestly, not much. That's where you see the savings—we've reduced our pulls to once a month.
Q: Do you use trash can liners in individual rooms?
A: Yes, they are biodegradable and are picked up with the tote, then replaced.
Q: How does your food waste hauler deal with the food waste?
A: Converted Organics Inc. (New Jersey) turns our food waste into fertilizer.
Q: What do you do with plastic wraps on food?
A: It can be commingled. If it has touched food, waxed and cardboard waste goes in with the food waste.
Q: Do you have recycling bins in individual rooms or just common areas?
A: No, just in common areas and behind the scenes.
Q: Does staff sort the recycling?
A: Some. We've trained and coached our staff to put everything in the correct recycling containers
initially, so there's not a lot of sorting needed after the fact.
Comment: Some hotels have gone to in-room composting in Boston. We found attractive in-room bins
and had a session at the GreenBuild Conference.
Q: What do you do with your cooking grease?
A: The company picks up used grease from our deep fat fryers to refine it into laundry detergent and
soaps.
Comment: We've been unable to find a free service for hauling cooking grease in New Jersey.
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A: I haven't found one either, we still pay a small fee.
Q: What kind of education do you do for guests to understand your efforts?
A: We have tent cards in rooms about the linen reuse. Guests are educated at check-in through tent cards
on the reception desks. They are instructed to leave plastic water bottles out in their rooms for the staff to
recycle.
Comment: Instead of providing boxed lunches, we purchase reusable coolers with the our logo to cut
down on cardboard usage. Clients can take the coolers with them to reuse later. We have gotten a very
positive response.
Q: Do you work with unions?
A: I work with an engineers union, but not a hotel union.
Comment: We just started composting so we were going to hire two new positions, but now they want
quota reductions. The union decided it didn't need more people to do composting because the food is
being moved down to the composter anyway, so we didn't run into any problems with the union.
Comment: There really is minimal material that needs to be separated to start a composting program.
Comment: If you present these waste reduction ideas as good for the environment or community, it
makes it easier to accomplish these things and there are less problems. We used this strategy to start
giving partially used toilet paper rolls in our hotel to homeless and women's shelters. Union buy-in is
easier than it used to be.
Comment: New York Waste Match is free material exchange database that you can find at
. Some of you might want to check it out if you have materials you are not using.
Q: What is coming out of your hotel rooms that is not recyclable?
A: Not much. We're not really moving trash anymore, but recyclables.
Comment: We've been collecting paper hand towels to compost, which adds up to 26 pounds per day. It
might not seem like much, but at least a small step. We found that there is less money being paid for
paper and other recyclable materials because there's no market for recyclables.
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A: Yes, it has taken a hit, but the market is still there and will recover.
Q: Have you considered using bulk dispensers?
A: Yes, we have. Helix uses them, but we still see some resistance. People perceive that we're trying to
be cheap. We are testing bulk dispensers in our four-star hotels. We still have to run a business and keep
our reputation as an upscale hotel. But, once we test new products we usually end up putting them into
wide-scale use afterwards.
Presentation 6: Green Cleaning
Q: When you rate products, how do you compare them?
A: In the Design for Environment program, we don't rate products but there are criteria for different
categories and products either pass or fail. We list the products that passed in enough categories to
qualify. Rutgers did an environmentally preferable purchasing pilot program and they have the best case
study on trading the cleaning products out for a dispensing system. They are calculating the amount of
reduced absenteeism in cleaning staff because of green cleaning. I can post those results.
Q: To what extent do you rely on Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) when evaluating products?
A: A bit, as a first cut. Usually we need to follow up for more specific information on types of testing
they've done, for example.
Q: Who provides training for green cleaning?
A: Different people. NISH does a lot of training in this area. The janitorial service company does some
training and the manufacturer trains on the proper use of the product.
Comment: It's important to know that you can look at the EPP Database for cleaning and other product
types. It sometimes includes links to other suppliers.
