Protecting the Environment and Our Employees
2008 Accomplishments
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Administration and
Resources Management
-------
-------
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^.^•^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Contents
Introduction 2
EPA Protects Its Most Valuable Resource—Employees 4
EPA Is Its Own Toughest Critic 8
Green Buildings Provide a Model for the Nation 11
EPA Turns Up the Heat on Energy Projects 14
EPA Storms Ahead With Water Improvements 18
Progressive Transportation Initiatives Gain Traction 21
Efforts Solidify to Promote Electronics Stewardship 24
EPA Rallies to Reduce Its Waste Stream 27
Management Systems Provide the Foundation for
Continual Improvement 29
Closing Remarks and Acknowledgments 32
-------
Introduction
As the Environmental Executive and Designated Agency
Safety and Health Official of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), I am pleased to report on the in-
ternal safety, health, and environmental accomplishments
that EPA achieved during calendar year (CY) 2008. EPA is
entrusted with protecting human health and the environ-
ment, a mandate that has never been more important,
given heightened concerns about global climate change,
energy independence, homeland security, and economic
stimulation. To lead by example, EPA is actively improving the environmental
performance of its more than 200 facilities and instituting safety and health
programs to improve the guality of life of its more than 17,000 employees.
This publication highlights activities the Agency performed in CY 2008 to ad-
vance its environmental performance and protect employees while carrying
out the Agency's work.
EPA has earned recognition as a leader in the federal community for its
environmental accomplishments. EPA was one of only four federal agen-
cies to receive a green score (the highest mark) on the Office of Management
and Budget's (OMB's) Environmental Stewardship Scorecard, a rating we
warranted by achieving top marks in the following four categories: environ-
mental management systems, electronics stewardship, green purchasing,
and sustainable design. As further testament to the strength of EPA's internal
environmental programs, we also received a green score on the OMB Energy
Management Scorecard. Moreover, we continued to meet or exceed environ-
mental performance goals established for federal agencies under the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and
Executive Order (EO) 13423—Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy,
and Transportation Management.
-------
The Agency also continued to maintain a strong safety and health record in
2008, working to achieve one of the lowest injury and illness rates across the
entire federal government. Integrating safe and healthful working practices
into everything we do makes sense for many reasons. It is the morally re-
sponsible thing to do, and it also enhances the productivity of our employees,
which enables us to better serve the public and fulfill the Agency's mission of
protecting human health and the environment.
Although EPA is meeting or exceeding expectations in many areas, the
Agency has no intention of resting on the laurels of past accomplishments.
The challenges of our times are simply too demanding to justify complacency.
EPAs mantra is "continual improvement," which means the Agency is con-
stantly looking for opportunities to further reduce the environmental impacts
of its work, improve the way it conducts business, and fully protect its tal-
ented workforce from potential safety and health hazards. Outlining a path for
the future, EPA released a document (the E2PLAN Strategy for Sustainability)
in October 2008 that describes a path forward to improve its overall energy
and environmental performance, leadership, and accountability, and, where
possible, to achieve carbon neutrality. This strategic document will enable the
Agency to continue serving as a leader and to meet the goals and priorities
established by the White House, Congress, and OMB.
Craig E. Hooks
Assistant Administrator
Office of Administration and Resources Management
Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
EPA Protects Its Most
Valuable Resource—Employees
EPA employees encounter a variety of occupational
hazards. All of the Agency's workers confront typical office-
related hazards such as tripping or slipping; laboratory
workers have the potential to be exposed to toxic chemicals;
and field workers encounter a variety of hazards, including
environmental stressors (e.g., extreme heat or cold), exposures
to chemical and biological hazards, or exposures to unique
physical hazards associated with tree-climbing, aquatic
sampling, or diving. EPA is committed to protecting all of
its employees and has implemented an array of programs to
ensure their well-being. Some address the EPA community as
a whole, and others focus on the needs of specific groups of
employees.
-------
Prevention and Preparedness Pave the Way for Good Health
In 2008, EPA continued to support its Injury and Illness Prevention Program,
the goal of which is to bring EPA's injury and illness rate as close to zero as
possible. As part of this effort, EPA collected and analyzed injury and illness
data across the entire Agency identified common hazards, and shared infor-
mation with employees about specific actions they can take to prevent work-
place injuries and illnesses. The Agency produced and distributed three safety
bulletins in 2008. The first two, How to Avoid Slips, Trips, and Falls (issued in
May) and Preventing Muscle Strain (issued in July), addressed the two lead-
ing causes of injury across the Agency. The third bulletin, Health and Safety
Concerns for New Employees, was issued in December.
Setting a Good Example in the Nation's Capital
For the third year in a row, employees from EPA's Headquarters offices
in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area participated in the Clear Your
Clutter Challenge, a friendly competition that encourages employees
to tidy their work areas and remove paper piles, extension cords, and
other misplaced items that can lead to trips, falls, or other injuries. More
than 300 employees participated. In addition, to encourage employees
to adopt or maintain a healthy lifestyle, EPA Headquarters sponsored a
"Walk to Wellness" event in May 2008, which attracted participation from
about 500 employees.
In addition to focusing
on existing hazards, EPA
continued to position
itself to address potential
future hazards, such as a
global influenza pandemic.
Responding to concerns
expressed by health experts
earlier in the decade, EPA
developed a draft pandemic
influenza plan in early 2006
and followed up with a
more detailed guidance
document in 2007 that
identifies specific actions
EPA would take to protect
employees in the event of a
pandemic influenza outbreak.
The guidance document,
circulated for review in
2008, will be finalized and
distributed in 2009. EPA's
commitment to this issue is
twofold. First, EPA believes
that helping staff stay healthy
in the midst of an outbreak
is simply a responsible thing
to do. Second, the Agency
needs its employees to stay
healthy because key EPA personnel could be called upon to assist the federal
government during national emergencies and to clean up contaminated areas.
This "before and after" photo demonstrates the impact of the Agency's Clear
Your Clutter Challenge.
Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
EPA field employees perform a variety of field operations, including site characterization and sampling activities.
Supporting Emergency Responders
Throughout 2008, EPA continued to strengthen safety and health programs
for its emergency responders, a group that addresses sudden releases of
oil or hazardous substances (including releases of biological, chemical, and
radiological agents), often while wearing personal protective equipment
and working under stressful environmental conditions. For example, work
progressed on EPA's Emergency Responder Health and Safety Manual. EPA
finalized six chapters in 2008, released four new chapters for Agency review,
and developed training on how to use the manual.
