Annual Energy Management Report
FY 2018
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
February 28, 2019

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Cover photo: The EPA's Main Laboratory in Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina,
initiated an energy savings performance contract in fiscal year 2018.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Highlights	3
Introduction	5
Management and Administration Summary	5
Energy Management Infrastructure	5
Management Tools	5
EISA Section 432 Implementation	5
Energy Intensity Reduction Performance	6
Non-Fleet Vehicle and Equipment Fuel Use	7
Renewable Energy Use and Other Requirements	7
Onsite Generated Renewable Energy/Distributed Generation	7
Purchased Renewable Energy	7
Water Conservation	8
Metering of Energy Use	8
Federal Building Energy Efficiency Standards	9
Implementation Highlights During FY 2018	9
Life Cycle Cost Analysis	9
Retrofits and Capital Improvement Projects	9
Use of Performance Contracts	9
Use of ENERGY STAR® and Other Energy-Efficient Products	10
Sustainable Building Design and High-Performance Buildings	10
Energy Efficiency/Sustainable Design in Lease Provisions	12
Solid Waste Diversion Rate	12
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Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Highlights
In FY 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continued to strive to reduce its
energy and environmental footprint. The EPA met or exceeded the requirements of the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) for
renewable energy and fleet performance, as well as energy, water and recommissioning assessments.
In FY 2018, the EPA also commissioned one completed energy savings performance contract
(ESPC) and initiated work on another.
In September 2018, in accordance with the requirements of Executive Order (EO) 13834, the EPA
submitted a Sustainability Report and Implementation Plan (SRIP) to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The EPA's SRIP outlines
the agency's plans to reduce energy intensity, water intensity, solid waste and other resource use and
to incorporate sustainable design and operations across its facilities on an annual basis.
Energy Intensity Decreased 3.5 Percent From FY 2015
The EPA's FY 2018 reported energy intensity was 260,186 British thermal units (Btu) per gross
square foot (GSF), a decrease in energy intensity of 3.5 percent from FY 2015, and 34.9 percent
lower than the agency's energy intensity in FY 2003. To address the goals of EO 13834 to reduce
energy use each year, the agency also initiated an effort to identify and address fluctuations in facility
energy performance on a quarterly basis in FY 2018 and beyond.
Through a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) of renewable energy certificates (RECs) and existing
green power contracts, the EPA exceeded the EPAct goal of meeting at least 7.5 percent of
agencywide electricity use with renewable electric energy, purchasing 13.4 million kilowatt hours
(kWh) of direct green power or renewable energy certificates, which is 13.4 percent of its electricity
use.
In FY 2018, the EPA completed required energy and recommissioning assessments for its EISA-
covered facilities, conducting "desk audits" or in-person assessments at seven facilities to ensure the
EPA is on track to complete assessments at all the EISA-covered facilities during this four-year
cycle.
As of FY 2018, the EPA has installed electric, natural gas and steam meters at 100 percent of its
reporting facilities, meeting the requirements of EPAct and EISA. Advanced metering hardware,
which the EPA is required to install to the maximum extent practicable, is now in place, under
design or under construction to capture 77.0 percent of agencywide reportable energy consumption.
Water Intensity Down 37.7 Percent From FY 2007
In FY 2018, the EPA reduced its water intensity by 37.7 percent compared to FY 2007. The EPA's
water intensity in reporting laboratories was 22.3 gallons per GSF in FY 2018 (79.6 million total
gallons), compared to its FY 2007 water intensity of 35.7 gallons per GSF (136.5 million total
gallons). The EPA also estimates that it used 3.0 million gallons of nonpotable water for industrial,
landscaping and agricultural (ILA) applications in FY 2018, which is 97.8 percent lower than its FY
2010 ILA water use of 135.2 million gallons.
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A Total of 26.2 Percent of EPA-Owned Buildings Meet the Guiding Principles
for Sustainable Federal Buildings
In FY 2018, eight of the EPA's owned buildings greater than 10,000 square feet—or 26.2 percent
(by square feet)—met the Guiding Principles. In addition to internally certifying buildings under the
Guiding Principles, the EPA uses other systems to benchmark the environmental performance of its
real property portfolio.