Q: Are deicers included under the green cleaning umbrella?
A: Deicers aren't included in the janitorial/service area as much, but more in the landscaping and grounds
management areas.
Presentation 7: Exemplary Practices - Green Cleaning
Q: How did you overcome resistance to changing to CFLs?
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A: We had some reservations from the lighting engineer, whose job is to plan the lighting in all our
common spaces. All of our public areas have been fitted with CFLs and no one can tell the difference. We
had the most pushback in the guest rooms, but the way we overcame it was to replace them anyway.
Comment: The federal government has similar issues with historic lighting in Washington, B.C., for
example. We tried changing it out and talked to U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) but it still
has not been fixed. It looks like the lesson here is that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for
permission.
Q: What do you do with sheets and towels you remove from your inventory?
A: We donate them, especially now that we are doing a soft goods renovation. We give them to homeless
shelters and women's shelters. As things get damaged they get replaced so there's not a set schedule for
replacement.
Q: What kinds of training strategies work for you?
A: We do a little bit of everything. We talk to employees, especially since the message can get lost if
there's turnover. We use posters, online training videos, biweekly employee e-newsletters, and weekly
company e-mails. If there's a new product, the supplier comes in to teach employees about how to use it.
Comment: Instead of having bottles, you could use push pumps in bathrooms.
A: We use pump systems in some hotels and we are testing them in other upscale hotels.
Q: In regards to Styrofoam plates, how much more water do you use cleaning reusable plates as opposed
to having everything disposable?
A: I don't know but our standard is to use reusable.
Q: Do your toiletry items have seals? Do you throw them away after each use?
A: If they haven't been used, we don't throw them away.
Q: Could you reuse the bottles and refill them for weeklong stays?
A: No, there's a lot of product in those bottles so they last a long time.
Comment: I've seen posters that identify employees who come up with good sustainable ideas and I
think that's a great idea for employee buy-in.
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Q: If recycling toiletry containers is difficult, why don't you use biodegradable options?
A: The toiletry bottles are manufactured with recycled-content materials. We donate leftover bottles that
have not been used.
Presentation 9: Exemplary Practices - ENERGY STAR®
Q: How common is it to have separate metering for different systems?
A: It's not so common because it's very costly. Usually metering must be done through a building
automation system.
Q: It seems like it would be very useful to be able to say you've saved energy through metering. I've
heard energy savings can be up to 40 percent.
A: As a facility manager and engineer, yes, we want that information, but the industry doesn't understand
it (they want heads in beds) and it is expensive.
Q: Is the Portfolio Manager good for ongoing analysis?
A: Yes, absolutely. Companies can track it on a quarterly basis, too. You can use it to see where energy
use is highest and determine where to take the next step, but it won't answer every specific question about
your energy use. Best of all, it's free!
Comment: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) provides a
benchmarking service to compare your facility to other facilities of similar size.
Q: Does the Portfolio Manager track water use?
A: As of a year ago, you can track water and wastewater, but not consumption. You can really use the
tool to see that your building is at a 48 and determine what kind of cost savings will be involved with
getting to 50. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Web site can offer a more detailed look at
energy usage in buildings.
Q: Are there ways to maximize efficiency by putting people in certain rooms (grouped together, for
example)?
A: Sometimes hotels will close off sections if they don't have guests, but when more people are staying,
there's not much of a difference.
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Q: If you're comparing your hotel with similar facilities, and you stop doing your own laundry (that's one
of the points the Portfolio Manager asks about and grades you on), would your peer group change?
A: Yes, the model is under constant revision. Data comes out on a quadrennial basis so there's a revision
coming out soon with new data inputs. My suggestion is to stick with it as it improves.
Presentation 10: WaterSense®
Q: Is there a price differential between regular and WaterSense labeled toilets?
A: It's flat, there's no differential now. There are many styles and varieties to choose from at different
retail entities.
