SEFft
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Administration and Resources Management
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Table of Contents
Introduction
1
Keeping Employees Safe at Work 2
Planting the Seeds for a Healthier Lifestyle 6
EPA Targets Greenhouse Gas Emissions 8
Expanding EPA's Inventory of Sustainable Buildings 10
Conserving Energy and Supporting Innovation 13
Electronics Stewardship Remains aTop Priority 16
EPA's Water Conservation Strategy Continues To Be a Winner 18
Eliminating Waste Through Source Reduction, Reuse and Recycling 21
Curbing the Negative Impact of Transportation 25
Management Systems Pave the Way for Progressive Performance 29
Sharing Our Principles With the Leaders of Today and Tomorrow 33
Closing Remarks and Acknowledgements 36
Green roof, Region 8 Office, Denver, Colorado
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment* 2010 Accomplishments
ntroduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) manages a diverse
portfolio of offices, laboratories and research vessels and employs
more than 17,000 employees across the country. Its mission is to protect
human health and the environment an objective that the Agency ex-
pects its staff and managers to support wholeheartedly, starting with the
manner in which they operate their own facilities. Determined to lead by
example, EPA has worked diligently to promote employee well-being and
implement environmentally sustainable practices at its facilities. EPA will
accept nothing less; our mission and our President demand it.
As EPA's Designated Agency Safety and Health Official and Senior Sustain-
ability Officer, I am happy to present this report, which highlights some of
the internal safety, health and environmental accomplishments that EPA
achieved in calendar year 2010. It was a good year. EPA placed enhanced
focus on employee health and wellness and continued to maintain a
strong safety record, even as its employees were called upon to handle
new types of hazardous materials and respond to challenging disas-
ters within and outside the United States (e.g., Haiti's earthquake, the
Deepwater Horizon and Enbridge oil spills). Also, EPA announced aggres-
sive greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, developed a Strategic
Sustainability Performance Plan, and implemented numerous projects that
will help the Agency reduce the amount of resources it uses and the waste
it generates. EPA's actions earned it a green score (the highest rating) on
the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) Sustainability/Energy
Scorecard.
I hope this report will inspire readers to continue implementing progres-
sive safety, health and environmental management (SHEM) practices
within their own communities and organizations. Additionally, I expect it
will shed light on the interconnections that exist between green choices,
cost savings, employee health and enhanced productivity.
Craig E. Hooks
Assistant Administrator
Office of Administration and Resources Management
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Keeping Employees Safe at Work
In an age of heightened media awareness, the public is bombarded with
stories of accidents that cause injuries, illnesses or death. Regrettably,
in many cases, post-event analyses reveal that many accidents could have
been avoided through enhanced awareness or better hazard controls.
Human error, poor planning and managerial mishaps too frequently lie
at the heart of unfortunate events. At EPA, we strive to ensure that such
mistakes do not occur. EPA employees confront a variety of hazards at
work: handling toxic and hazardous materials, collecting samples from
contaminated sites, responding to incidents of national significance (e.g.,
natural and manmade disasters), and engaging in physically demanding
activities. Hazards are constantly present, but accidents are not inevitable.
To minimize their occurrence, EPA identifies potential hazards, imple-
ments controls to remove or minimize them, and equips employees with
the information and tools they need to protect themselves. The Agency's
strategy works; EPA continued to maintain one of the lowest injury and
illness rates across the federal government in fiscal year (FY) 2010, and no
work-related fatalities occurred.
Strengthening the Agency's Safety and
Health Training Program
For decades, EPA has been providing safety and health training to ensure
that employees know how to protect themselves against the hazards
associated with their job tasks. Nonetheless, in the spirit of continual im-
provement, EPA convened a workgroup in August 2009 to strengthen and
expand the Agency's safety and health training program. As a first step,
workgroup members updated and improved EPA Order 1440.2 (which
outlines the Agency's safety and health training policy and requirements)
and SHEM Guideline 51 (which explains how to implement the require-
In April 2010, the Agency released
an updated and improved version
of EPA Order 1460.1, which de-
fines EPA's occupational medical
surveillance program. Later in the
year, a workgroup convened to
begin developing a guideline to
accompany the new policy order.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
ments). In the process, EPA broadened the scope of its safety and health
training program to cover all EPA employees, provided clarity on training
requirements, and created better interpretative tools to help local manag-
ers and supervisors determine which courses specific employees must
take. By the end of 2010, EPA Order 1440.2 and SHEM Guideline 51 had
both been revised, reviewed and approved and were awaiting final distri-
bution. The workgroup also began laying the groundwork to 1) improve
EPA's online safety and health training capabilities and 2) standardize
EPA's procedures for tracking the completion of training requirements.
Emergency Response and Preparedness
Remain Front and Center
EPA's emergency response personnel respond to chemical, oil, biological and
radiological releases and large-scale national emergencies. For example, in
2010, some of them assisted with post-earthquake recovery efforts in Haiti,
and many of them were deployed to the Gulf of Mexico (see photos above)
and the Kalamazoo River in the aftermaths of the Deepwater Horizon and
Enbridge oil spills, respectively.
Throughout the year, EPA continued to take action to ensure that emergency
responders are adequately prepared to confront the myriad safety and
health hazards they might encounter in the field. For example, EPA con-
tinued developing EPA's Emergency Responder Health and Safety Manual
and an Agencywide fatigue management program; working on a standard-
ized respirator fit testing protocol; and securing new respirators for use in
chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear environments. Additionally,
EPA tested its safety and health protocols in Apri 2010 during the Liberty
Radiation Exercise, a full-scale five-day homeland security exercise that EPA
sponsored in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (see photos on next page).
EPA personnel assisted with air monitor-
ing and a variety of other activities during
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response.
EPA safety officers were also deployed,
and they voluntarily offered their ex-
pertise to BP and the U.S. Coast Guard,
helping them review safety and health
documents and assess field operations
across miles of impacted shoreline.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Focusing on the broader EPA community, the Agency also took action to
prepare its employees for emergency events (e.g., fires, storms, terrorist
activities) that could occur at its facilities. The Research Triangle Park (RTP)
facility in North Carolina developed an emergency preparedness flip book for
employees that explains what to do during different emergency scenarios. In
addition, some EPA locations offered general disaster training as part of their
EPA Hosts the Liberty Radiation Exercise
More than 1,500 government and private-sector personnel participated in the Liberty Radiation Exercise. The event was designed to test
protocols, procedures, capabilities and responsibilities during the post-emergency phase of a radiological dispersion device or dirty bomb re-
lease. EPA's on-scene coordinators and radiation emergency response teams participated, simulating activities that they might perform during
such an event. EPA's safety
and health professionals
also played prominent
roles in the exercise. A
representative from Region
3 served as the lead safety
officer, one from Region 5
served as an incident com-
mand safety officer, and
several others participated
as assistant safety officers.
annual safety refresher courses, and other locations provided training that
addressed specific regional hazards. For example, some facilities (e.g., the
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention's Environmental Chemistry
Laboratory in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi) offered hurricane preparedness train-
ing, and some West Coast locations made earthquake preparedness a priority
and/or offered tsunami awareness training.
Protecting EPA's Divers
EPA maintains nine diving units that perform operations in rivers, lakes,
harbors and oceans. The Agency's divers collect fish, monitor seagrass,
perform near-shore coral reef surveys, study benthos habitat conditions
and assist with search and recovery operations. InApri 2010, EPA's Safety,
Health and Environmental Management Division signed a memorandum
of agreement with EPA's Diving Safety Board to clarify roles and respon-
sibilities for the Diving Safety Program and identify actions that must be
taken to ensure that safety and health considerations are adequately
addressed. EPA also performed dive safety evaluations for three of its nine
diving units to ensure that each unit is adhering to current industry safety
best practices in diving equipment, training and procedures.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
General Office Safety
Constant diligence is the key to preventing accidents. This is true not only
in the field and laboratory, but also in general office settings. In fact, in
June 2010, upon completing a trend analysis of 16 quarters of injury and
illness data, EPA verified that most (60 percent) of its injuries occur in
office settings and that the slips, trips and falls category is still the leading
cause of injury. Given these findings, EPA released a safety bulletin in
November 2010, tilted Avoiding Office Workplace Hazards, to remind em-
ployees of the importance of remaining alert for common, but frequently
overlooked, office-related hazards (e.g., general office clutter, tangled
wires, open cabinets and drawers, uneven surfaces, slippery surfaces,
improperly stored sharp objects).
To reduce tripping hazards, headquarters supported the fifth annual
"Clear Your Clutter" Clean Workspace Challenge (see photos below) to
encourage employees to remove their clutter and detangle their cords.
The Radiation and Indoor Environments National Laboratory in Las
Vegas, Nevada part of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) also
performed a comprehensive clutter-reduction initiative, cleaning up work
areas, facility storage areas and laboratory spaces. This event helped the
facility reduce its tripping hazards and also unearthed unneeded products
and materials containing chemicals. Facility representatives removed the
latter from employee workspaces and donated the unwanted materials to
organizations that could use them.
mink a Messy
Office Isn't
Dangerous?