Solid Waste Diversion Rate Was 60 Percent in FY 2018
The EPA has set its own internal waste diversion goal of 60 percent. The agency met that target by
diverting 60 percent of its solid waste through recycling and composting in FY 2018.
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Introduction
In September 2018, the EPA, in accordance with the requirements of EO 13834, EISA and EPAct,
submitted to the OMB and the CEQ its SRIP. This plan details key agency priorities and strategies
for achieving its sustainability goals, including: energy efficiency, renewable energy, water
conservation, fleet management, sustainable acquisition, waste diversion, performance contracting,
electronics stewardship and greenhouse gas emissions reductions, which the EPA planned to refine
once federal guidance for implementing EO 13834 is finalized.
Management and Administration Summary
Energy Management Infrastructure
The EPA's Senior Sustainability Officer for the duties and responsibilities set forth by federal
sustainability laws and executive orders is Donna J. Vizian, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator
for the Office of Mission Support, who reports directly to the EPA Administrator.
Management Tools
To ensure the EPA meets the requirements of EISA and EPAct, the agency's Sustainable and
Transportation Solutions Branch (STSB), under its Safety and Sustainability Division (SSD), assigns
project oversight and coordination to staff with mechanical engineering, sustainable design and
other relevant qualifications. Sustainability goals and assessment targets, based on federal
requirements, are incorporated into these employees' roles and responsibilities. Quarterly web-based
conference calls with EPA facility managers and energy reporters also ensure that facilities staff are
aware of any changes to federal requirements and agency sustainability targets. The EPA is
continuing the agency's commitment to using Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) as a way
to set objectives, targets and metrics for achieving its energy and sustainability goals. The agency's
national EMS program is managed by the SSD's Environmental, Safety and Health Programs
Branch (ESHPB). The ESHPB collaborates with STSB staff on various environmental stewardship
initiatives and federal reporting requirements.
EPA headquarters and facilities staff complete annual training relevant to their sustainability goals.
For example, the EPA employee who manages the EISA assessments, a headquarters project
engineer and several key facility staff recently attended the International Institute for Sustainable
Laboratories' annual conference, since the EPA's EISA-covered facilities are laboratories.
EISA Section 432 Implementation
From July 2017 through June 2018, the EPA used a "desk audit" approach to energy and water
assessments for a portion of the Main Building at its campus in RTP, North Carolina; portions of
the Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center (AWBERC) in Cincinnati, Ohio; the
New England Regional Laboratory (NERL) in Chelmsford, Massachusetts; the Atlantic Ecology
Division (AED) Laboratory in Narragansett, Rhode Island; the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions
Laboratory (NVFEL) in Ann Arbor, Michigan; and the National Exposure Research Laboratory in
Athens, Georgia. In FY 2018, the EPA completed an in-person energy and water assessment at the
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Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada, Oklahoma. These desk audits and onsite
assessments represent the completion of EISA requirements to conduct energy, water and
recommissioning assessments for 100 percent of the agency's total energy use at covered facilities
every four years.
During desk audits and onsite assessments, the agency reviews the status of and potential to
implement previously identified energy and water conservation measures for each facility and
estimates potential savings and payback periods. Energy conservation measures range from
opportunities to reduce energy use from lighting and turn off fans, to fume hood retrofits and
system optimization. Water conservation measures include fixture replacements and retrofits. The
EPA is focusing on implementing key projects, as budgets allow, and will continue to re-evaluate its
covered facilities per EISA requirements to identify more savings opportunities. In FY 2019, the
agency is planning to conduct onsite assessments at its Gulf Ecology Division (GED) Laboratory in
Gulf Breeze, Florida, and Kansas City, Kansas, Science and Technology Center (STC).
