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Integrating Green Purchasing Into Your Environmental Management System (EMS) - Conclusion, Acknowledgements, Disclaimer
As published by the EPA in April 2005.
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4. CONCLUSION
The Federal agencies who participated in the development of this report have incorporated green procurement into their EMS policy and procedures. This is appropriate, since procurement and contracting activities are responsible for as much as 25%52 of an agency's budget and act as the gatekeeper for products and services that have the potential to contribute to diverse environmental impacts. By using EMS procedures to identify procurement as an environmental aspect and initiate operational controls to address these environmental impacts, agencies can encourage the use of green products and the implementation of sustainable operations.
Thus, the EMS can increase and focus efforts of product users, and the procurement and contracting personnel who support them, to seek out green products and processes that can provide similar or better performance quality than those products or processes currently in use. For example, buying low emissions vehicles to improve air quality, or choosing renewable energy sources to reduce CO2 emissions and their contribution to climate change, or specifying Integrated Pest Management and green landscaping services to reduce the impacts of pesticides and fertilizers on local rivers lakes and streams all can help to reduce a facility's overall environmental impacts. Monitoring and measuring the purchase and use of green products documents progress toward improved environmental performance and facilitates compliance with reporting requirements. Since purchase agreements are of limited duration, expiring contracts can drive a system toward continuous improvement by compelling an organization to consider green purchasing opportunities with each new purchase or contract renewal.53
Patty Wohl of California EPA sums up her agency's experience stating, "During this past year, we have experienced directly how EMS-based management increases the benefits of a green purchasing program by improving regulatory compliance and environmental performance; increasing efficiency; enhancing accountability; reducing costs; and enhancing morale through aligning actions with good intentions and formal commitments."
Development of this module has been a group effort, from beginning to end. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would like to thank all of the agencies and individuals who shared lessons learned during the EMS implementation process, provided examples of successful incorporation of Green Procurement into their EMS, and/or provided valuable editorial comments.
Agencies and individuals whose expertise informed the contents of this report include:
|
Agency |
Facility |
Contact |
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) |
Headquarters |
Patti Wilson |
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) |
Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) |
Randy Smith Randolph.J.Smith@dla.mil |
|
Department of Agriculture (USDA) |
Beltsville Area, Agricultural Research Service |
David Prevar |
|
Department of Commerce (DOC) |
Headquarters |
Pete Wixted PWixted@doc.gov |
|
Department of Defense (DOD) |
Office of the Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment) |
John Coho john.coho@osd.mil |
|
Department of Defense (DOD) |
Pentagon Engineering & Technical Service Division |
Alan Smith AlanSmith@ref.whs.mil |
|
Department of Defense (DOD) |
U.S. Air Force Eglin AFB, FL |
Karen Winnie karen.winnie@eglin.af.mil |
|
Department of Defense (DOD) |
Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE) |
Karen Kivela Karen.Kivela@brooks.af.mil |
|
Department of Defense (DOD) |
U.S. Army Fort Lewis, WA |
Harry Fleming |
|
Department of Defense (DOD) |
U.S. Army Fort Eustis, VA |
Shonia Holloway shonia.holloway@us.army.mil |
|
Department of Defense (DOD) |
U.S. Army Tobyhanna Army Depot, PA |
Craig Coffman craig.coffman@us.army.mil |
|
Department of Energy (DOE) |
Alternate Fueled Vehicle Program |
Shab Fardanesh Shabnam.Fardanesh@ee.doe.gov |
|
Department of Energy (DOE) |
Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) |
Alison Thomas alison.thomas@ee.doe.gov |
|
Department of Energy (DOE) |
Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) |
Sandra Cannon sd_cannon@pnl.gov |
|
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) |
U.S. Coast Guard |
Ken Malmberg KMalmberg@comdt.uscg.mil |
|
Department of the Interior (DOI) |
Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance |
Heather Davies |
|
Department of the Interior (DOI) |
National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park |
Dr. Mary Ann McCloskey |
|
Department of the Interior (DOI) |
National Park Service Intermountain Region |
J. Craig Erickson (consultant) |
|
Department of the Interior (DOI) |
National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park Xanterra Resorts |
Lisa McNeilly lmcneilly@xanterra.com |
|
Department of the Interior (DOI) |
National Park Service Concession Environmental Management Program |
Christine Chui christine_chui@contractor.nps.gov |
|
Department of Transportation |
Office of the Secretary of Transportation |
Catherine Johnson Catherine.Johnson@ost.dot.gov |
|
Department of Veterans Affairs |
Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management |
Jack Staudt jack.staudt@hq.med.va.gov |
|
Executive Office of the President |
Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE) |
Ed Pinero pinero.ed@ofee.gov |
|
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation (OPEI) |
Tim Stuart (retired) |
|
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE) |
Dana Arnold arnold.dana@ofee.gov |
|
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
Office of Pollution Prevention & Toxics: Design for the Environment |
Karen Chu chu.karen@epa.gov |
|
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
Office of Pollution Prevention & Toxics: EPP-Federal Electronics Challenge |
Christopher Kent kent.christopher@epa.gov |
|
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
Environmental Science Center, Fort Meade, MD |
Greg Allen Lynda Podhorniak podhorniak.lynda@epa.gov |
|
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
Region 1 |
Robert Guillemin |
|
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
Region 5 |
Christopher M. Newman newman.christopherm@epa.gov Lucy Stanfield stanfield.lucy@epa.gov |
|
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
Region 9 |
Heather White |
|
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
Region 10 |
Viccy Salazar Salazar.viccy@epa.gov Bruce Stapleton stapleton.bruce@epa.gov Jonell Allamano Allamano.jonell@epa.gov |
|
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
Ames Research Center |
Christel VanArsdale |
|
State of California |
California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) |
Patty Wohl |
|
U.S. Postal Service (USPS) |
Northeast Region |
Ron Robbins |
DISCLAIMER
This report provides an overview of recent Federal government initiatives that incorporate green procurement into an Environmental Management System (EMS). References to specific products and technologies do not constitute endorsement of or recommendation for use of these products by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This report features representative Federal government activities in green procurement and EMS. It does not represent the efforts of every Federal government agency initiating an EMS and it does not describe every activity initiated by the agencies highlighted.
52Federal Procurement Data System, 2002 Report, http://www.fpdsng.com/fpr_reports_fy_02.html
53Personal communication, Rob Guillemin, EPA Region 1, November, 2003.