Through its injury and illness prevention program,
EPA uses a variety of communication venues (such as
the poster shown above) to remind employees about
common office hazards.
These photos show what one employee's office
looked like before and after participating in the
"Clear Your Clutter" Clean Workspace Challenge.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Planting the Seeds for
a Healthier Lifestyle
In addition to keeping employees safe at work, EPA is also answering
President Obama's call for federal agencies to help employees lead
healthier, more balanced lives. EPA recognizes the potential that such
efforts have to increase staff productivity, attract and retain high-quality
employees, and ensure that EPA is a premier place to work. In 2010, EPA
placed emphasis on health and wellness services, an area that demands
attention as the nation struggles to address rising obesity rates, excessive
sedentary behavior and poor nutritional habits. Working to counteract
these negative trends, EPA is trying to plant the seeds for a healthier
lifestyle and inspire employees to integrate healthier behaviors into all
aspects of their lives, both in and out of the office.
Headquarters Leads the Way
In 2010, headquarters offered a broad array of health and wellness
services to the 7,000-plus employees who work in the Washington,
D.C., metropolitan area. To get employees moving, headquarters hosted
an annual Walk to Wellness, encouraged employees to participate in
lunchtime walking groups and offered incentives (e.g., temporary free
membership) to join onsite fitness centers. Additionally, headquarters
encouraged employees to strengthen their core and improve their pos-
ture by providing online instructional videos that explain how to perform
Pilates at their desks.
In May 2010, headquarters held its annual Injury and Illness Preven-
tion Awareness Day in conjunction with its 1.5-mile Walk to Wellness
event. Fitness
demonstrations and L : i ซ
sports competitions ^ *
were included as
part of the event,
and 20 health and
wellness vendors
were present.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
In summer 2010, headquarters started producing a quarterly wellness
newsletter that provides tips for healthy living and identifies upcoming
health and wellness events and fitness classes. As for other educational
venues, headquarters hosted two health and wellness fairs, continued to
offer maternal wellness classes nearly monthly, and produced two safety
bulletins one that provided strategies for preventing the spread of
germs and another that addressed sun safety. Headquarters also hosted
a lunchtime educational event in May 2010 to share information about
actions that can be taken to prevent skin cancer.
Headquarters provided access to mammography screenings in June
2010 to female employees (in partnership with the George Washington
University Hospital) and offered blood pressure, cholesterol and glau-
coma screenings and influenza vaccines in fall 2010. Headquarters also
promoted a smoking cessation program, launched the Yellow Tag for a
Healthier Bag initiative to help employees identify healthier snacks in
vending machines, and began laying the groundwork for an Agencywide
fitness challenge called EPA Race Around the Regions. Additionally, head-
quarters placed significant emphasis on ergonomics, responding promptly
to employees who requested workstation assessments. Over the course of
the year, EPA assessed 78 employee workstations to determine whether
adjustments needed to be made to prevent musculoskeletal disorders,
repetitive motion injuries or eye strain.
Agencywide Health and Wellness Program
In summer 2010, EPA performed an assessment to determine which types
of health and wellness services are currently offered at each of its loca-
tions. The results were enlightening, as they showed that many health and
wellness services (e.g., access to onsite or nearby fitness centers, health
education, blood pressure screenings) are already broadly implemented
across the Agency. However, disparities do exist regarding the extent of
services that locations provide.
To address this issue, EPA is developing an Agencywide health and well-
ness program that defines a set of minimum health and wellness services
that all EPA locations will be expected to implement. As a first step,
EPA identified a broad range of potential program components (or best
practices) to consider for inclusion and assessed each component based
on several criteria, such as potential to attract participants, cost, impact
on health, and current implementation status across the Agency. In 2011,
EPA will form a Health and Wellness Workgroup (represented by multiple
EPA regions and program offices) to assist with program development and
implementation.
Burning Calories, Building
Friendships
EPA employees have a variety of interests.
Some love to go to the gym, others enjoy
competitive sports, some like to dance and
others like to walk with friends. EPA sup-
ports a variety of exercise venues to tap into
these different interests. For example, about
70 employees from EPA's Region 4 Office in
Atlanta, Georgia, congregate in the tunnels of
the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center twice a
week to line dance, and more than one-third
of EPA locations have established walking,
running or exercise groups that meet regu-
larly. Headquarters hosts lunchtime walking
groups on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the
Region 4 Office encourages employees to use
its underground tunnel system as an indoor
walking track. As another example, employees
at the Environmental Science Center in Fort
Meade, Maryland, have formed an exercise
group, and they pay a personal trainer to lead
them. At the Region 10 Manchester Labora-
tory located next to a picturesque state
park on Puget Sound nearly all employees
walk daily during lunchtime. These activities
provide an opportunity to burn calories and
build camaraderie.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
EPA Targets Greenhouse
Gas Emissions
I
n October 2009, President Obama issued Executive Order (EO) 13514,
Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Perfor-
mance. The executive order reaffirmed environmental goals that have
been put forth for federal agencies over the last decade and introduced
some new ones. As an example of the latter, the executive order chal-
lenges federal agencies to inventory their greenhouse gas (GHG) emis-
sions, establish GHG reduction targets and outline a strategy for achieving
those targets. Fortunately, EPA was already poised to meet the President's
expectations, as the Agency proactively began tracking its GHG emissions
in 2007 and formally joined the Climate Leaders Program in May 2009.
Moreover, EPA already had much of the framework for a GHG emissions
reduction strategy in place, as its efforts to conserve energy, minimize
waste and mitigate transportation-related impacts have been underway
for many years.
Setting Targets
EO 13514 instructs federal agencies to identify a reduction target for their
combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions and a separate target
for their Scope 3 emissions (see next page for definitions). In 2010, EPA
submitted the requested targets (as well as the associated estimated GHG
baseline inventories) to OMB and the Council on Environmental Qual-
ity (CEQ). Compared to an FY 2008 baseline, EPA agreed to reduce its
combined Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 25 percent and its Scope 3
emissions by 8 percent by the end of FY 2020.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
What Are Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG Emissions?
Scope 1 represents direct GHG emissions released from sources that
EPA owns or directly controls. For example, these may include emissions
from fossil fuels burned in onsite boilers or emissions from the Agency's
vehicle fleet.
Scope 2 represents EPA's indirect GHG emissions that result from con-
sumption of purchased electricity, chilled water, hot water and steam.
Scope 3 represents other indirect GHG emissions associated with a
variety of different sources. EPA accounted for the following sources
when developing its baseline FY 2008 Scope 3 emissions inventory:
Air and ground business travel
Employee commuting
Contracted municipal solid waste disposal
Contracted wastewater treatment
Transmission and distribution losses from purchased electricity
Energy consumption in EPA's leased spaces
In the future, as GHG quantification methodologies evolve, EPA will
expand its inventory to capture additional Scope 3 emissions, such as
those associated with EPA's supply chain, vendors and contractors.
Developing a GHG Reduction Strategy
In June 2010, EPA submitted its first annual Strategic Sustainability
Performance Plan to OMB and CEQ. This document outlined the Agency's
strategy for meeting EO 13514's requirements and explained how it
intends to meet its GHG emissions reduction targets. In summary, the plan
explains how EPA's GHG emissions will decrease as the Agency continues
to expand its existing (and already mature) efforts to:
Reduce energy use at EPA facilities
Install onsite renewable energy projects and support green power
markets
"Green" the Agency's vehicle fleet
Reduce business travel
Support alternative commuting options
Reduce the Agency's waste generation
EPA made advancements on all of these fronts over the course of the year,
as discussed in the remainder of this report.
All of EPA's offices and laboratories will work
aggressively over the next decade to reduce
their GHG emissions. In March 2010, the
Region 9 Office in San Francisco, California,
demonstrated its eagerness to tackle this
issue when it announced that it intends to
achieve carbon neutrality and become a zero
waste facility by January 2012. The Regional
Administrator has com-
mitted to reduce the
amount of energy used
at the Region 9 Office,
reduce and prioritize busi-
ness travel, and promote
tools and policies (e.g.,
flexiplace) that will reduce
employee commuting.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Expanding EPA's Inventory
of Sustainable Buildings
Over the past decade, EPA has expanded its inventory of sustainable
buildings. It has done so by ensuring that its new construction and
renovation projects and leasing acquisitions meet the Guiding Principles
for High Performance and Sustainable Buildings, and by taking actions
to convert EPA's existing facilities into more sustainable workspaces.
EPA remained committed to these objectives throughout 2010. Over
the course of the year, the Agency pursued green building certification,
performed sustainability assessments and offered better sustainable build-
ing guidance and tools. By the end of FY 2010, more than 8 percent of
the buildings in EPA's current Federal Real Property Profile inventory met
the Guiding Principles. This number must grow to 15 percent by the end
of FY 2015 in order to meet federal requirements. EPA is confident that it
will reach this target, as several of its existing facilities are already well on
their way to meeting the Guiding Principles.