Q: What is the difference in flush volume of WaterSense toilets and other low flow toilets?
A: WaterSense toilets meet criteria for efficiency and performance. They have been certified and tested to
meet specifications. [Note: The federal standard right now is 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf); a WaterSense
labeled toilet must flush at 1.28 gallons (or average 1.28 gpf if it's a dual flush model).]
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Appendix C: Agenda
7 Pollution Prevention in the Hospitality Industry: How
Managing the Environment Can Help Your Bottom Line
EPA Region 2
New York, New York
January 7, 2009
Agenda
9:OOAM Welcome
Joann Brennan-McKee, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 2
9:05AM Why Go Green?
Going green is currently a hot topic, but why should you move in that direction? Through
increased efficiency, hoteliers can reduce costs, achieve environmental results, gain
recognition, win new business, and be more attractive to employees.
Rod Millot, Deloitte & louche LLP
9:35AM EPA and the Green Meeting Standard
Learn more about EPA's involvement in establishing a green meeting standard and its
effect on the hospitality industry.
Harry Lewis, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency- Pollution
Prevention Division
9:45AM EPA Partnership Programs
An overview of strategic tools you can use to green facilities while lowering costs.
John Filippelli, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 2
10:05AM WasteWise
WasteWise is a cost effective, reliable, and environmentally sound method for reducing
and recycling municipal solid waste and selected industrial wastes.
Lorraine Graves, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 2
10:1 SAM Exemplary Practices - WasteWise
A detailed look at WasteWise in the hospitality sector.
Charles Link, Princeton Hyatt
11 :OOAM BREAK
(over)
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11:1 SAM Green Cleaning
Green cleaning can improve indoor air quality, reduce complaints among guests
and janitorial staff, and save money.
Jim Darr, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Pollution
Prevention Division
11:25AM Exemplary Practices - Green Cleaning
A detailed look at green cleaning in the hospitality sector.
Ed Virtue, Hotel Monaco Washington DC - A Kimpton Hotel
12:10PM LUNCH
1:10PM ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR is a proven energy management approach that helps measure
current energy performance, set goals, track savings, and reward improvements.
Andrew Schulte, ICF International working in support of ENERGY STAR
1:20PM Exemplary Practices - ENERGY STAR
A detailed look at ENERGY STAR in the hospitality sector.
John Lembo, Ferreira Group
2:05PM WaterSense®
Reducing water use by promoting water efficiency and identifying water-efficient
products.
Lome LaMonica, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 2
2:15PM Exemplary Practices - Water Efficiency
A detailed look at water efficiency in the hospitality sector.
Dan Cook, Conservation Solutions Corporation
3:OOPM BREAK
3:15PM Facilitated Discussion
4:45PM Wrap Up
Joseph Bergstein, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 2
5:OOPM ADJOURN
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T Appendix D: Evaluation
Pollution Prevention in the Hospitality Industry: How
Managing the Environment Can Help Your Bottom Line
Evaluation
WE ARE INTERESTED IN YOUR FEEDBACK ON OUR WORKSHOP. If possible, evaluate each
session at its conclusion. Please rate each session and answer the questions below. Please provide
specific feedback on individual presenters when possible.
Please return your completed evaluation form to the registration table before departing the event. If you are
unable to complete this evaluation onsite, please fax the completed form to (703) 841-1440.
Rate sessions with the following rating system: 1= Poor 2 = Fair 3 = Good 4 = Very Good 5 = Excellent
Please note your industry sector:
D Hospitality Facility D Industry Supplier D Academia D Government D NGO D Other2
RATE THE RELEVANCE OF
SESSION INFORMATION
Session 1: Why Go Green? 12345 12345
What was the most beneficial aspect of the session? Least beneficial?
Session 2: EPA and the Green Meeting Standard 12345 12345
What was the most beneficial aspect of the session? Least beneficial?