EPA also continued to participate in a variety of interagency workgroups
that address the safety and health concerns of emergency responders. For
example, EPA participated in the National Response Team's Worker Health
and Safety Subcommittee in 2008, assisting in the development and review
of a document entitled Guidance for Managing Worker Fatigue During Disas-
ter Operations. EPA also participated in the National Response Framework
Worker Safety and Health Support Annex, an organization that provides
safety and health support during incidents that require a coordinated federal
government response, such as the Midwest floods of 2008.
In addition, EPA focused on assessing the medical surveillance and training
needs of the Agency's Response Support Corps (RSC)—a group that aug-
ments the onsite support that EPA's emergency responders provide during
incidents of national significance. When needed, RSC members voluntarily
leave their offices to provide support in impacted areas. While some RSC
members perform field work, others assist in command centers by providing
administrative or communication support or technical guidance.
6 Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
Playing It Safe in the Laboratory
Throughout 2008, the Agency continued to ensure that operational controls
were in place to minimize the risk of laboratory workers being exposed to
harmful agents. For example, EPA drafted a document that outlines the
Agency's procedures for assessing fume hood performance and assisted two
laboratories in performing such assessments in 2008.
EPA also addressed new safety and health concerns as they emerged. A few
EPA laboratories are actively preparing to accept environmental samples that
could be contaminated with chemical warfare agents (CWA). In response,
EPA convened a workgroup to address safety and health concerns related to
CWA, compiled a list of design criteria that laboratories must consider if they
intend to perform CWA analysis, and reviewed designs and specifications
for renovation projects at two EPA laboratories that are preparing to perform
such analyses.
Some laboratories are also starting to assess nanomaterials and nanotech-
nologies, which has prompted the Agency to research whether such materi-
als and technologies pose safety and health risks. As a starting point, EPA
produced several nanotechnology fact sheets, which address potential risks,
existing safeguards, and chemical properties. EPA also provided an opportu-
nity for its safety and health managers to delve into a discussion on nanotech-
nology by organizing a panel to address this topic as part of an October 2008
Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Workshop.
Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
'/
to*' s
o tm*
EPA Is Its Own
Toughest Critic
What can we be doing better? EPA is constantly asking itself
this question and engaging in a variety of self-evaluation activities
in an effort to answer it. These evaluations are designed to help
the Agency identify potential weaknesses, seek opportunities for
improvements, and ensure compliance with applicable safety,
health, and environmental management (SHEM) requirements.
Safety
Health
-------
The SHEM Audit and Evaluation Program
EPA's Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM) leads and
manages the Agency's formal SHEM Audit and Evaluation Program. Under
this program, OARM sends auditors (e.g., environmental engineers, industrial
hygienists, and fire and life safety experts) to EPA offices, laboratories, and re-
search vessels on a three- to five-year cycle. Auditors determine whether they
are complying with applicable SHEM regulations and laws, assess whether
management systems are working optimally, and identify areas where EPA
facilities require assistance in achieving (or sustaining) strong SHEM per-
formance. Any weaknesses identified during the audits are documented and
tracked as "audit findings/' and local managers are instructed to develop cor-
rective action plans that explain how they will resolve weaknesses and mitigate
reoccurrence. Nine EPA facilities (see map below) were evaluated through the
SHEM Audit and Evaluation Program in 2008. OARM also worked closely with
local managers throughout the year to resolve 115 audit findings.
Audits Performed From Sea to Shining Sea
-Region 10 Laboratory
(Manchester, WA)
Mid-Continent Ecology Division
(Duluth, MN)
Large Lakes
Research Station
(Grosse He, MI)
Region 9 Office
(San Francisco, CA)
Region 9 Laboratory
(Richmond, CA)
The National Air and Radiation
Environmental Laboratory
(Montgomery, AL)
Ecosystem Research
Division
(Athens, GA)
Science and Ecosystems
Support Division Lab-
oratory (Athens, GA)
Region 4 Office
(Atlanta, GA)
EPA facilities audited through the SHEM Audit and Evaluation Program in 2008
Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
The Agency's Self-Assessment Program
EPA is developing a Self-Assessment Program to encourage facilities to
perform internal SHEM assessments and to standardize the way assessments
are conducted. Preliminary tools were developed for the Self-Assessment
Program in 2007, but additional features and checklists were added in 2008.
In August and September, EPA piloted the program at three facilities, ana-
lyzed lessons learned, and started incorporating those lessons into a guid-
ance document. The Self-Assessment Program will be formally launched in
2009, at which time each EPA facility will be required to perform an annual
self-assessment.
Other Opportunities to Assess Performance
The Agency engages in a variety of other self-evaluation activities, seeking
ways to improve performance, achieve better efficiency, save resources, and
better protect workers. For example, in 2008, EPA performed recycling/
pollution prevention assessments at four facilities to identify additional waste
diversion opportunities and continued to assess its Diving Safety Program
(see below).
Also in 2008, EPA positioned itself to address the Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007, which requires federal agencies to perform energy as-
sessments, water assessments, and recommissioning at 25 percent of their
"covered facilities" each year starting in 2009. To prepare, the Agency formal-
ized its list of "covered facilities" in 2008 and developed a preliminary sched-
ule for assessments and commissioning activities for the first half of 2009.
Assessing the Diving Safety Program
EPA's diving teams assist with search and recovery operations,
biological assessments, environmental sampling, and surveying
exercises. In 2008, a total of 68 divers performed 1,716 dives
for the Agency. To ensure their safety, EPA is conducting a
comprehensive evaluation of its Diving Safety Program to de-
termine whether the program adheres to current industry best
practices. By the end of 2008, EPA had completed audits at six
of the Agency's nine dive units. The remainder will be audited
in 2009. Once completed, the Agency will analyze the results
and determine whether program adjustments are needed to
better protect the Agency's divers.
10 | Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
Green Buildings
Provide a Model for the Nation
In April 2008, EPA announced a Green Building Strategy
and unveiled a Green Building Program within the Office of
Policy, Economics, and Innovation to strengthen the foundation
of green building and to raise national public awareness about
green building practices. Leading by example, EPA adopts such
practices at its own offices and laboratories, and as these facilities
accumulate hands-on experience and performance data, their
success stories are helping to build the case for sustainable
buildings across the nation.