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Green Building Certification
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDฎ) is an internation-
ally recognized green building certification program. In June 2010, the
Region 1 Office in Boston, Massachusetts, was certified at the Gold level
under the LEED for New Construction
& Major Renovations rating system,
a designation that acknowledges the
work that EPA and the U.S. General
Services Administration (GSA) jointly
performed to incorporate state-of-the-
art sustainable features into a building
of historical significance. With this ad-
dition, EPA now occupies 10 buildings
that have earned LEED Silver or Gold
certification for New Construction &
Major Renovations.
EPA's Region 1 Office is housei
the John W. McCormack Post Of-
fice and Courthouse, a LEED Gold
certified historic building located
in the heart of downtown Boston,
Massachusetts.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
EPA also currently occupies four buildings that have achieved LEED for
Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance at the Silver, Gold or
Platinum level. Hoping to add to this number, EPA initiated discussions
with GSA in 2010 to explore the possibility of obtaining certification for
buildings located at the Federal Triangle Complex in Washington, D.C.
Additionally, EPA initiated efforts to obtain LEED for Commercial Interi-
ors certification for its Region 10 Office in Seattle, Washington (which
will soon undergo renovation), and its Region 2 Caribbean Field Office
in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico (which will soon be constructed). By doing so,
these two locations have signaled their commitment to provide interior
spaces for their employees that incorporate sustainable features and serve
as healthy, productive and efficient workspaces.
Sustainability Assessments
EPA completed sustainability assessments at seven existing facilities in
2010, evaluating them against the Guiding Principles to determine how
fully they are integrating sustainable operations and maintenance prin-
ciples, optimizing energy performance, protecting and conserving water,
enhancing indoor environmental quality and reducing the environmental
impact of materials. The assessment team was pleased to find that the
facilities have been quite proactive in pursuing sustainable practices, but
they did identify opportunities for improvement, particularly with regard
to building operations and maintenance plans, moisture control strate-
gies and sustainable acquisition policies. The findings were communicated
to facility representatives, who, in turn, will take action to improve their
performance and achieve the standards listed in the Guiding Principles. As
the facilities make the necessary improvements, the Agency's inventory of
sustainable buildings will continue to grow.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Better Guidance and Tools
In 2010, EPA developed Building Management Plan Guidelines (BMPG)
to help ensure that facility-level plans incorporate a comprehensive set of
sustainable building management practices. Before the end of the year,
three EPA facilities started piloting the BMPG: the Environmental Science
Center in Fort Meade, Maryland; the Office of Research and Develop-
ment's (ORD's) Large Lakes and Rivers Research Station in Grosse He,
Michigan; and OAR's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in
Ann Arbor, Michigan. EPA also updated its GreenCheck process, a tool
that the Agency uses to ensure that new construction and renovation
projects and/or leasing actions adequately account for sustainable build-
ing requirements listed in the Guiding Principles; EO 13514; EO 13423
(Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Man-
agement)] the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA); the
Energy Policy Act of 2005; and internal EPA documents (e.g., Architecture
and Engineering Guidelines, Best Practice Lease Provisions).
The Region 4 Office's Green Roof Offers Many Benefits
The Region 4 Office in Atlanta, Georgia, is the biggest tenant at the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, a complex consisting of
four buildings. Several years ago, EPA started talking to the facility leasing agent (GSA) about the possibility of installing a green
roof. In 2010, GSA installed a 66,700-square-foot green roof across two of the complex's four buildings. GSA used an engineered
soil for the green roof, which in most instances, is able to absorb all of the rainwater that falls on the roof, thereby eliminating
stormwater runoff. Groundcover plants, mostly succulents, have been planted on the roof, and they will reach maturity in three
years. The plants will convert carbon dioxide to sugars and oxygen (via photosynthesis), and they will reduce GHGs even further
by decreasing facility energy demand (via their ability to provide insulation, deflect solar radiation, and cool roof areas through
evapotranspiration). The green roof will create wildlife habitat and combat urban heat island effects. It is also expected to enjoy
four to five times greater longevity than a traditional roof, as the plants will protect roof membranes from the wear-and-tear as-
sociated with ultraviolet radiation, extreme temperature fluctuations and wind abrasion. Reduced energy demands and a longer
roof-replacement cycle offer obvious cost-saving benefits.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment* 2010 Accomplishments
Conserving Energy and Supporting
Innovation
EPA continued taking action to reduce the amount of energy it uses to
operate its buildings. EPA's efforts in this regard are hardly new, but
the importance of achieving success in this area has become even more
pronounced now that EPA has set an aggressive GHG emissions reduc-
tion target. With more than 94 percent of the Agency's combined Scope 1
and 2 GHG emissions attributed to building-related energy consumption,
it is clear that EPA's ability to achieve its GHG reduction target hinges on
the success of its energy conservation program. In 2010, EPA completed
or initiated energy-saving projects at multiple EPA facilities and identified
additional projects to pursue in the coming years. EPA also championed
renewable energy technology, as it continued to purchase green power
and install renewable energy projects at its facilities.
Setting the Stage for Additional Energy
Reductions
EPA's energy intensity was relatively flat between FY 2009 and FY 2010; it
decreased by only 0.2 percent. Extreme summertime and wintertime tem-
peratures may have played a role in preventing the Agency from achiev-
ing better performance. Nevertheless, EPA is still ahead of schedule with
regard to meeting the FY 2015 energy intensity reduction goal that EO
13423 and EISA have established for federal agencies (see figure below).
EPA's Energy Intensity
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Think Green
Empty Room?
Last one Oul
Please remember to turn off the lights.
EPA is taking action to reduce the energy
it uses to light its workspaces and parking
lots. Focusing on human behavior, some EPA
facilities, such as the National Enforcement
Investigations Center in Denver, Colorado,
post signs and stickers (like the one above) to
remind employees to turn off lights when not in
use. Other facilities, including ORD's Environ-
mental Sciences Division in Las Vegas, Nevada,
have installed motion sensors to ensure that
unoccupied spaces do not remain lit. ORD's
Ecosystems Research Division in Athens, Geor-
gia, has conducted illumination measurements
to identify overly lit spaces and has "delamped"
such areas accordingly. EPA facilities are also
steadily replacing their conventional bulbs with
compact fluorescent bulbs and/or light-emitting
diode bulbs. In December 2010, OAR's National
Air and Radiation Environmental Laboratory in
Montgomery, Alabama, installed eight solar-
powered lighting fixtures in its parking lot. The
lights, which are motion- and light-sensitive,
are expected to produce 8,760 kilowatt-hours
(kWh) per year.
Energy-Efficient Vending
Machines
In July 2010, the Region 9 Office in San Fran-
cisco, California, installed energy-saving devices
on two chilled vending machines. The devices
are expected to reduce each machine's energy
use by 46 percent and yield an annual cost
savings of $150 per machine. The devices were
essentially free, as EPA's energy provider issued
a rebate to the local company who provided the
devices to EPA at no cost.
Additional energy savings will be achieved in the future as a result of ac-
tions that EPA completed and/or set into motion at the following facilities
in 2010:
The Region 7 Laboratory in Kansas City, Kansas. In June 2010,
this location conducted recommissioning and implemented operations
and maintenance improvements. For example, new boiler sequencing
software was installed on the facility's building automation system,
which resulted in a 70-percent decrease in natural gas use during the
fourth quarter of FY 2010 (compared to the fourth quarter of FY 2009).
The Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Cen-
ter (AWBERC) in Cincinnati, Ohio. This facility is engaged in a
multiyear, multiphase Infrastructure Replacement Project (IRP). EPA
completed the second phase of the project in 2010, initiated con-
struction on the third phase and awarded a contract for subsequent
work. EPA is upgrading the facility's mechanical equipment, install-
ing high-performance variable air volume fume hoods, manifolding
laboratory exhaust systems, improving the facility air distribution
system, eliminating unnecessary one-pass air and implementing a
heat recovery system. Once these improvements are completed, the
facility's energy use is expected to be 20 percent lower than its pre-
renovation baseline.
ORD's Atlantic Ecology Division in Narragansett, Rhode
Island. In August 2010, EPA initiated construction on a multiphase
IRP, which has the potential to reduce the facility's energy use by 30
percent. The facility's air handlers and mechanical and boiler systems
will be replaced in the process, and a new ground source heat pump
will be installed.
RTP facility in North Carolina. In September 2010, EPA initiated
construction of a heat recovery system at this facility and awarded
contracts for fume hood and laboratory control upgrades.
EPA also performed a second round of EISA-mandated assessments to
identify additional energy-saving opportunities at its facilities. The assess-
ment results were submitted to the Federal Energy Management Program
in June 2010. In addition, EPA continued building its advanced metering
network, awarding construction contracts for hardware installation at
the Environmental Science Center in Fort Meade, Maryland, as well as
multiple buildings located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and RTP, North Carolina.