Energy Intensity Reduction Performance
The EPA's FY 2018 reported energy intensity was 260,186 Btu per GSF, which is 3.5 percent lower
than its FY 2015 reported energy intensity of 269,680 Btu per GSF (FY 2015's target was 279,798
Btu per GSF; see Figure 1). The EPA's FY 2018 energy intensity was also 34.9 percent lower than
FY 2003's 399,616 Btu per GSF. In absolute terms, the EPA's FY 2018 energy consumption was
930.2 billion Btu. While the agency's overall energy intensity has decreased steadily for nearly a
decade, the EPA will continue to identify more targeted opportunities for improvement in key
laboratories. Furthermore, the agency is confident that the steps it is taking to monitor and address
quarterly facility energy fluctuations will allow the EPA to continue to reduce energy intensity.
Figure 1. The EPA's Annual Energy Intensity Reductions
EPA Energy Intensity
FY 2003 to FY 2018
425,000
FY 2003 Baseline: 399,616 Btu per GSF
375,000
325,000
Previous FY 2015 Target: 279,798 Btu per GSF
275,000
Year-End FY 2018 Energy Intensity: 260,186 Btu per GSF
225,000
175,000
125,000
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Fiscal Year
^Previous Reduction Target	—Historical Energy Intensity (Btu/GSF)
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Non-Fleet Vehicle and Equipment Fuel Use
The EPA is currently implementing a new fleet management information system (FMIS), which will
allow the agency to monitor and analyze fleet vehicle use and fuel consumption. Tactical vehicles the
agency employs are included in the FMIS, and the EPA will analyze their use as it works to right-size
the agency's fleet.
Renewable Energy Use and Other Requirements
Onsite Generated Renewable Energy/Distributed Generation
The EPA installs onsite renewable energy and alternative energy systems where practical and cost-
effective. These systems help the agency build energy resiliency, diversify its energy supply and
reduce energy losses from transmission and distribution. In FY 2018, onsite renewable resources
such as wind, solar and geothermal power supplied the EPA with 6.5 billion Btu, equivalent to 0.6
percent of the agency's energy use. Among the agency's numerous onsite renewable energy and
distributed generation installations are:
•	A ground source heat pump at the Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada,
Oklahoma.
•	A 100-kilowatt (kW) solar roof at the National Computer Center in RTP, North Carolina.
•	A 109-kW hosted photovoltaic (PV) roof array at the First Environments Early Learning
Center in RTP.
•	A 55-kW, thin-film solar PV system on the roof of the Main Building E and a 52.5-kW solar
PV system on the roof of the Main Building B in RTP.
•	A 5-kW solar PV array on the roof of the AED Laboratory in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
•	A 2-kW solar PV awning system at NERL in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
•	Solar hot water heating systems at the AED Laboratory in Narragansett, Rhode Island; the
Region 2 Laboratory in Edison, New Jersey; and the National Exposure Research
Laboratory in Athens, Georgia.
•	A 9.5-kW PV roof array at the Western Ecology Division Laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon.
•	A cogeneration facility at the Region 9 Laboratory in Richmond, California.
•	A 1.5-megawatt (MW) PV array at the Region 2 Laboratory in Edison, New Jersey.
Purchased Renewable Energy
In August 2018, the EPA procured a BPA through the Defense Logistics Agency for a total of more
than 13 million kWh of renewable energy certificates that supported renewable energy generation in
Louisiana. Combined with two additional green power contracts, the EPA purchased 13.4 million
kWh of delivered green power and RECs for FY 2018. The EPA plans to complete another BPA of
RECs for FY 2019. With other small green power contracts and onsite renewable energy generation,
this BPA covers 13.4 percent of the agency's FY 2018 total electricity use and ensured the agency
met the EPAct requirement that at least 7.5 percent of agencywide electricity use be from
renewables.