EPA actively embraces opportunities to incorporate green
building principles into the design of new construction and
major renovation projects and to improve the environmental
performance of the Agency's existing buildings. By doing so, EPA
is positioning itself to comply with EO 13423, which states that 15
percent of a federal agency's building inventory must meet the
High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Guiding Principles by
2015. The Agency updated its sustainable building implementation
plan and rolled out a strategic document in 2008 to explain how it
will comply with EO 13423.
11
-------
Smart Design Attracts Positive Attention
Over the past decade, EPA has been accumulating a portfolio of green build-
ings, two of which received recognition in 2008 for their exemplary design.
The Annex II building in Cincinnati, Ohio, received Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED®) for New Construction (NC) Gold certification
in December 2008, and the Agency's Region 8 Office in downtown Denver,
Colorado, which received LEED-NC Gold certification in 2007, continued
to attract national and worldwide attention throughout 2008. The building
received the Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Award in 2008 (to
recognize the intellectual substance of its design) and the ENERGY STAR®
label (to acknowledge its energy efficiency, which earned it a score of 96 on a
scale of 100). Furthermore, the Region 8 Office participated in the internation-
al Sustainable Building Challenge Assessment and was featured as a model
building at the World Sustainable Building Conference in Melbourne, Aus-
tralia, in September 2008. The building also continued to serve as a national
resource for learning. Since opening in early 2007, it has shared information
about sustainable design with approximately 9,000 touring individuals.
In 2008, construction was completed on a
research building at EPAs Gulf Ecology Divi-
sion in Florida, a project that merited LEED-NC
Silver certification. Renovations also progressed
in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, where
the Agency is working with the U.S. General
Services Administration (GSA) to convert the
historic John W. McCormack Post Office and
Courthouse into EPA offices. LEED-NC Gold or
Silver certification is anticipated for that project
as well.
The Gulf Ecology Division's Computational
and Geospatial Sciences Building is designed
to limit the building's heating and cooling
requirements. Extra-thick walls feature a soy-
based insulation to maintain temperature,
the building's porch provides ample shading,
and its reflective roof prevents excessive heat
absorption from the sun.
12 Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
Existing Buildings Seek LEED Recognition
When it comes to achieving sustainability, good building design is critical,
but it can only go so far. Proper operations and maintenance activities are
essential to ensure that smart design translates into strong environmental
performance. To benchmark operations and performance, several EPA facili-
ties are pursuing LEED for Existing Building (EB) certification. Leading the
pack, EPA Headquarters Potomac Yard One building in Arlington, Virginia,
received LEED-EB Gold certification in July 2008, and additional EPA facilities
are actively working to follow suit.
One of them, the Region 8 Office, served as a test model for the Agency
throughout 2008 by working to streamline and identify requirements that EPA
buildings must meet to satisfy 1) LEED-EB standards; 2) the High Performance
and Sustainable Building Guiding Principles; and 3) specific Agencywide
environmental objectives, targets, and metrics.
The facility's efforts in this regard recently earned
it a White House Closing the Circle Award in the
Sustainable Design/Green Buildings category. The
Region 8 Office also developed plans in 2008 for
a sub-metering system (to better track water and
energy use) and worked with the University of
California's Center for the Built Environment (CBE)
to develop performance tests for the building's
innovative under-floor air delivery system. CBE
published the results, which are being used by the
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and
Air-Conditioning Engineers. Also in 2008, EPA and
CBE partnered to perform an occupancy survey,
focusing on temperature control and lighting, to
assess how employees perceive their work space.
Employees gave the Region 8 Office high marks,
lending credence to the argument that comfort
does not have to be sacrificed to save resources.
EPA Pressures Leasing Organizations
to "Go Green"
EPA leases much of its space through GSA. Exerting
marketplace pressure, EPA makes it clear that the
space secured on the Agency's behalf must meet
specific green criteria. EPA delivers this message
by working with GSA to incorporate green require-
ments into GSA lease documents and solicitations
for offers (SFOs), which identify the terms of a
lease; the type and amount of space required; and
design, operations, and maintenance requirements.
In 2008, EPA completed a Best Practices Environ-
mental Lease Provisions document, which compiles
environmental provisions to consider for inclusion
in SFOs, including:
• LEED-NC and LEED-EB certification.
• ENERGY STAR label.
• Water-saving toilets, urinals, and lavatory fau-
cets.
• Green cleaning plans.
• Mechanisms for tracking water use, energy use,
solid waste disposal, and recycling.
In 2008, SFOs were prepared for the Region 9
Office and the Region 10 Office, both of which
stipulated an array of environmental requirements
that must be met.
Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments 13
-------
EPA Turns Up the Heat
on Energy Projects
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA),
signed into law in December 2007, challenges federal agencies
to expand renewable fuel production, increase energy efficiency,
and adopt new energy management practices. EPA met these
challenges head-on, working aggressively throughout 2008 to
conserve energy, promote renewable energy, reduce its carbon
footprint, and improve overall environmental performance. In the
process, EPA exceeded EISA's requirements, as well as those put
forth by EO 13423 and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005).
14
-------
Exceeding Energy Reduction Goals
EISA and EO 13423 require federal agencies to reduce energy intensity (a
measure of total energy use per square foot) by 3 percent each year through
fiscal year (FY) 2015, with the overall goal of achieving a 30 percent overall
reduction by FY 2015 (using an FY 2003 baseline). In keeping with that goal,
federal agencies were required to lower their energy intensity by at least 9
percent between FY 2003 and FY 2008.
Clearly, the Agency is well on its way to meeting—and exceeding—its energy
reduction goals. Figure 1 shows how EPAs energy intensity has not only fall-
en in recent years, but has consistently exceeded federal targets. In FY 2008,
EPA reduced its Agencywide energy intensity by 10,910 British thermal units
(Btu) per gross square foot (GSF), a 3.2 percent reduction compared to FY
2007. Even more noteworthy, EPA has reduced its energy intensity by 69,290
Btu per GSF compared to FY 2003, cutting energy intensity by 17.5 percent in
just five years, well ahead of the required 9 percent reduction for FY 2008.
Figure 1: EPA's Energy Intensity
450,000
13 400,000 -
3
~ 350,000 -
«j 300,000 -
w 250,000 -
c
200,000
%
Fiscal Year
*% %
• EPA's Btu/GSF
•EO 13423 and EISA Target
Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments 15
-------
The following are examples of some of the
energy-saving projects that helped EPA achieve
success in FY 2008:
• EPA's Environmental Science Center in Fort
Meade, Maryland, completed a three-phased
ventilation upgrade project in 2008, which
resulted in a 3 percent energy savings in FY
2008 compared to FY 2007.