The advanced metering network will provide detailed energy and water
use data, which will help EPA better target and mitigate high energy and
water use in the future.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Green Power and Renewable Energy
For the fifth year in a row, EPA continued to offset 100 percent of its es-
timated annual electricity use with delivered green power and renewable
energy certificates. Composed of two Agencywide blanket contracts and
five individual facility-level contracts, the Agency's green power purchases
supported renewable energy generation from wind, landfill gas and bio-
mass resources in 15 states.
EPA also generated renewable energy at its RTP facility in North Carolina.
In April 2010, RTP installed a photovoltaic system on the roof of its New
Main laboratory building. The system, which generated 38,652 kWh in FY
2010, helped offset the building's demand for grid-delivered electricity.
Cost savings achieved from previously implemented energy conservation
projects paid for RTP's new photovoltaic system.
RTP also demonstrated its willingness to support North Carolina's Re-
newable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard by leasing the
rooftop of its onsite daycare center to Duke Energy, which subsequently
installed and began operating a 476-panel photovoltaic system (see
photo below). In FY 2010, this system generated 80,388 kWh.As an
added bonus, the panels have attracted the curiosity of the children inside
the daycare, prompting them to ask questions about the solar energy cycle
and learn about sustainable energy sources.
In 2009, ORD's Ecosystems Research Division in
Athens, Georgia, installed a photovoltaic system
to offset the facility's use of conventional elec-
tricity. In FY 2010, the system generated 12,786
kWh of electricity, which was used to power the
facility's guard shack.
The First Environments Early Learning Center
at EPA's RTP facility in North Carolina
15
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Electronics Stewardship
Remains a Top Priority
While the information technology (IT) revolution has undoubtedly
improved the way the nation does business, such advancements
have an environmental price tag. First, increased energy demands must
be considered, as organizations add more computers, monitors, printers,
servers and data centers to their operating systems. Second, due to rapid
technological improvements, equipment becomes obsolete in a relatively
short timeframe, creating a disposal issue. To minimize these impacts,
EO 13423 and EO 13514 challenge federal agencies to promote green
electronics acquisition, efficient operational practices, responsible end-of-
life management, and energy-efficient management of servers and federal
data centers. In 2010, EPA made progress on all these fronts, satisfying
the White House's expectations. Additionally, several EPA entities received
awards (see next page for a list) in recognition of their electronics stew-
ardship accomplishments.
Green Acquisition and Efficient
Operations
In October 2010, EPA's Chief Information Officer (CIO) issued the Personal
Computer Configuration and Management Standard, which includes a
section on green IT operations. The document states that EPA's computer
acquisitions should be certified by ENERGY STARฎ and registered as
an Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) product
(defined on next page), preferably with an EPEAT Silver rating or higher.
EPA is demonstrating solid performance in this area. In FY 2010, nearly all
(99.9 percent) of the personal computers and laptops that EPA acquired
were EPEAT products, and 85 percent of them were rated Silver or Gold.
As for monitors, 98 percent of the Agency's acquisitions were EPEAT prod-
ucts, and more than 75 percent of them were rated Silver or Gold.
The ClO's standard also outlined numerous operational best practices that
must be implemented to reduce the amount of energy that EPA uses to
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
operate electronics. For example, it requires employees to power down
their systems at the end of the day and indicates that ENERGY STAR set-
tings must be enabled so that computers, monitors and printers will go
into sleep or standby modes after a designated amount of inactivity. To
ensure compliance, EPA installed the BigFixฎ power management solution
Agencywide in 2010. This tool allows EPA to monitor and control power
usage settings. If users try to deviate from energy-efficient default settings,
the tool detects the change and automatically re-establishes the preferred
settings.
Data Center Consolidation
As the federal government's reliance on IT has expanded, a large num-
ber of servers and data centers have been needed to meet the demand.
The White House recognizes the environmental and cost implications, as
servers and data centers require significant energy and incur operational
costs. To reduce the government's carbon footprint, OMB launched the
Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative in February 2010. In response,
EPA completed a Data Center Consolidation Plan in August 2010 that
describes EPA's strategy for reducing the number of servers it uses, as well
as the square footage of the Agency's data centers.
Some EPA locations have already made headway. The Region 8 Office in
Denver, Colorado, has updated and optimized its data center, implement-
ing virtualization solutions. Prior to project initiation, Region 8 was using
20 servers to support business operations. Now, the region is meeting its
needs using just two high-performance servers, saving energy and money
in the process. Calculations suggest that the project will yield annual
energy savings of 86,000 kWh and that it will allow the region to save
$91,000 in physical equipment replacements and $19,500 on server
maintenance over a three-year period.
Responsible End-of-Life Management
All of the electronic equipment that EPA retired from service in 2010 was
donated, reused or recycled in an environmentally responsible manner.
The equipment went to UNICOR; the Computers for Learning Program;
and Responsible Recycling (R2)-certified companies that adhere to 13
specific environmental, worker safety, and public health best practices.
Winners of the 2010 Federal
Electronics Challenge (FEC)
Awards
Each year, FEC awards are issued to recognize
outstanding electronics stewardship perfor-
mance. In 2010, Gold Level Awards were issued
to EPA's:
Office of Administration and Resources
Management in Washington, D.C.
Region 5 in Chicago, Illinois
Region 8 in Denver, Colorado
In addition, a Bronze Level Award was issued
to ORD's Environmental Sciences Division in Las
Vegas, Nevada.
What Is EPEAT?
EPEAT rates computers
and monitors based on 51
environmental performance
criteria, addressing material
selection, energy efficiency, packaging, product
longevity and end-of-life considerations. To
earn EPEAT registration, products must meet 23
required criteria, one of which is ENERGY STAR
certification. Products are then rated Gold,
Silver or Bronze based on the percentage of 28
optional criteria that they meet.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
EPA's Water Conservation Strategy
Continues To Be a Winner
In October 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy gave EPA a Federal Energy
and Water Management Award to acknowledge the Agency's compre-
hensive water conservation program and its impressive FY 2009 water-use
reductions. EPA's performance in this area is only improving, as the Agency
reported even higher water intensity reductions in FY 2010 and continued
to outpace potable water conservation goals that the White House and
Congress have established for federal agencies. Over the course of the year,
EPA continued implementing water-saving projects at individual facilities
and worked to optimize the efficiency of its water-delivery systems.
Water-Use Reduction Targets
Building upon EO 13423's requirements, EO 13514 instructs federal
agencies to reduce their potable water intensity by 2 percent annually
starting in FY 2008 and continuing through FY 2020, which translates
to a 26-percent overall reduction compared to an FY 2007 baseline.
Surpassing the annual target, EPA's potable water intensity decreased
by 8.5 percent over the past year. Such performance, combined with the
successes of the previous two years, has allowed EPA to reduce its potable
water intensity by 18.7 percent below its FY 2007 baseline, placing it well
ahead of expectations and more than two-thirds of the way to meeting
EO 13514's FY 2020 goal (see figure below).
EPA's Water Intensity
Based on existing federal water conser-
vation goals, federal agencies should
have reduced their water intensity by 6
percent by the end of FY 2010 (using FY
2007 as a baseline). EPA beat that target
handily, reporting a reduction of 18.7
percent over the specified time period.
1=
o
35
30
25
20
15
18
EO 13514 Target
EPA's Actual Gallons/GSF
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Fiscal Year
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
EO 13514 also instructs federal agencies to expand their water conserva-
tion strategies to account for water that is used for industrial, landscaping
and agricultural (ILA) purposes, challenging them to reduce it by 20 percent
between FY 2010 and FY 2020. Although CEQ has not yet released final
guidance on how to implement this goal, EPA did calculate an FY 2010
baseline of ILA water uses that are currently being considered as targets
for reduction. EPA also began taking action to reduce its ILA water use and
will continue doing so in the future.
Water-Saving Technologies Installed
Coast to Coast
EPA's Water Conservation Strategic Plan prioritizes the Agency's water-sav-
ing initiatives and provides a timeline for completing projects at specific
facilities. EPA continued to implement new water-saving technologies
across the country throughout the year.
Focusing on its two largest laboratories, EPA achieved impressive water
consumption reductions at the RTP facility in North Carolina and
AWBERC in Cincinnati, Ohio. At the RTP facility, water consumption
decreased by 14.8 percent over the past year, an outcome made possible
by the facility's efforts to eliminate the use of single-pass cooling in a
laboratory electron microscope (estimated to save 530,000 gallons per
year); adjust and reduce tempering water flow to the boiler blowdown
drain (estimated to save 400,000 gallons per year); and retrofit steam
sterilizers to control tempering water flow when units are in standby
mode (estimated to save 240,000 gallons per year). At AWBERC, efforts
to install a dry vacuum pump seal (estimated to save 200,000 gallons per
year) and high-efficiency restroom fixtures (estimated to save 210,000
gallons per year) allowed the facility to reduce its water use by 16.6
percent over the course of the year.