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Water Conservation
The EPA achieved a water intensity of 22.3 gallons per GSF in FY 2018, which is a decrease of 37.7
percent compared to the agency's FY 2007 water intensity of 35.7 gallons per GSF and continues
the EPA's trend of reducing water use over the past decade or more (see Figure 2 and the
corresponding table below). In absolute terms, EPA laboratories used a total of 79.6 million gallons
of water in FY 2018 compared to 136.5 million gallons in FY 2007.
Figure 2. The EPA's Annual Water Intensity Reductions
EPA Water Intensity
FY 2007 to FY 2018
40
FY 2007 Baseline: 3S.7 Gallons per GSF
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Previous FY 2015 Target: 30.1 Gallons per GSF
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Year-End FY 2018 Water Intensity: 22.3 Gallons per GSF
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—Historical Water Intensity (Gal/GSF)	—Previous Reduction Requirement
FY 2018 water conservation efforts were guided by the agency's Water Conservation Strategy, which
outlines water reduction projects and goals for facilities and is detailed in the agency's SRIP, as well
as by water management plans for each facility that are updated after each water assessment. In FY
2018, the EPA used a total of 3.0 million gallons of ILA water for landscaping and research
purposes, a 97.8 percent decrease from the agency's FY 2010 ILA water use of 135.2 million gallons.
Metering of Energy Use
EPAct and EISA required federal agencies to install advanced metering equipment for electricity,
steam and natural gas to the maximum extent practicable, considering return on investment and
other criteria. By the end of FY 2018, advanced metering hardware was in place, under design or
under construction to capture 77.0 percent of the EPA's reporting laboratories' energy
consumption. The EPA uses an enterprise energy management information system (EEMIS) that
collects data from advanced meters across the agency's facilities and includes customizable
dashboards, trend analysis reporting, data quality analysis capabilities and the ability to store
historical data for reporting purposes to meet the advanced metering requirements of EPAct and
EISA. In FY 2018, the EPA initiated the process of transitioning its EEMIS from a collection of
third-party hosted servers to EPA-owned servers. During FY 2019, the agency will continue this
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transition, including comprehensive software reconfiguration and testing, to ensure continued access
to accurate and complete metered data.
Federal Building Energy Efficiency Standards
For new EPA facilities, the agency performs energy modeling to ensure compliance with the EPAct
requirement that new buildings perform at least 30 percent better than the American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE) 90.1 standard, when life cycle
cost-effective. During this process, the EPA weighs the cost of mechanical system and building
envelope investments against the energy cost savings that will result from these investments. Since
2007, the EPA has designed and constructed one new owned building, the RTP, North Carolina,
Building A Administration Wing, which achieved a 38 percent reduction from its baseline of
ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007.
Implementation Highlights During FY 2018
Life Cycle Cost Analysis
The EPA has established processes to evaluate the economic life cycle costs and return on
investment for new facilities; major renovations; mechanical system upgrades and replacements; and
other facility projects. Through the EPA's Five-Year Capital Investment Plan, Energy Conservation
Plan, Water Conservation Strategy, and Buildings and Facilities (B&F) process, the agency ranks
energy projects based on financial criteria, including initial investment; energy and operational cost
savings; absolute Btu and/or gallons of potable water saved per dollar; and potential for reducing
facility maintenance.
Retrofits and Capital Improvement Projects
The EPA has several projects underway that will contribute to the agency's future energy and water
savings. In FY 2018, the EPA continued to make progress on the following projects:
•	Phase 3 of an infrastructure replacement project at the National Analytical Radiation
Environmental Laboratory in Montgomery, Alabama, a renovation of a physics lab.
•	A boiler replacement at AWBERC in Cincinnati, Ohio.
•	A sea water delivery system and air compressor replacement at the AED Laboratory in
Narragansett, Rhode Island.