• The Science and Ecosystems Support Divi-
sion Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, achieved
a 7.8 percent energy savings in FY 2008 from
FY 2007 by making several building control
modifications, including implementing night-
time setbacks to reduce energy use in non-
laboratory spaces during unoccupied hours.
• The Main Laboratory at the Research Triangle
Park (RTF) campus in North Carolina—the
Agency's largest research facility and energy
consumer—completed several multi-year
laboratory air flow optimization projects,
which reduced both occupied and unoccupied
air flow rates and static pressure. Efforts to
recommission the building, improve opera-
tions and maintenance, reduce peak demand,
and complete mechanical system improvement
projects have made a dramatic impact on the
laboratory's energy use. These projects re-
duced energy use at the RTF Main Laboratory
by 12 percent between FY 2007 and FY 2008, or
37.1 percent compared to the FY 2003 baseline.
Renewable Resources
EPA Takes Steps to Reduce Its
Carbon Footprint
While there are no specific requirements
for federal greenhouse gas (GHG) emission
reductions, the Agency is taking a proactive
approach to quantify and reduce its emis-
sions. In 2008, the Agency started develop-
ing an internal GHG emissions inventory
and a quarterly tracking system to better
understand its carbon footprint. Drawing on
a combination of energy-efficiency proj-
ects and extensive green power purchases,
EPA reduced the net GHG emissions of its
most energy-intensive facilities—the 34
laboratories for which it reports utilities—by
69.5 percent (86,254 metric tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent) in FY 2008 compared to
an FY 2003 baseline.
EPA has long been committed to enhancing the
renewable energy market, both through purchasing green power and demon-
strating onsite renewable energy technologies at its facilities. In FY 2008, the
Agency continued to offset 100 percent of its annual electricity use with green
power purchases. EPA purchased approximately 256 million kilowatt-hours
(kWh) of green power through individual facility green power purchases or
broad renewable energy certificate (REG) contracts in FY 2008. In addition to
supporting the clean energy market, these REG purchases offset more than
387 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent, which equals the emissions
from the electricity used by 24,000 homes for an entire year.
In FY 2008, EPA's existing onsite renewable energy projects generated ap-
proximately 94,000 kWh of solar power and 82,663 million Btu of geothermal
energy. EPA is looking more aggressively at onsite renewable energy produc-
tion, including demonstration projects for promising new technologies.
16 Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
For example, the Agency is developing an economical "power purchase
agreement" for a potential photovoltaic (PV) array at the Region 2 Labora-
tory in Edison, New Jersey, which could be capable of producing up to 1,034
megawatt-hours of electricity per year. Onsite renewable energy projects,
such as PV arrays and solar water heating systems, illustrate EPA's continued
commitment to advancing clean energy technologies.
Strategies for the Future
EPA has developed a comprehensive strategy for achieving
additional energy reductions. To more closely monitor facility
energy consumption, part of EPAs strategy involves installing
an Agencywide advanced metering network—a collection of
meters that measure and record interval data at least hourly
and transmit measurements over a communication network to
a central collection point at least once a day. Where cost effec-
tive, EPAct 2005 requires the installation of advanced electric
meters in all federal facilities by 2012, and EISA requires ad-
vanced metering for natural gas and purchased steam by 2016.
Taking the lead among federal agencies, EPA has decided to
exceed these requirements by considering advanced metering
for all commodities, including domestic water.
To compile energy and water data from advanced meters
that will be installed across the Agency over the next several
years, EPA initiated the design and development of a custom,
Agencywide software system that will enable Web-based data analysis and
reporting. In 2008, EPA began the pilot integration of advanced metering
hardware into the planned software system for several of the Agency's larg-
est energy users. At the Main Laboratory and National Computer Center at
RTF in North Carolina, the Agency reconfigured a pre-existing, stand-alone
advanced metering network to communicate with the future national ad-
vanced metering software system. EPA also installed new advanced metering
hardware at its second largest research facility, the Andrew W Breidenbach
Environmental Research Center (AWBERC) in Cincinnati, Ohio. By the end
of FY 2008, these advanced metering efforts collectively enabled EPA to track
46 percent of its reporting facilities' energy consumption. In 2009, EPA plans
to collect near-real-time data from both the Cincinnati and RTF metering
networks for analysis and to apply the lessons learned to further develop the
new Agencywide advanced metering software system.
When installed, EPA's new metering hardware—coupled with its planned
advanced metering software system—will greatly improve the Agency's abil-
ity to quickly collect and analyze critical energy and water data, helping EPA
identify potential opportunities for additional energy and water savings. To
ensure that it continues to meet federal energy reduction goals, EPA will also
continue to identify new approaches to save energy, implement new energy
conservation measures, and assign its facilities energy reduction targets to
meet each year.
The Agency is applying lessons learned
at select EPA locations, like RTF's
National Computer Center, to develop
and refine an Agencywide advanced
metering software system.
Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments 17
-------
18
EPA Storms Ahead
Water Improvements
In 2008, EPA positioned itself to meet EO 13423's
water conservation goals and to support responsible stormwater
management practices. EPA is leading on both fronts.
A Winning Water Conservation Strategy
Over the past several years, EPA has conducted water assessments
at all of its major laboratories and developed facility-specific
water management plans to identify water-saving opportunities.
In 2008, EPA used this information to develop a comprehensive
Agencywide Water Conservation Strategic Plan, which prioritizes
the Agency's water conservation projects, outlines a timetable for
implementing individual projects, and establishes facility-specific
water reduction targets. Throughout the year, the Agency worked
closely with individual facilities to encourage water-saving best
practices and to complete specific water conservation projects.
These efforts were a success. Between FY 2007 and FY 2008, EPA
reduced its water intensity by 6.4 percent, surpassing EO 13423's
water conservation target of 2 percent. The following are examples
of some of the water conservation projects that allowed EPA to
surpass EO 13423's target.
-------
• In 2008, EPA introduced an Agencywide faucet retrofit initiative to encour-
age all EPA facilities to replace or retrofit their lavatory faucets with high-
efficiency faucets or faucet aerators that flow at a maximum of 0.5 gallons
per minute. Ten facilities retrofitted their faucets in 2008, for a combined
water savings of approximately \ million gallons per year. Several other
facilities intend to follow suit in 2009.