Other EPA facilities also completed water-saving projects. The Region 2
Laboratory in Edison, New Jersey, replaced and retrofitted lavatory faucets
(estimated to save 133,000 gallons per year); installed three 1,500 gallon
cisterns to collect rainwater for use as make-up water for cooling towers
(estimated to save 100,000 gallons per year); and installed a temperature
sensor in a steam sterilizer discharge line (estimated to save 450,000
gallons per year). Furthermore, OAR's National Air and Radiation Envi-
ronmental Laboratory in Montgomery, Alabama, installed high-efficiency
restroom fixtures (estimated to save 95,000 gallons of water per year);
adjusted its cooling tower blowdown line and basin overflow drain to im-
prove efficiency (estimated to save 1 million gallons per year); completed
Rain chain, Environmental Science Center, Fort Meade,
Maryland
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
More Efficient Irrigation
In May 2010, ORD's Ground Water and
Ecosystems Restoration Division in
Ada, Oklahoma, installed a new lawn
irrigation system with a state-of-the-art
evapotranspiration (ET) controller. The new
system will deliver water efficiently and reliably
and prevent overwatering. The ET controller
will be used to calculate an ET factor and
identify optimal irrigation schedules and
water application rates. Plant and soil types,
plant coefficients, weather conditions (e.g.,
temperature, wind, humidity, precipitation,
sunlight intensity), soil infiltration rates, and
soil-holding capacity will be accounted for when
determining the ET factor.
ET Controller
an air handler condensate recovery project (estimated to save 740,000
gallons per year); improved float-operated switches associated with a
vacuum pump (estimated to save 140,000 gallons per year); and modified
its reverse osmosis system so that it only runs when there is demand for
purified water (estimated to save 200,000 gallons per year).
Additionally, acting on recommendations thatWaterSenseฎ irrigation part-
ners provided in 2008, ORD facilities in Oklahoma and Oregon improved
their irrigation systems in 2010. The former completed an irrigation opti-
mization project that is anticipated to save 400,000 gallons of water per
year (see adjacent sidebar). The latter (i.e., ORD's Western Ecology Division
in Corvallis, Oregon) succeeded in reducing its water use by 37.7 percent
between FY 2009 and FY 2010, as it decreased its demand for supple-
mental irrigation, replaced broken sprinkler heads and adjusted sprinkler
head delivery. Further reductions will likely be reported in the future, as
additional irrigation improvement projects are in the queue for this facility.
Fixing Leaks, Optimizing Performance
Water-efficient technologies, products and designs are the cornerstone of
EPA's water conservation strategy. However, to achieve the best results,
the Agency must ensure that its state-of-the-art technologies are operat-
ing optimally. In 2010, upon discovering leaking showers at an onsite
fitness center, EPA's Safety, Health and Environmental Management
Division worked with the Security Management Division to have summer
interns perform a comprehensive leak detection study at headquarters'
Federal Triangle Complex in Washington, D.C. The interns identified 18
leaking faucets, three leaking showers and one leaking urinal, all of which
were reported to maintenance staff for correction. EPA estimates that the
resulting fixes will save the Agency at least 60,500 gallons of water. Other
EPA facilities also supported leak detection efforts throughout the year.
For example, OAR's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann
Arbor, Michigan, instructed its operations and maintenance contractor to
check for drips and reminded staff to report water-related inefficiencies to
the Facility Help Desk. Additionally, EPA performed EISA-mandated water
assessments at six facilities in 2010, and the assessment team looked for
leaks during the evaluations.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Eliminating Waste Through Source
Reduction, Reuse and Recycling
EPA continued to implement new waste reduction strategies, taking
action to reduce its solid waste generation, reuse construction and de-
molition debris, and decrease chemical use in its laboratories. Such efforts
are proving to be beneficial in many ways. On the environmental side,
waste reduction relieves the burden on local landfills; reduces Scope 3
GHG emissions associated with the transport, disposal, and decomposition
of municipal solid waste; and allows the Agency to cut back on its waste
hauling services. Additionally, as the examples described in this section
will show, EPA's efforts to donate or salvage unwanted materials create
social and economic benefits, proving again the truth in the old adage
that one man's trash is another man's treasure.
Solid Waste Diversion
EO 13514 challenges federal agencies to achieve a solid waste diversion
rate of 50 percent by FY 2015, and EPA has already surpassed that goal.
In fact, the Agency's estimated waste diversion rate was 55 percent in FY
2010. EPA intends to maintain (or exceed) that rate in the future, which
is why it has established 55 percent as its internal Agencywide goal.
Fortunately, many of EPA's individual facilities have already demonstrated
even more impressive performance. For example, ORD's Atlantic Ecology
Division in Narragansett, Rhode Island, reported an 89-percent waste
diversion rate in FY 2010.
In August 2010, EPA launched its Think Beyond the Bin campaign to
challenge employees to reach beyond recycling and prevent waste
from being generated in the first place. Building on the success of
the 2009 Strive for 45 campaign, EPA provided additional outreach
materials and new tools and guidance to help facilities track and
report waste diversion data. For
example, headquarters distribut-
ed guidance and offered webinar
training on how to use the Waste-
Wise Program's Re-TRAC system
for data collection and reporting.
THINK
Beyond the
BIN
REDUCING WASTE
AT EPA FACILITIES
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
New Compostable Waste
Collection Programs
Between April and July 2010, EPA's Potomac
Yard facility in Arlington, Virginia, piloted a
compostable waste collection program on
two floors of the facility's North Building and
three floors of the South Building. The program
quickly proved its merit, which prompted
EPA to pursue facilitywide implementation
in September 2010. Employees are encour-
aged to collect all types of food waste (e.g.,
meat, bones, eggshells) and a variety of other
compostable material (e.g., plants, waxed
cardboard, pizza boxes, napkins, paper towels,
plates, biodegradable utensils, coffee grounds).
Compostable waste is collected from the pan-
tries, and paper towels are collected from the
restrooms. Between May and December, the
facility composted more than 9 tons of material
impressive results for a fledgling program.
Other EPA locations that launched compostable
waste collection programs in 2010 include
the Region 6 Laboratory (Houston, Texas); the
Region 8 Office (Denver, Colorado); the Region
8 Laboratory (Golden, Colorado); the Region 9
Laboratory (Richmond, California); and ORD's
Gulf Ecology Division (Gulf Breeze, Florida).
EPA encourages employees to donate unwanted (but still usable) materials
to organizations that can use them, rather than sending the materials to
landfills. Heeding this advice, in October 2010, EPA representatives from the
Region 3 Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, started contacting schools
in Empowerment Zones and other nonprofit organizations to find homes
for 2,100 vinyl three-ring binders that had accumulated in the office sup-
ply room during an ongoing building cleanout effort. More than a dozen
schools and organizations agreed to take the binders and give them a sec-
ond life. By the end of 2010, Region 3 had donated 2,880 pounds of bind-
ers, and an additional 2,201 pounds were slated to be donated in 2011. As
more binders are identified, EPA will continue to find homes for them.
EPA locations also continued to expand the materials covered in their
recycling programs. For example, the Environmental Science Center in
Fort Meade, Maryland, expanded its program to cover a broader range
of plastic resins, and ORD's Mid-Continent Ecology Division in Duluth,
Minnesota, started recycling plastic bags (e.g., grocery bags, stretch/
shrink wraps, zippered storage bags). Other locations (e.g., the Region 8
Laboratory in Golden, Colorado) shifted to single-stream recycling to make
recycling easier for employees.
Recycling Up, Costs Down
As demonstrated by ORD's Western Ecology Division in Corvallis, Oregon,
reducing waste benefits the pocketbook. This location has achieved a
52-percent waste diversion rate, which has allowed it to eliminate one of its
large refuse containers and save $2,700 per year in waste collection, hauling
and disposal costs.
Also, six EPA locations (see adjacent sidebar) implemented new compostable
waste collection programs, bringing the total number of EPA locations that
operate such programs to 16. Collectively, these 16 locations diverted at
least 198 tons of organic material from landfills in FY 2010. In addition to
creating new programs, EPA took action to improve its existing composting
programs. For example, both the Region 9 Office in San Francisco,
California, and the Region 10 Office in Seattle, Washington, increased the
number of composting bins available throughout their facilities. Additionally,
the RTP facility in North Carolina performed a waste assessment in February
2010 to determine how much food waste is erroneously tossed into landfill-
bound trash cans. After literally picking through the trash, RTP learned that
food waste still represents a significant portion of its landfill waste stream,
which prompted staff to improve composting signage at RTP's onsite
cafeteria and conduct three coaching sessions at tray drop-off areas.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Construction and Demolition Debris Can
Be an Asset
EO 13514 indicates that federal agencies should be diverting at least
50 percent of their construction and demolition debris by the end of
FY 2015. EPA intends to meet (and hopefully surpass) that goal. The
following are examples of salvage and recycling efforts that EPA
locations pursued in 2010.