Session 3: EPA Partnership Programs 12345 12345
What was the most beneficial aspect of the session? Least beneficial?
Sessions 4 and 5: WasteWise 12345 12345
What was the most beneficial aspect of the session? Least beneficial?
Sessions 6 and 7: Green Cleaning 12345 12345
What was the most beneficial aspect of the session? Least beneficial?
(over)
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RATE THE RELEVANCE OF
SESSION INFORMATION
Sessions 7 and 8: ENERGY STAR 12345 12345
What was the most beneficial aspect of the session? Least beneficial?
Sessions 9 and 10: Water Efficiency 12345 12345
What was the most beneficial aspect of the session? Least beneficial?
Session 11: Facilitated Discussion 12345 12345
What was the most beneficial aspect of the session? Least beneficial?
GENERAL QUESTIONS
1. Are there topics that you would like more information on at future meetings or conferences?
2. What are you doing to promote and/or implement "green" practices in the hospitality industry?
3. What suggestions do you have to overcome barriers and/or further promote and implement
green practices both within your own organization and in the hospitality industry?
4. Additional Comments (e.g. major or surprise personal insights gained; new or different personal
approaches considered; additional collaborative actions)
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Appendix E: Participants, Moderators, and Speakers
Merlyn Akhtar
New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation, Region 2
718-482-4996
mlakhtar@gw.dec.state.ny.us
Rick Antosh
Cayuga Hospitality Advisors
201-886-7242
R_Antosh@msn. com
Christopher Balfe
SE LINDEN
212-671-1906
christopher.balfe@gmail.com
Diana Beltran
Grand Hyatt New York Hotel
646-213-6714
diana.beltran@hyatt.com
*Joseph Bergstein
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
212-637-3890
bergstein.joseph@epa.gov
Robert Brashler
Willow Hotels
212-710-3425
rbrashler@willowhotels.com
*Joann Brennan Mckee
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
212-637-3803
brennan-mckee.joann@epa.gov
Matthew Broder
Sheraton La Guardia East Hotel
718-670-7487
broder.matthew@gmail.com
Krystle Bryan
New York State Energy Research and
Development Authority /RLW Analytics
518-266-9360
krystle .bryan@rlw.com
* Speaker/Moderator
W. Bradley Burnett
EcoLogic Solutions, Inc
949.413.5775
bburnett@ecologicsolutions .com
Larry Burrus
W-Tuscany Hotel
212-726-9550
larry.burrus@whotels.com
Diane Buxbaum
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
212-637-3919
buxbaum.diane@epa.gov
Mark Callo
Embassy Suites Hotel
646-769-4489
mark. callo@hilton. com
Sarrah Candee
Denihan Hospitality Group
212-545-5252
scandee@affinia.com
Dale Carpenter
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
212-637-4110
carpenter.dale@epa.gov
Danny Chan
The Pierre Hotel
212-838-8000
danny.chan@tajhotels.com
Francine Cohen
Philagreen Hospitality Association
215-275-5021
francine@philagreenhospitality.com
*Dan Cook
Conservation Solutions Corporation
978-266-1900
dcook(S>conservationsolutions. com
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Blanca Cruz
Millenium
212-312-2061
Blanca.cruz@hilton.com
*James Darr
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
202-564-8841
darr.james@epa.gov
Mahipaul Dass
Jackparker Corp
212-333-3353
mdass@j ackparkercorp. com
Michael DiGiore
New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection
609-777-0518
michael.digiore@dep.state.nj .us
Mary Ellen Etienne
New York WasteMatch
212-650-5832
maryellen@wastematch. org
*John Filippelli
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
212-637-3754
filippelli.john@epa.gov
Kathleen Foley
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
732-321-6790
savino .kathleen@epa.gov
Evadne Giannini
HospitalityGreen
845-436-6173
evadne .giannini@gmail.com
*Lorraine Graves
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