• In humid climates, condensate forms as warm humid air passes over
the cold cooling coils in the air handlers of heating, ventilation, and air-
conditioning systems. In May 2008, the Science and Ecosystems Support
Division Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, started capturing the condensate
collecting on its roof-mounted air handlers and pumping that water to the
laboratory's cooling tower. By using the collected condensate as cooling
tower make-up water, the laboratory saved 540,000 gallons of potable water
in 2008. Following its lead, the Office of Research and Development's Eco-
system Research Division (also in Athens, Georgia) implemented a similar
project in September 2008, which is anticipated to save 260,000 gallons of
water per year. In 2009 and beyond, seven other EPA facilities intend to
implement similar projects.
• The Agency's RTF campus in North Carolina eliminated single-pass cooling
in two laboratories in June 2008, a change that will save about 500,000 gal-
lons of water per year.
• In July 2008, the Environmental Science Center in Fort Meade, Maryland,
started routing excess deionized water generated through its reverse os-
mosis process to the facility's boiler, saving about 100,000 gallons of boiler
feedwater per year.
In addition to saving water indoors, EPA also focused on reducing the amount
of water used to support landscaped grounds. In August and September of
2008, WaterSense® irrigation partners conducted irrigation system audits at
five EPA facilities. Based on the audit results, two facilities decided to shut
down their irrigation systems and proceed with xeriscaping, one facility com-
mitted to repairing its irrigation system, and two facilities agreed to overhaul
their irrigation systems with more water-efficient designs. The irrigation
optimization projects, scheduled for completion in 2009, will save about 1.9
million gallons of water per year.
Rain Is a Resource, Not a Waste
The Agency is committed to mitigating the adverse effects associated with
stormwater runoff, which can lead to contamination, erosion, flooding, and
infrastructure damage. EPA understands that rain is a resource, not a waste,
and has embraced low impact development (LID), an approach that focuses
on treating rain where it falls, decreasing the amount of runoff that flows into
storm drain systems, maintaining or restoring natural hydrologic cycles, pro-
Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments 19
-------
moting ground water recharge, and improving water quality. In support of this
approach, EPA has installed bioretention cells (also referred to as rain gardens)
and green roofs at select locations, chosen porous surfaces over impervious
surfaces, and maximized opportunities for harvesting and reusing rainwater.
As an example of the latter, EPA completed a "garage cistern" project (see
below) at one of its Washington, B.C., buildings in summer 2008. At this site,
rainwater is diverted from the garage roof, collected in a series of six under-
ground 1,000-gallon cisterns, and used to irrigate plants and trees. Also in
2008, the Ecosystem Research Division in Athens, Georgia, completed a major
stormwater management retrofit project to reduce the amount of sediment and
pollution flowing into local tributaries and to facilitate better aquifer recharge.
The Region 2 Laboratory in Edison, New Jersey, is also supporting an LID
project. This location started developing plans in 2008 for a progressive park-
ing lot upgrade project. The goal is twofold: 1) reduce stormwater runoff by
removing impervious surfaces and 2) use the site to study the efficacy of three
different types of porous paving materials. Current plans call for removing
and crushing the existing concrete from the nearly 50,000-square-foot parking
lot, grading the surface, reusing the crushed concrete as a sub-base material,
and then installing three different types of porous materials on top—porous
asphalt, porous concrete, and permeable pavers. Underdrains will be installed
below each type of paving surface, which will allow for cross-comparison
testing of each material's effectiveness in achieving ground water recharge
and pollutant removal. The design of the parking area is currently up for bid,
and completion of this project is anticipated in 2010.
EPA will continue to be a strong proponent of LID principles in the years to
come. To advance the cause, the Agency started developing training materials
and guidelines in 2008 to continue promoting the use of "wet weather green
infrastructure" at new facilities (as required under Section 438 of EISA) and to
continue supporting retrofit projects at existing facilities.
Garage Cistern Project at
EPA Headquarters
Rainwater that falls on the roof of the
EPA West building in Washington, D.C.,
collects in underground cisterns and
is used to irrigate 13,500 square feet
of landscaped area along Constitution
Avenue. The harvested rainwater is
pumped several mornings per week
between May and October. A rain
sensor automatically shuts off the
irrigation system if it rains during an
irrigation cycle.
t
EPA West
Roof Drains
n —i —i i—i i—i —i i—i m m m i—i i—i —i m m
i M M i M i i i i i i i i i i i M i
20 Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
Progressive Transportation Initiatives
Gain Traction
EPA employees are always on the go. First, they commute
to and from work. Then, as part of their job-related duties, they
travel to public meetings or field sites, move between different EPA
buildings, or respond to environmental incidents. Not only does
this mobility generate greenhouse gases, but it also poses a safety
hazard, since motor vehicle accidents can cause serious injury. In
response, EPA is finding ways to help employees drive and travel
less, use greener driving options, and adopt safer driving practices.
21
-------
In September 2008, employees from EPA's
Western Ecology Division in Corvallis,
Oregon, participated in a Bike Commute
Challenge. Over the course of one month,
they commuted 9,900 miles and prevented
9,703 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering
the atmosphere. As an added bonus, they
burned 485,138 calories, which is enough to
burn off about 900 cheeseburgers. Safa Shirazi
(pictured here) was one of the participants.
His daily round-trip commute is 15 miles, and
he has been biking to and from the Western
Ecology Division for 25 years.
Commitment Starts
With the Morning
Commute
Before the work day even
begins, EPA employees can
make a positive impact on
the environment by choos-
ing an environmentally
responsible commuting op-
tion. To promote the use of
mass transit, EPA supports
a Transit Subsidy Program,
which roughly 52 percent
of the Agency's employees
use. At some locations—such as EPA Headquarters, where employees have
access to a well-developed public transit system consisting of trains, buses,
and subways—participation in the Transit Subsidy Program is even higher,
with estimates suggesting that 77 percent of employees use the program. Sev-
eral EPA facilities also offer a range of other commuter-
friendly practices, and nine of them belong to the
Best Workplaces for CommutersSM program.