ORD's Gulf Ecology Division in Gulf Breeze, Florida, recently collaborated
with the Escambia County Marine Resources Division to convert "trash"
into a valuable community resource. Over the span of a few years, this
EPA facility dismantled an old building slab and a pier, accumulating
more than 40 tons of concrete debris in the process. EPA chose to use
the material to construct an artificial marine reef rather than depositing
it in a landfill. The new reef provides habitat for thousands of fish, crabs
and other marine life, and it also benefits the community by offering a
destination for recreational fishermen, snorkelers and divers. Honoring one
of the Agency's best and brightest, the reef has been named after Captain
Robert L. Quarles, an aquatic biologist and nature enthusiast who passed
away in December 2010 after battling a long illness.
As another example, the Region 10 Manchester Laboratory in Port Or-
chard, Washington, recently demonstrated that construction and demoli-
tion debris can be an asset rather than a liability when it renovated its
biology wing. Before work started, EPA instructed its contractor to salvage
and recycle debris to the maximum extent possible. Demolition activities
began in June 2010, construction was completed in early 2011, and 70.5
tons of construction and demolition debris (e.g., concrete, scrap metal,
drywall) were generated in the process. Of that total, 27.06 tons were sal-
vaged (at a profit of $4,845), 11.09 tons were recycled (at a cost of only
$325), and the remaining 32.34 tons were landfilled (at a cost of $3,327).
As the numbers show, responsible waste management can be lucrative,
as a $1,193 profit remained after recycling and landfill costs were paid. In
contrast, estimates suggest that a net cost of $4,372 would have resulted
if all 70.5 tons of debris had been sent to the landfill.
Responsible reuse and recycling practices are also being implemented at
OAR's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michi-
gan, which is conducting a multiyear construction project. During an early
phase of the project, a 30-year old structure was dismantled using heavy
construction equipment that left huge ruts in the lawn and damaged the
facility's access road. Concrete, dirt and asphalt debris were generated
In 2010, an artificial reef (constructed in part with
EPA-donated concrete debris) was named in honor
of the late Captain Robert L. Quarles. Bob is pictured
here doing what he loved best surveying, protect-
ing and interacting with the great outdoors. He will be
remembered for his commitment to EPA's mission, his
love of nature, and the camaraderie and enthusiasm he
shared with his EPA teammates.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
The Region 1 Laboratory in Chelmsford,
Massachusetts, continued expanding its use of
solid phase extraction (SPE) in high-performance
liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis in 2010.
(While SPE uses 12 milliliters of methanol to
extract samples, more traditional extraction
methods use about 180 milliliters of methylene
chloride.) Also, the laboratory started using a
cyanide microdistillation system (resulting in a
90-percent reduction in the amount of sample
and reagent used for cyanide analyses) and
initiated efforts to replace an HPLC with a new
ultra-high performance liquid chromatography
(another development that will lead to
substantial reductions in solvent use).
in the process. EPA reused the dirt to fill ruts and soften the transition
between the lawn and access road and used the asphalt debris to repave
parts of the access road and parking lot. The concrete was collected,
ground up and put to use for projects involving other customers. In total,
728 cubic yards of dirt, 140 cubic yards of asphalt and 168 cubic yards of
concrete were reused or recycled in FY 2010.
Reductions in Chemical Use
EO 13514 also speaks of the importance of reducing chemical use, an
objective that EPA laboratories have been pursuing for many years. In
2010, the Region 1 Laboratory in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, continued
to make progress in this regard (as detailed in the adjacent sidebar), as
did the Region 8 Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, which implemented new
analytical methods that use less solvent and reagent. Also, the Region
4 Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, awarded one of its employees for her
efforts to establish a chemical adoption program. With this addition, EPA
now has 12 laboratories that have established a mechanism to donate
unwanted chemicals to educational institutions, government agencies
or businesses before the chemicals expire and become hazardous waste.
Chemical adoption programs help reduce the Agency's waste disposal
costs and foster good relations with local community organizations, which
appreciate EPA's willingness to donate the chemicals. As EPA's chemical
use and waste generation decreases, so does the potential for employees
to be exposed to toxic chemicals. Thus, as is so often the case, actions that
benefit the environment translate directly to human health benefits, too.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment* 2010 Accomplishments
Curbing the Negative Impact
of Transportation
EPA continued taking action to reduce transportation-related environ-
mental and safety concerns. To reduce pollutants and GHG emissions,
EPA supported more environmentally sustainable commuting options, laid
the groundwork to reduce business travel, and continued greening the
Agency's fleet. As for safety, EPA raised awareness about the dangers of
texting while driving and offered motor vehicle safety training to minimize
employees' risk behind the wheel.
Responsible Commuting
EO 13514's focus on Scope 3 GHG emissions has reinvigorated interest
across the federal government in identifying low-carbon employee com-
muting options. Thankfully, EPA's commitment to this topic predates the
executive order, as the Agency has long recognized the connection that
exists between commuting, environmental impacts and quality of life.
Nevertheless, the Agency understands that more aggressive actions will
need to be taken in the future, as employee commuting accounts for a
significant portion of the Agency's Scope 3 GHG emissions.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
The Region 10 Office in Seattle, Washing-
ton, encourages employees to bike to work.
For the past seven years, it has participated
in National Bike Month, which occurs every
May. In 2010, 90 Region 10 employees
committed to ride their bikes to work for
at least five days in May. Collectively, they
made 832 bike trips and covered 8,860
miles over the course of the month.
Leading by example, on May 17, 2010
(National Bike-to-Work Day), Region 10 Ad-
ministrator Dennis McLerran and his cycling
colleagues (pictured above) convened at
a central location, formed an EPA peloton
and cycled to City Hall for a Bike-to-Work
Rally. Mr. McLerran delivered remarks on
EPA's behalf at the rally.
In 2010, more than half of EPA's employees used alternative transporta-
tion to at least some extent. EPA encouraged the use of public trans-
portation via transit subsidy programs providing discounted rates or
free passes to those who used mass transit options and continued to
explore opportunities to expand flexiplace and telework programs. EPA
also encouraged employees to carpool. For example, the Region 4 Office
in Atlanta, Georgia, offered free parking to carpoolers, and the Region
6 Office in Dallas, Texas, which offers free transit passes to employees,
provided reimbursements for organized carpools. Region 7 in Kansas
City, Kansas, provided covered parking spaces for carpools and posted an
online mapping tool that helps employees identify colleagues who wish to
join carpools.
Several EPA locations also continued to encourage employees to bike to
work, an activity that benefits the environment and contributes to em-
ployee well-being and health. As many as 125 employees from the Region
5 Office and Region 5 Laboratory biked to work in Chicago, Illinois, in
2010, and 90 employees from EPA's Region 10 Office in Seattle, Washing-
ton, participated in a bike-to-work campaign (see adjacent sidebar). The
success of biking programs depends heavily on the availability of bike-
friendly infrastructure within the larger community, but EPA does strive to
support interested employees. EPA's National Enforcement Investigations
Center in Denver, Colorado, gives out small prizes (e.g., water bottles, gift
cards to Whole Foods) to those who bike to work. Additionally, the RTP
facility in North Carolina offers covered bike racks and overnight lockers
to registered bike commuters and provides access to a bicycle coordinator
who helps identify safe bike routes.
Shuttle buses help transport employees between buildings at the Agency's larger
facilities, such as the RTP facility in North Carolina. In 2010, RTP replaced the diesel
shuttle buses that it had been leasing from GSA with biodiesel-electric hybrid shuttle
buses. RTP estimates that the new shuttle buses offer increased fuel efficiency and
produce 80 percent fewer emissions.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Travel Less, Travel Greener
EPA employees drive and fly thousands of miles a year on the Agency's be-
half, traveling to and from field and emergency response sites, attending
training, and participating in meetings. Emissions from EPA's vehicle fleet
accounted for 3 percent of the Agency's combined Scope 1 and 2 GHGs in
FY 2008, and non-fleet employee business travel (e.g., air transport, rental
cars) accounted for a significant portion of EPA's total Scope 3 GHG emis-
sions. To reduce these impacts, EPA is striving to travel less and support
greener traveling options.
Although EPA experienced an unexpected increase in air travel in 2010,
the Agency positioned itself to reverse that trend by increasing the num-
ber and use of videoconferencing, teleconferencing and/or Internet-based
tools (e.g., webinars). The Region 6 Office in Dallas, Texas, purchased
two videoconferencing units; the Region 7 Office in Kansas City, Kansas,
purchased three; the Region 8 Field Office in Helena, Montana, upgraded
its existing videoconferencing capabilities; and the Region 2 Office in New
York City set up more videoconferencing rooms to reduce traveling needs.
EPA managers also took action to reduce air travel. For example, in July
2010, the Region 10 Administrator issued a policy letter asking staff to
reduce air travel, inspiring a 6-percent reduction in FY 2010.
EPA also continued to green its vehicle fleet, an effort that involved
right-sizing the fleet, decommissioning old vehicles and replacing them
with alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and/or models that offer superior gas
mileage (e.g., hybrid-electrics), and increasing the use of alternative fuel in
flex-fuel AFVs. The adjacent sidebar provides an example of one region's
efforts in this regard. As for EPA as a whole, the Agency continued to
exceed requirements put forth for:
AFV acquisitions. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 requires federal
agencies to ensure that at least 75 percent of their nonexempt
vehicle acquisitions are AFVs. After factoring in credits, EPA reported a
107 percent compliance rate for this metric in FY 2010.