212-637-4099
graves.lorraine@epa.gov
Allison Gudge
Grand Hyatt New York
212-883-1234
allison.gudge@hyatt.com
Priscilla Hayes
Solid Waste Resource Renewal Group,
Rutgers University
732-932-9155
hayes@aesop.rutgers.edu
Jack Keddy
Starwood Hotels
212-841-6726
jack.keddy@sheraton.com
Rabi Kieber
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
212-637-4448
kieber.rabi@epa.gov
*Lorne LaMonica
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
212-637-3496
lamonica.lorne@epa.gov
Stephanie Lamster
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
212-637-3465
lamster.stephanie@epa.gov
*John Lembo
Ferreira Group
908-534-8655
j lembo@ferreiragroup .com
*Harry Lewis
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
202-564-8642
lewis .harry@epa.gov
*Charles Link
Princeton Hyatt
609-734-4245
charles.link@hyatt.com
* Speaker/Moderator
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Shanna Losee
New York State Energy Research and
Development Authority/RLW Analytics
631-332-9140
Losees501@strose.edu
Bruce Macdonald
New York City Department of Environmental
Protection
718-595-4454
bmacdonald@dep.nyc.gov
Charles Manfred
AP Reale and Sons
518-569-2418
charlie@apreale.com
Mike Manna
609-744-2819
mpm@enviroresources.net
Jennifer May
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
212-637-3658
may.jennifer@epa.gov
Mary Ellen McCarry
New York WasteMatch
212-650-8370
mmccarry@wastematch.org
*Rod Millot
Deloitte & Touche LLP
212-436-5425
romillott@deloitte.com
Stephanie Montrallo
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
212-637-3386
montrallo. stephanie@epa.gov
Thomas Muscatello
Hilton New York Hotel
212-261-5916
tom.muscatello@hilton.com
Shaun Panchoo
Hotel Mela
917-304-9608
shaunp@hotelmela.com
Alex Peck
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
212-637-3758
peck.alex@epa.gov
Melissa Perry
Destiny USA
315-422-7000
mperry@destinyusa.com
Annette Poliwka
Sustainability Consultant
415-385-4537
apoliwka@hotmail. com
Carlos Ramos
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2
212-637-3755
ramos.carlos@epa.gov
Mary Ann Remolador
Northeast Recycling Council
802-254-3636
maryann@nerc.org
Anthony Rezzonico
Millenium Hilton
212-312-2095
Tony.Rezzonico@Hilton.com
*Daniel Ruben
Boston Green Tourism
617-527-7950
dan_ruben@usa.net
Walter Schoepf
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
212-637-3729
schoepf.walter@epa.gov
* Speaker/Moderator
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*Andrew Schulte Gauntlett Stewart
ICF International, working in support of Hospitality (Hotel)
ENERGY STAR 212-481-7600
703-934-3201 dstewart@affinia.com
aschulte@icfi .com
Josee Vermette
Lester Simon Criteriage
New York City Department of Environmental 917-741 -9445
Protection josee@joseevermette.com
718-595-4436
LesterS@dep.nyc.gov *Ed Virtue
Hotel Monaco Washington DC
Alan Someck A Kimpton Hotel
New York State Restaurant Association 202-742-0725
516-448-1504 ed.virtue@hotelmonaco.com
asomeck@gmail.com
* Speaker/Moderator
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Appendix F: Steering Committee
Joseph Bergstein
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, Division of Environmental Planning and Protection
Lorraine Graves
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, Resource Conservation & Special Projects Section
Kimberley Irvine
Buffalo State College
Kevin Mulcahy
Buffalo State College
Dan Murphy
New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association
Laura Nazef
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Pollution Prevention
Division
Daniel Ruben
Boston Green Tourism
Jeff Sama
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Matthew Schupbach
Caesars Atlantic City
Walter Schoepf
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, Division of Environmental Planning and Protection
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