Reducing On-the-Job Transportation Impacts
EPA is committed to reducing the amount of pe-
troleum used to support on-the-job transportation
activities. As a first step, the Agency aims to reduce
the amount of driving and travel required. For
example, some EPA facilities use videoconferencing,
teleconferencing, and webinars, which allow employees
to attend Regional trainings and hold meetings across
Regions without physically traveling to a common loca-
tion. In addition, at EPA Headquarters, where employees
might be required to travel to and from different EPA
buildings across the Washington, B.C., metropolitan
area, the Agency uses buses fueled by biodiesel to shuttle
employees from one location to another. At EPA's West-
ern Ecology Division in Corvallis, Oregon, employees
have access to a fleet of bicycles, which they can use to
transport themselves around campus and to an adjacent
local university.
In fall 2008, EPA partnered with the
U.S. Department of Energy to begin
testing General Motors' hydrogen
fuel cell vehicle, the Chevy Equinox,
which is touted as being able to
travel for 150 miles on a tank of
hydrogen without generating
harmful emissions. EPA agreed to
test drive the vehicle for a seven-
month period, during which time an
onboard recording device tracked
daily and cumulative performance.
22 Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
Given the nature of EPA's business, however, there
are times when driving simply cannot be avoided. To
reduce harmful impacts, EPA is steadily "greening"
its vehicle fleet by decommissioning large vehicles
and acquiring alternative fuel vehicles, including E85
models, compressed natural gas vehicles, and hybrid
electrics. In FY 2008, the Agency acquired 128 new
alternative fuel vehicles and reduced its petroleum
consumption by 56,449 gasoline gallon equivalents.
EPAs achievements in these two areas exceeded
EPAct's alternative fuel vehicle acquisition goal and
EO 13423's petroleum consumption goal. For ex-
ample, according to EO 13423, by the end of FY 2008,
a federal agency's petroleum consumption should
have been 6 percent lower than it was in FY 2005.
Surpassing expectations, EPAs consumption was 19.5
percent lower than its FY 2005 baseline.
Keeping EPA's Drivers Safe
For many EPA employees, the most dangerous part
of the workday is the time spent in a motor vehicle.
To address this hazard, EPA continued to give em-
ployees access to an online defensive driving train-
ing course developed by the National Safety Council
(NSC). This training was first launched in February
2007, at which time it was made available to those
who drove government-owned vehicles for an aver-
age of two or more days per week. More than 700
employees took the training in FY 2007, an accom-
plishment that earned EPA an Honorable Mention at
NSC's 96th Annual Safety Congress and Exposition,
which took place in September 2008. EPA offered
the online training again in 2008, opening it up to all
employees. In addition, 21 of EPAs major facilities of-
fered training on motor vehicle safety through other
avenues. Some offered formal defensive driving
courses, and others included a brief unit on motor
vehicle safety during annual safety refresher training.
Alternative Fuel Use Gets a Boost
Most of the Agency's alternative fuel vehicles
can run on either alternative fuel or conventional
fuel (gasoline), which means that drivers must
consciously choose alternative fuel over gasoline
at the pump to reap environmental benefits. To
encourage the right choice, EPA supported an
education campaign throughout 2008, which
involved holding quarterly conference calls
with the Agency's fleet managers, distributing
quarterly newsletters, and disseminating maps
to help drivers locate fuel stations that offer
E85 and compressed natural gas. In addition,
the Agency held a contest to reward the EPA
Region that used the most alternative fuel over
the course of the year. The winner, Region 4,
received $10,000 to apply toward the purchase
of additional alternative fuel vehicles.
EPA doubled its alternative fuel use between FY
2007 and FY 2008. Despite this progress, EPA
still fell short of EO 13423's goal for increasing
alternative fuel use. Infrastructure limitations
are part of the problem. Put simply, EPA drivers
are having trouble finding alternative fuel filling
stations. Also, some of the Agency's progres-
sive actions are actually undercutting its ability
to meet EO 13423's goal. Although hybrids are
technically counted as "alternative fuel vehicles,"
they use petroleum rather than alternative fuel.
Thus, although adding hybrids to the fleet is
an environmentally responsible choice, these
vehicles do not help the Agency increase its use
of alternative fuel.
Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments \ 23
-------
24
Efforts Solidify to Promote
Electronics Stewardship
EPA's efforts to promote electronics stewardship
continued to gain momentum in 2008, resulting in tangible
results and external recognition. EPA's Region 8 Office in
Denver, Colorado, earned a White House Closing the Circle
award for activities it performed in 2008 to promote electronics
stewardship, and the Region 9 Office in San Francisco,
California, received a Gold award from the Federal Electronics
Challenge—a program that supports and recognizes federal
electronics stewardship achievements. In addition, taken as
a whole, the Agency's electronics stewardship efforts earned
a green score (the highest ranking) on OMB's Environmental
Stewardship Scorecard. EPA continued to take a holistic
approach to electronics issues by acquiring "greener"
electronics, reducing operational impacts and extending
the useful life of electronics, and donating or recycling used
equipment in an environmentally sound manner.
-------
In 2008, nearly all (99 percent) of the new computers and laptops the Agency
acquired were registered under the Electronic Products Environmental As-
sessment Tool (EPEAT), a designation signifying that a product contains envi-
ronmental attributes such as energy-saving settings, reduced environmentally
sensitive materials, less packaging, and a design for
recycling. EPA credits its success to at least two factors.
First, the Agency requires EPA facilities to use informa-
tion technology (IT) blanket purchase agreements that
provide options for purchasing EPEAT-registered ma-
chines. Second, EPA educates its purchase card holders
about EPEAT
The energy used by EPAs computers and other elec-
tronics equipment is decreasing due to the efforts of
committed IT managers in Regional offices and Head-
quarters. In conjunction with Earth Day, the Agency
issued a memorandum to all EPA employees encourag-
ing them to power down computers at the end of the
day and to enable energy-saving settings and duplex
printing. In 2008, power management controls had been
enabled on about 94 percent of the Agency's monitors
and 62 percent of personal computers. To ensure that
such activities become standard practice across the
Agency, EPAs Chief Information Officer issued a draft
procedure in January 2009 requiring monitors to enter
sleep mode after 10 minutes of inactivity and comput-
ers to enter sleep mode after 30 minutes. It also calls for
computers to be powered down at the end of the day
except in extenuating circumstances, such as the release
of security upgrades.
Stewardship Principles Are
Incorporated Into IT Service
Contracts
In February 2008, EPA launched a new pro-
gram to provide computer equipment and
IT support services to employees located
in Washington, D.C., as well as 20 other
programmatic locations nationwide. Envi-
ronmental considerations are an important
aspect of the IT support services, which:
• Provide EPEAT-registered computers
and laptops.