•	Renovation at the Main Building of the Western Ecology Division in Corvallis, Oregon.
•	Renovation of the National Enforcement Investigations Center in Denver, Colorado, to
accommodate the Region 8 Laboratory.
Use of Performance Contracts
Like many other federal agencies, the EPA has limited capital funds to maintain existing laboratory
infrastructure, replace aging infrastructure and reconfigure existing research laboratory space to meet
mission-critical needs. When appropriate, the EPA considers ESPCs as a potential funding source
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for energy-saving projects, as they enable the agency to reduce the burden of up-front capital costs.
Although many of the EPA's energy-saving or renewable energy projects are often not viable
candidates for ESPCs due to the advanced age and complexity of mechanical systems, the
laboratories' remote locations and the small project sizes, the agency continues to evaluate its
pipeline of future energy projects for performance contracting opportunities.
In FY 2017, the EPA completed construction of a 1.5-MW solar PV array at its laboratory in
Edison, New Jersey, as part of an ESPC that was awarded in December 2016. The system is
estimated to generate renewable energy equivalent to approximately 40 percent of the facility's
annual electricity needs. Through a 25-year power purchase agreement, the laboratory will now
receive green energy at a rate of more than 4 cents per kWh less than the current rate. The project
was activated in early FY 2018 and was being commissioned in FY 2019.
The EPA is also initiating the contracting steps to conduct an ESPC at its Main Building in RTP,
North Carolina, and was in the process of negotiating a contract in FY 2019. The ESPC will upgrade
lighting and building controls and replace high temperature hot water piping. In addition to working
on that effort in FY 2019, the EPA plans to revisit an ESPC at its NVFEL in Ann Arbor, Michigan,
that was initiated in 1998 and expires in 2022.
Use of ENERGY STAR® and Other Energy-Efficient Products
For building products, the EPA specifies the use of ENERGY STAR and other energy-efficient
products through its Architecture and Engineering Guidelines. For electronics, the EPA currently tracks
and reports the purchase of ENERGY STAR qualified and FEMP-designated personal computers,
notebook computers and monitors. The EPA will continue to track and report electronics
stewardship data and evaluate areas for improvement across the life cycle of electronics acquisition,
operations and maintenance, and end-of-life management.
Sustainable Building Design and High-Performance Buildings
The EPA occupies approximately 9.9 million square feet of space nationwide. The EPA promotes
energy and resource efficiency, waste reduction, pollution prevention, indoor air quality, and other
environmental factors both during new construction and in existing buildings owned by the agency
or leased through the General Services Administration (GSA).
Transforming the EPA's existing buildings to facilities that meet federal high-performance
sustainable building standards is complex work. The EPA uses a multi-pronged approach, including:
energy and water conservation projects; lighting system controls upgrades; scheduled
recommissioning; ventilation and thermal comfort testing and improvements; and stormwater
management system upgrades. The agency has also developed Building Management Plan
templates—a comprehensive set of sustainable building management procedures and policies that
represent best practices, minimum requirements, conformance assurance processes and performance
standards that help ensure high-performance sustainable building operations.
In FY 2018, eight buildings—or 26.2 percent by square feet (of EPA-owned buildings greater than
10,000 square feet)—met the Guiding Principles. The EPA buildings that meet the Guiding Principles
are:
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•	AWBERC Main Building and Annex I, Cincinnati, Ohio
•	AWBERC Annex II, Cincinnati, Ohio
•	Building A Administration Wing, RTP, North Carolina
•	Environmental Science Center (ESC), Fort Meade, Maryland
•	First Environments Early Learning Center, RTP, North Carolina
•	GED Laboratory Building 67, Gulf Breeze, Florida
•	Large Lakes Research Station, Grosse lie, Michigan
•	National Computer Center, RTP, North Carolina
Green Building Certifications
In addition to using its own internal system for certifying existing buildings as meeting the Guiding
Principles, the EPA uses other green building and energy performance rating systems as part of its
toolkit for acquiring high-performance green buildings and ensuring their continued performance.