Petroleum use reductions. EO 13423 and EO 13514 require
federal agencies to reduce their petroleum consumption by 2 per-
cent each year, using FY 2005 as a baseline. EO 13514 states that
reductions must be achieved through FY 2020, which translates to a
30-percent reduction over a 15-year period. EPA is ahead of the curve
in meeting this goal. Although EPA was only required to be at the
10-percent reduction mark by the end of FY 2010, its petroleum fuel
use was 24.9 percent lower than its 2005 baseline.
Region 7's Green Fleet
In 2010, Region 7 analyzed its fleet operations
to determine where its vehicles were going
and the relative split between city and high-
way miles. The analysis helped Region 7:
Identify its most common driving
"corridors"
Make better decisions about which type of
vehicle to assign for specific trips
Optimize the regional fleet to achieve
a better balance between E85 flex-fuel
vehicles and hybrid-electric vehicles
Also in 2010, the region moved forward to
fully implement its E85 Gallon Club, a group
of about 30 employees who have formally
committed to use E85 whenever it is practical
to do so. Flex-fuel vehicles are preferentially
assigned to Gallon Club members, who are
sent into the field with GPS equipment that
is preprogrammed to identify E85 fueling sta-
tions. In return, Gallon Club members receive
nonmonetary awards (e.g., signed certificates,
corn-based plastic travel mugs and fleece
jackets made from recycled plastic bottles) as
they pass specific E85 purchase goals.
The region also maintained a kiosk throughout
2010 to help drivers with pre-trip planning.
The kiosk is stocked with maps that identify
E85 fueling stations along the region's most
commonly driven corridors, and it features a
large wall map that shows the approximate
location of every E85 fueling station in the
region. The kiosk is also equipped with a
dedicated computer that develops custom
route maps using the Department of Energy's
Alternative Fueling Station Locator website.
The region's collective efforts to green its fleet
have been successful. E85 purchases increased
by 16 percent between FY 2009 and FY 2010,
even as the region decreased the number of
E85-capable vehicles in its fleet. Additionally,
the increased use of hybrid-electrics (with
their higher miles per gallon), coupled with
the increased use of E85, allowed Region 7 to
reduce its fleet-related GHG emissions by 4
percent between FY 2009 and FY 2010, even
though the number of miles driven was nearly
identical between the two years.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment* 2010 Accomplishments
EO 13423 also requires federal agencies to increase their use of alter-
native fuel by 10 percent annually. EPA fell short of this goal in 2010,
primarily due to a lack of adequate alternative fuel infrastructure. To
improve performance, the Agency launched the Alternative Fuel Compli-
ance Emphasis Program in August 2010, which calls for better pre-trip
planning, communication and tracking procedures. The program empha-
sizes the importance of communicating with drivers before they leave
EPA's premises to help them identify alternative fuel stations along their
projected travel routes.
Staying Safe Behind the Wheel
EPA continued to offer online National Safety Council driver safety
training, which 431 employees completed in FY 2010. The Agency also
continued to reinforce EO 13513, Federal Leadership on Reducing Text
Messaging While Driving. Early in the year, EPA reminded senior manag-
ers of their obligation to support the executive order and to ensure that
employees are not texting behind the wheel. The Agency also incorporated
information about EO 13513 into its Motor Vehicle Operator Responsibili-
ties Form, a document that employees sign to verify that they understand
what is expected of them when they drive on EPA's behalf. Individual
EPA facilities continued to promote seat belt use, either by including seat
belt reminders in their vehicle checkout process, delivering reminders via
email, mentioning the importance of seat belts during annual field safety
refresher training, or asking onsite security guards to track and enforce
seat belt use.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment* 2010 Accomplishments
Management Systems Pave the Way
for Progressive Performance
We live in challenging times, which makes it more important than
ever for organizations public and private alike to find ways
to operate more efficiently, productively and responsibly. At EPA, we aim
to meet these objectives by operating as sustainably and safely as pos-
sible. Over the long term, EPA's environmental stewardship efforts will
help reduce water, energy and waste hauling costs, while simultaneously
allowing the Agency to achieve environmental goals that the White House
and Congress have put forth for federal agencies. Similarly, efforts to
prevent job-related injuries and illnesses and promote health and wellness
will help EPA reduce workers' compensation costs, enhance employee
productivity and retain its talented workforce. Quite simply, EPA becomes
stronger and more efficient as its workforce continues to integrate safety,
health and environmental considerations more fully into daily operations.
Continual improvement is the objective, and EPA believes that safety and
health management systems (SHMSs), environmental management sys-
tems (EMSs) and annual self-assessments will propel the Agency forward
on a progressive course.
SHMS Moves to Center Stage
A SHMS is a management approach that integrates safety and health
considerations into all levels of operational, planning and management
decisions. It provides a framework for identifying, minimizing and control-
ling hazards and risks and has the potential to improve an organization's
safety and health record, raise employee morale and foster a "safety
ethic" by making employees more fully aware of the responsibility they
have to find and eliminate hazards and prevent accidents.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
I am committed to
Environmental Management
Systems as the integrating
framework for sustainable
management of EPA's
operations and compliance
with environmental and energy
statutes, regulations, and
executive orders. Environmental
Management Systems will serve
as the structure for charting our
course to improve environmental
performance at all levels.
Lisa P. Jackson, EPA Administrator
EPA has instructed its major offices and laboratories to implement a SHMS
that is consistent with the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment
Series (OHSAS) 18001 standard. To reinvigorate dialogue on this initiative,
EPA established an intranet site in 2010 that serves as a central repository
for sharing SHMS tools. Additionally, a SHMS Workgroup (with representa-
tives from most EPA program offices, regional offices and laboratories)
met regularly throughout the year via conference call and convened in
May 2010 for a face-to-face workshop at OAR's National Vehicle and Fuel
Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This facility holds the distinc-
tion of being the first EPA location to complete the SHMS implementation
process and demonstrate compliance with the OHSAS 18001 standard.
EPA performed a gap analysis in 2010 to determine the extent to which
its locations have already implemented the OHSAS 18001 standard and
to identify areas where they require support to meet the standard. Also,
EPA sent auditors to its major offices and laboratories to identify existing
safety and health hazards and risks. In addition, EPA started developing
SHMS implementation guidance and training materials, both of which will
be finalized and distributed in 2011.
EMS Reorganization Leads to
Enhanced Efficiency
An EMS applies the same principles as a SHMS does, but it focuses on
environmental impacts rather than safety and health impacts. EMSs have
been in place at all of EPA's major offices and laboratories for several years.
On February 19, 2010, Administrator Lisa P. Jackson issued EPA's Commit-
ment to Environmental Management Systems to reaffirm EPA's confidence
in EMS and acknowledge the role it will play in helping the Agency meet its
top environmental priorities. In that document, Administrator Jackson also
laid the groundwork for reorganizing the Agency's EMS structure, calling for
the development of an overarching Higher-Tier EMS and Multi-Site EMSs
advancements that will allow EPA to better align its environmental policies
and goals and reduce EMS-related administrative burdens.
In June 2010, EPA launched its Higher-Tier EMS, which is directed by the Ad-
ministrator and supported by the Senior Sustainability Officer and a Senior
Executive Steering Committee. The Higher-Tier EMS is responsible for those
elements of an EMS that can be managed efficiently at the headquarters
level, such as maintaining an EMS policy; providing procedural and technical
guidance; establishing Agencywide EMS objectives, targets, and metrics; col-
lecting, analyzing, and reporting Agencywide performance information; and
promoting Agencywide environmental stewardship initiatives.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
In September 2010, ORD established a Multi-Site EMS that covers seven
of its laboratories, all of which have had facility-level EMSs in place since
2005. ORD has retained local EMS coordinators at each of the laborato-
ries, but many of the administrative tasks that these individuals previously
performed (e.g., legal reviews, development of training curricula) have
been streamlined under the Multi-Site EMS and/or will now be handled
centrally by ORD's lead EMS coordinator. Shifting the administrative
burden away from individual facilities will allow local EMS coordinators
to focus their energy on what truly matters: supporting and implementing
sustainable technologies and focusing on further reductions to environ-
mental footprints at EPA facilities.
EMS Empowers Employees
EMS has empowered employees to become better environmental stewards. Managers from several locations credit EMS with
inspiring beneficial behavioral changes. For example, the EMS coordinator from the Region 6 Laboratory in Houston, Texas, said
that employees are now more likely to turn off water, lights, and computers; print less; and use double-sided printing options.
Additionally, EMS aims to help employees recognize the power they have to make their workplaces more sustainable. The mes-
sage is resonating, and employees are coming forward with ideas on how to improve environmental performance at their own
facilities. For example, staff members at the Region 1 Laboratory in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, recently asked management to
consider replacing existing parking lot lights with energy-efficient light-emitting diode products.