• Ensure that ENERGY STAR features are
enabled on all deployed machines.
• Set duplex printing as a default.
• Reuse or recycle toner cartridges and
supplies.
• Ensure that unneeded computers are
either 1) reused within the federal
community or by tribes, 2) donated to
schools, or 3) recycled in a
responsible manner.
Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments 25
-------
Also in 2008, EPA continued to donate and recycle
equipment that had exceeded its useful life. For ex-
ample, the Region 4 Office in Atlanta, Georgia, donated
about 90 computers, monitors, and keyboards to the
national "Computers for Schools Program," and the
Region 6 Office in Dallas, Texas, donated a total of 233
items (e.g., computers, monitors, printers) to local
public and private schools, academies, and faith-based
organizations. In addition, the Agency continued to
recycle obsolete electronics equipment through the
Recycling Electronics and Asset Disposition (READ)
contract, which guarantees that equipment will be pro-
cessed by recyclers who use environmentally respon-
sible processes. In fact, in February 2008, EPA issued a
memorandum making it mandatory for facilities to use
the READ contract, which resulted in the Agency recy-
cling more than 218,000 pounds of electronics in 2008.
The Region 8 Office earned a White
House Closing the Circle award for
efforts performed throughout 2008 to
promote electronics stewardship.
26 Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
EPA Rallies to Reduce Its
Waste Stream
EPA is striving to achieve a solid waste diversion rate
of 45 percent by 2010. To support this goal, the Agency
launched Strive for 45, an initiative designed to improve,
expand, and reinvigorate recycling and waste diversion
practices at EPA facilities across the country. As part of
Strive for 45, EPA is offering technical assistance to its facility
managers and recycling coordinators and working with
them to standardize and improve the way recycling data are
reported across the Agency. Strive for 45 also includes an
outreach component, and in 2008, the Agency started laying
the groundwork for an Agencywide competition referred to
as the Recycling Rally. The competition, which will be held in
2009, will run for six months, at which time the Agency will
determine which facility achieved the highest waste diversion
rate and which posted the largest percentage increase in
pounds of material diverted per person.
27
-------
In 2008, multiple EPA facilities prevented food wastes
and other organic materials from entering landfills. For
example, the Agency's RTF facility in North Carolina,
which operates a large cafeteria, sent about 600 gallons
of used cooking oil to Piedmont Biofuels, a locally owned
company that produces biodiesel. RTF also sent about
36,000 pounds of food scraps to a local processing center,
where it was composted into fertilizer and sold back to
the Agency. As another example, EPAs Mid-Continent
Ecology Division Laboratory in Duluth, Minnesota,
collected 5,100 pounds of organic material and sent it
to the Western Lake Superior Sanitation District's Gar-
den Green® program, which composted the waste and
sold it to the community. At the Region 1 Laboratory in
Chelmsford, Massachusetts, 205 pounds of food waste
was collected in 2008 and composted in a designated area
outside the facility.
Also in 2008, the Region 9 Office in San Francisco, Cali-
fornia, set up small deskside compost collection contain-
ers for employees to collect fruits and vegetables, meat
bones, eggshells, waxed products, tea bags, coffee grinds,
plants, and bio-cups. These materials were sent to the city
of San Francisco for composting and used as fertilizer
on farms and vineyards. In addition, the Region 9 Office
supported a floor-by-floor recycling competition in 2008
and initiated a "Kick the Can" campaign, which involved
removing rarely used waste bins from the office.
EPAs National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory
in Ann Arbor, Michigan, revamped its recycling pro-
gram in 2008 by installing new bins and labels, simpli-
fying recycling categories, and adding more recycling
stations. Over the course of the year, the facility recy-
cled 37,600 pounds of paper, 904 pounds of plastic and
glass, 56,329 pounds of cardboard, and 72,510 pounds
of scrap metal.
Efforts also proceeded in 2008 to reduce the amount
of laboratory plasticware and glassware that enters
landfills. For example, the Environmental Science Cen-
ter in Fort Meade, Maryland, de-labeled, cleaned, and
reused 126 pounds of laboratory glass containers and
303 pounds of plastic containers. Additionally, the facil-
ity recycled 1,415 pounds of laboratory glass and 456
pounds of plastic containers that could not be reused.
Recycling Initiatives at the
Region 10 Laboratory
About 50 employees work at EPA's Region
10 Laboratory. This location supports an
extensive recycling program, uses small
flowerpots to collect trash rather than
regular-sized trash cans, and promotes
vermicomposting. With regard to the latter,
11 employees deposit food waste into bins
populated with worms that convert organic
matter into high-value castings and "worm
tea." The castings and "worm tea" are used
to nourish native onsite plants and are also
distributed to participating employees for
use in their personal gardens. Since initiat-
ing the vermicomposting program in mid-
2006, the laboratory has diverted about 245
pounds of food scraps from landfills.
The laboratory's recycling program allows it
to divert about 75 percent of its waste from
landfills. Such impressive results suggest
that the laboratory's employees fully em-
brace the recycling opportunities available
to them—a testament to the strength of
the laboratory's outreach efforts. Recy-
cling initiatives
are prominently
broadcasted on
posters and a
hallway bulletin
board and are
highlighted during
employee orienta-
tion training.
The laboratory's vermicomposting bin
encourages employees to "promote global
worming."
28 | Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
Management Systems
Provide the Foundation for Continual Improvement
EPA is fortunate in that it attracts employees who are
committed to and passionate about environmental, safety, and
health programs. There is no question that commitment is
critical, but it is not enough when it comes to achieving continual
improvement in environmental, safety, and health performance.
For continual improvement to occur, there must be a strong
process, or framework, in place to ensure that environmental
stewardship and worker safety and health matters are considered
during all facility-level planning, management, and operational
activities. Acknowledging this, EPA is working diligently to
implement and integrate environmental management systems
(EMS) and safety and health management systems (SHMS)
across the Agency. The benefits of these efforts are already
apparent. While EMS is proving to be a driving force for better
environmental performance, SHMS implementation is prompting
EPA facilities to re-examine working conditions and operational
practices to ensure that all potential hazards have been identified
and properly addressed. As the Agency's management systems
continue to strengthen, they will serve as a framework for
achieving continual improvement, which will allow EPA to build on
its legacy as a federal leader in achieving outstanding performance
under its environmental, safety, and health programs.