Overall, the EPA occupies 12 buildings certified under the LEED for Building Design and
Construction (BD+C) rating system, 18 buildings certified under the LEED for Building Operations
and Maintenance (O+M) rating system, and four buildings certified under the LEED for Interior
Design and Construction (ID+C) rating system.
The EPA now occupies 28 buildings with at least one LEED certification:
•	AWBERC Annex II, Cincinnati, Ohio (BD+C)
•	Building A Administration Wing, RTP, North Carolina (BD+C)
•	ESC, Fort Meade, Maryland (O+M)
•	First Environments Early Learning Center, RTP, North Carolina (BD+C)
•	GED Laboratory Building 67, Gulf Breeze, Florida (BD+C)
•	Five La Plaza Buildings (A, B, C, D and E), Las Vegas, Nevada (O+M)
•	National Computer Center, RTP, North Carolina (BD+C)
•	NERL, Chelmsford, Massachusetts (BD+C)
•	Potomac Yard One, Arlington, Virginia (BD+C, O+M)
•	Region 1 Office, Boston, Massachusetts (BD+C, O+M)
•	Region 2 Caribbean Environmental Protection Division, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico (ID+C)
•	Region 3 Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (O+M)
•	Region 6 Office, Dallas, Texas (O+M)
•	Region 7 Office, Lenexa, Kansas (BD+C, O+M)
•	Region 8 Office, Denver, Colorado (BD+C)
•	Region 9 Office, San Francisco, California (ID+C, O+M)
•	Region 10 Idaho Operations Office, Boise, Idaho (BD+C, ID+C)
•	Region 10 Office, Seattle, Washington (ID+C, O+M)
•	Region 10 Washington Operations Office, Lacey, Washington (O+M)
•	Robert N Giaimo Federal Building, New Haven, Connecticut (O+M)
•	Southern California Field Office, Los Angeles, California (O+M)
•	STC, Kansas City, Kansas (BD+C)
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•	William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building (East/West), Washington, DC (O+M)
•	William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building (North/South), Washington, DC (O+M)
ENERGY STAR® Building Label
Since 2003, the EPA has required all large, newly leased buildings to earn the ENERGY STAR
building label prior to lease award or within 18 months of the completion date for new construction.
The most recent EPA headquarters buildings and regional offices to attain the ENERGY STAR
building label are listed below:
•	Potomac Yard One, Arlington, Virginia (2018)
•	Region 1 Office, Boston, Massachusetts (2015)
•	Region 2 Office, New York City, New York (2012)
•	Region 3 Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2018)
•	Region 4 Office, Atlanta, Georgia (2013)
•	Region 5 Office, Chicago, Illinois (2018)
•	Region 6 Office, Dallas, Texas (2018)
•	Region 7 Office, Lenexa, Kansas (2016)
•	Region 8 Office, Denver, Colorado (2018)
•	Region 9 Office, San Francisco, California (2018)
•	Region 10 Office, Seattle, Washington (2013)
•	William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building (East, West) (2012)
•	William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building (North, South) (2011)
In addition to six headquarters and regional offices, La Plaza Buildings A, B, C, D and E and the
Region 10 Idaho Operations Office renewed their labels in FY 2018.
Energy Efficiency/Sustainable Design in Lease Provisions
For new major lease acquisitions, the EPA works with the GSA to acquire high-performance
sustainable buildings that exceed the environmental performance of the facilities being replaced. In
FY 2018, the EPA continued to incorporate sustainable design and energy efficiency in new lease
renovations for its Region 6 Office in Dallas and Region 8 Office in Denver.
Solid Waste Diversion Rate
The EPA has set its own internal waste diversion goal of 60 percent. The agency met that target by
diverting 60 percent of its solid waste through recycling and composting in FY 2018.
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