Also, EMS has inspired employees to seek more training, tools and information about how they can incorporate sustainable prac-
tices into their own homes and communities. To nurture this interest, the Region 9 Office in San Francisco, California, launched a
Sustainable Film Series in 2010, and the Research Triangle Park facility in North Carolina initiated a Greener Living Speaker Series.
The latter, a brown-bag lunchtime forum, has attracted standing-room-only crowds.
Photovoltaic window shades at the LEED
Gold certified Region 1 Laboratory in
Chelmsford, Massachusetts
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
EPA Representatives Convene
in the Lone Star State
In September 2010, EPA held a SHEM
Workshop in Austin, Texas, to give its safety,
health, and environmental management
program managers; EMS coordinators; and
emergency response personnel an oppor-
tunity to share their collective experiences,
identify opportunities for improvement and
energize one another to achieve even stron-
ger SHEM performance in 2011.
Self-Assessment Fosters Continual
Improvement
EPA performs internal audits to identify opportunities to improve its internal
SHEM performance. For example, headquarters sends auditors to each of the
Agency's offices and laboratories on a three- to five-year cycle and uses the
results to recommend improvements. Additionally, starting in 2010, all EPA
locations were required to participate in EPA's Self-Assessment Program,
which offers a standardized set of SHEM auditing tools. Although most EPA
locations were already performing internal self-assessments, EPA felt it was
necessary to create a comprehensive, standardized self-assessment protocol
that covers occupational safety and health issues, environmental concerns,
and fire and life safety issues. As instructed, each EPA location performed a
self-assessment by the end of the year, had their senior manager certify its
completion, and took action to correct any identified weaknesses. EPA loca-
tions will repeat this process annually.
In the quest for continual improvement, EPA monitors its facilities to ensure that
they are meeting all applicable safety, health, environmental, and fire and life safety
regulations, as well as EPA's internal SHEM policies.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment* 2010 Accomplishments
Sharing Our Principles With the
Leaders of Today and Tomorrow
Thus far, this report has focused on EPA's internal activities, highlighting
the Agency's efforts to improve its own safety, health and environ-
mental performance. While we are proud of these accomplishments, we
understand that our success as an Agency hinges on our ability to share
what we have learned with the public. We have an obligation to reach
out to the neighbors, community leaders, business executives and school
children who ive and work near EPA facilities; encourage them to adopt
a safety and health ethic; and inspire them to become environmental
stewards. As demonstrated through the examples presented below, EPA is
reaching out to the decision-makers of today (e.g., elected officials, busi-
ness executives), as well as the youth who will shoulder the responsibility
for our nation tomorrow.
Reaching Out to Building Co-Tenants
Many of EPA's offices are located in large buildings that house numerous
tenants. In such instances, EPA strives to exhibit leadership for the whole
building, educating co-tenants about sustainable principles and establish-
ing buildingwide environmental stewardship programs. For example, at
ORD's Large Lakes and Rivers Research Station in Grosse He, Michigan,
EPA provides environmental stewardship awareness training to all of
the building occupants in this multiagency facility. At the Region 8 Field
Office in Helena, Montana, EPA maintains responsibility for the building's
recycling program, sending emails regularly to co-tenants to educate them
about the program. At the Region 4 Office in Atlanta, Georgia, EPA played
a pivotal role in earning a 2010 ENERGY STAR label for the 22-tenant
Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, and the Agency continued to promote a
buildingwide automated external defibrillator program.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
On April 22, 2010, EPA headquarters set up
an exhibit on the National Mall to celebrate
America's 40th Earth Day. During this event,
EPA communicated with the public, shared
information about a variety of environmental
stewardship topics, answered questions, and
used games (like the Carbon Wheel pictured
here) to improve the public's knowledge of
environmental issues.
Serving as a Resource for Communities,
Businesses and Other Agencies
EPA locations are accumulating a wealth of knowledge as they continue
to make their facilities greener, safer and more healthful. The Agency is
sharing what it has learned with others who are interested in following
the same path. For example, the LEED Gold certified Region 1 Laboratory
in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, met with the Massachusetts Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) on several occasions in 2010 to help
DEP pursue its goal of achieving LEED certification for its newly con-
structed laboratory. Also, EPA's Region 6 Office in Dallas, Texas, formed
a partnership with the local Susan G. Komen for the Cureฎ chapter to
help the organization implement recycling at large events and pursue its
zero-waste goal.
The RTP facility in North Carolina was pleased to learn that one of its
previous student interns has been encouraging Chatham County officials
to implement an EMS. In support, RTP invited county staff and elected
officials to participate in an EMS presentation, a discussion session and a
guided facility tour. RTP offered the same outreach services (i.e., presenta-
tion, discussion and tour) to representatives from a nearby private busi-
ness that also expressed interest in greening its operations.
Educating (and Entertaining) Our Youth
Young people make excellent environmental stewards, as their energy,
open-mindedness and instinctive love of nature often make them receptive
to environmental causes. The nation's youth have already proven them-
selves to be valuable champions for a sustainable future as they strive to
educate their parents about sustainable practices and serve as catalysts
for change within their own homes and communities. Moreover, because
today's children will be tomorrow's leaders, their influence will only in-
crease as they progress to adulthood. EPA respects the power of young-
sters and aims to equip them with the knowledge they need to become
environmental ambassadors.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
In April 2010, ORD's Western Ecology Division in Corvallis, Oregon, used
a unique approach to communicate with middle-school students, pay-
ing heed to the well-known fact that messages resonate better with this
audience when delivered in an entertaining fashion. Students from five
local schools were invited to EPA's facility to participate in EPA's Earth Day
Challenge, which was tailored after Jeopardy! America's Favorite Quiz
Show.ฎ EPA set up an electronic game board, provided buzzers and listed
questions under the following categories: Climate Change, Sustainable
Communities, Clean Air and Water, People and Places, Reduce-Reuse-
Recycle, and Habitats and Ecosystems. The middle-school students, who
participated as game show contestants, spoke highly of the event, enjoy-
ing some laughs and learning a lot about the environment in the process.
The winning team received a trophy (see adjacent photo) made entirely
from recycled materials, which EPA staff members cobbled together us-
ing an old salad bowl, a lamp base, a candlestick, a brass spittoon and
recycled jewelry.
Also, EPA Region 3 continued to administer the Student Environmental
Development Program (SEDP), a summertime environmental education
and leadership development program offered to students entering the
eighth grade. The region has sponsored the program in Philadelphia for
18 years; in Washington, D.C., for 11 years; and in Baltimore for two years
and has also helped community organizations implement SEDP. Students
attend six weeks of classes, where they learn about environmental issues
relevant to their urban communities. In addition to raising environmental
awareness and stewardship, the program aims to build self esteem, pro-
mote critical thinking and teamwork, demystify public speaking, promote
personal and civil responsibility, and allow students to learn through
hands-on experiences and field trips. Certified science teachers lead
these energetic groups, but EPA representatives, local leaders, and other
state and federal organizations are also invited to speak regularly to the
students. At the end of the program, students develop a presentation and
deliver it to friends, families, community leaders and EPA representatives.
Even the last five EPA Administrators have attended these events. Upon
graduating from the program, students are encouraged to disseminate
their knowledge within their communities. Since its inception in 1993,
more than 1,150 students have completed the SEDP, but EPA estimates
that these graduates have shared their environmental knowledge with
more than 150,000 people.
Trophy presented to the winner of the Western
Ecology Division's Earth Day Challenge.
EPA's Kelly Leovic provides instruction to
middle-school students participating in Region
3'sSEDPin Baltimore.
In April 2010, EPA representatives from the
Region 6 Laboratory in Houston, Texas, visited
the Alief Middle School and set up a display to
help children better understand ground water
transport processes.
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Protecting Our Employees and the Environment 2010 Accomplishments
Closing Remarks and
Acknowledgements
EPA is pleased with the progress it made in 2010 to promote employee
well-being, maintain a safe workplace and reduce the Agency's
environmental footprint. We are confident that the actions we have
already taken, as well as those projected for the future, will make us a
better, more efficient and more responsible organization. We have worked
diligently over the years to integrate safety, health and environmental
considerations into all facets of our operations, but we recognize that
our journey will never be complete, as our goal is to constantly strive for
continual improvement. We look forward to the journey.
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
Program Directors
Architecture, Engineering, Asset Management and Sustainable
Facilities personnel
Energy, water, fleet and laboratory managers
Safety, health and environmental management program managers
and facility managers
EMS and SHMS coordinators
Pollution prevention and recycling coordinators
Contract, property management, information technology and
purchasing officials
The numerous EPA employees who provided photos for this report,
including EPA photographer, Eric Vance, who contributed a photo of
a laboratory technician for the report's cover and three photos of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
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Atrium sails, Region 8 Office, Denver, Colorado
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
(3207A)
Washington, DC 20460
www.epa.gov
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA200-R-11-001
July 2011
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