29
-------
EMS Programs Continue to Mature
EMS is a management tool that provides a framework for achieving strong
environmental performance by identifying environmental impacts; setting
environmental objectives, targets, and metrics; and continually monitoring
and reporting on progress. All of the Agency's major offices and laborato-
ries have had EMS programs in place since 2005. Following their lead, three
smaller EPA facilities completed the EMS implementation and self-declara-
tion process in 2008: the National Enforcement Investigations Center in Den-
ver, Colorado; the Radiation and Indoor Environ-
ments National Laboratory in Las Vegas, Nevada;
and the Office of Pesticides Programs' laboratory
in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Additional locations
will follow suit in the future.
EMS—Not Just a Good Idea,
It's an Order!
In April 2000, EO 13148 instructed fed-
eral agencies to implement EMS at all of
their major facilities by the end of 2005.
EPA met that deadline. Then, in Janu-
ary 2007, several new EMS milestones
were issued in EO 13423. EPA met one
of those milestones recently when all of
its EMS reporting locations underwent
external EMS reviews and documented
conformance with the ISO 14001 stan-
dard for EMS in advance of a December
31, 2008, deadline.
In June 2008, the EPA Administrator signed
a statement reiterating the Agency's commit-
ment to use EMS as a framework for reducing
its environmental footprint and demonstrating
leadership. In support of the Administrator's
statement, the Assistant Administrator of OARM
issued a memorandum in August 2008 updat-
ing Agencywide EMS Objectives, Targets, and
Metrics, which outline top environmental stew-
ardship priorities to be pursued through FY 2010.
EPA also provided webinar training to help the
Agency's EMS reporting locations integrate the
Agencywide Objectives, Targets, and Metrics into
their local EMS programs.
Also in 2008, in the spirit of continual improvement, EPA started examining
alternative organizational EMS structures, an exercise strongly supported by
both the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive and the White House
Council on Environmental Quality. The Agency has committed to pursuing
an overarching "Higher Tier EMS" at EPA Headquarters and "Multi-Site
Organizational EMS" for several Regions and Program Offices. Adopting the
Multi-Site EMS approach, Region 7 has already created one umbrella EMS
to cover its Regional office, laboratory, and field operations. Doing so has
streamlined EMS implementation in Region 7 and has elevated accountabil-
ity for the EMS to the Deputy Assistant Regional Administrator. Regions 5,
8, and 10 are expected to implement Multi-Site EMS programs in the future,
and the Agency's Office of Research and Development has committed to de-
veloping a Multi-Site EMS that will cover seven EPA research facilities across
the country.
30 | Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments
-------
Efforts to Implement SHMS Take Root
The Agency's positive experience with EMS and the support of a strong busi-
ness case has prompted EPA to encourage its facilities to develop SHMS. An
SHMS applies the same principles and processes that an EMS does, except
it focuses on mitigating safety and health risks rather than environmental
impacts. The Agency believes SHMS will help its facilities better identify
manage, and resolve existing and emerging hazards in a methodical fashion,
which will, in turn, make EPA a safer and healthier place to work, improve
employee morale, and reduce the costs associated with injuries and illnesses.
To advance the cause, EPA continued supporting a pilot program in 2008 and
organized a panel discussion on SHMS to obtain les-
sons learned from executives in the private sector.
In 2008, EPAs pilot sites marched forward through the
Agency's 17-step SHMS implementation process. By
the end of the year, one site—EPAs National Vehicle
and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michi-
gan—had reached the final stages of implementa-
tion and was making plans to schedule an external
SHMS review and certify compliance with OHSAS
18001, an internationally recognized SHMS standard.
Another exciting development occurred in 2008 when
the Region 10 Laboratory entered the pilot program
and volunteered to serve as a test case for a "hybrid"
EMS/SHMS model. Recognizing the logical marriage
between EMS and SHMS, the Region 10 Laboratory
is integrating its management systems, which should
help eliminate or reduce the safety, health, and envi-
ronmental impacts of its operations.
SHMS Implementation Helps EPA
Find the "Alligators"
In the process of building SHMS, EPA facilities
are revisiting employee work areas to ensure
that all potential job-related hazards have been
identified and that controls have been adopted
to address them. In 2008, the Region 10 Labora-
tory performed about 40 job hazard analyses
(JHAs). As part of that effort, the SHMS team:
• Identified commonly performed laboratory
tasks.
• Reviewed standard operating procedures
(SOPs).
• Observed laboratory employees at work.
• Produced JHA reports that identified the
hazards of each task, as well as controls for
mitigating them.
By fall 2009, the JHA reports will be linked to
relevant SOPs, at which point the combined
JHAs/SOPs will be used to train new employees
and raise awareness among current employees.
Commenting on the utility of this effort, the
laboratory's safety and health manager said,
"There is now a paper trail documenting known
hazards and their controls that does not rely on
a trainer remembering to tell a trainee where
the 'alligators' are."
Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments 31
-------
Closing Remarks
and Acknowledgments
EPA is pleased with the progress it made in 2008
in reducing its environmental footprint and protecting
employees. The Agency repeatedly proved itself to be a leader,
both by consistently meeting or exceeding requirements
established under EISA, EO 13423, and EPAct 2005, and by
going above and beyond these requirements to voluntarily
support other progressive initiatives, such as SHMS and the
Agency's greenhouse gas inventory and tracking system.
Moreover, the Agency engaged in extensive strategic planning
in 2008 to identify ways to further improve its environmental
performance and safety and health record. EPA is confident
that it will continue to reduce its impacts because the Agency
has the right combination for success: sound management
systems that support continual improvement; comprehensive
and proactive strategies for sustainability; and a talented
workforce that is deeply committed to environmental, safety,
and health principles.
32
-------
EPA would like to acknowledge the following staff for contributing to this
publication and for their commitment to improving the Agency's safety,
health, and environmental performance:
• Assistant and Regional Administrators.
• Regional Science and Technology Division Directors.
• Agency Program Directors.
• Architecture, engineering, asset management, and sustainable facilities
personnel.
• Energy, water, facility, fleet, and laboratory managers.
• Safety, health, and environmental management program managers.
• EMS and SHMS coordinators.
• Pollution prevention and recycling coordinators.
• Contract, property management, and purchasing officials.
Protecting the Environment and Our Employees—2008 Accomplishments 33
-------
------- |