![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
FY 2009 Award Winners
In This Section
EPA congratulates the winners of the Sustainability Champion awards for their leadership in reducing EPA's environmental footprint in fiscal year (FY) 2009. Awards to the following individuals and teams were presented at EPA's Energy, Facilities, and Security Workshop in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 14, 2010. These sustainability champions include facility managers, building operations and maintenance personnel, “Green Team” members, and other EPA staff who have demonstrated exceptional effort and achievement in energy and water efficiency and other sustainability areas.
- Rod Booth and John Filkins of the Large Lakes Research Station in Grosse Ile, Michigan, received a Btu Buster Award for helping to achieve energy savings of 13.0 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008 due to a heating system central plant upgrade, which included the replacement of two 34-year-old steam boilers.
- Jennifer Mann of the Region 9 Laboratory in Richmond, California, received a Btu Buster Honorable Mention for helping to achieve energy savings of 10.4 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008.
- Rick Pittman of the National Exposure Research Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, received a Btu Buster Honorable Mention for helping to achieve energy savings of 10.1 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008.
- Primo Knight received a Btu Buster Honorable Mention for helping the Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch Laboratory in Newport, Oregon, to achieve energy savings of 8.1 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008.
- Rick Pittman of the National Exposure Research Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, received an Energy Partner of the Year Award for helping to realize energy savings of 10.1 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008, due to energy savings realized from an ongoing infrastructure replacement project and an FY 2007 laboratory renovation, and from the rehabilitation of a solar hot water heater.
- The Energy Team for EPA’s Research Triangle Park (RTP) campus in RTP, North Carolina, received an Energy Partner of the Year Award for helping EPA’s combined RTP facilities achieve a 30.2 percent reduction from an FY 2003 energy baseline, meeting the 30 percent energy reduction by FY 2015 goal of Executive Order (EO) 13423 six years early. The RTP Main building alone achieved an energy reduction of 40.16 percent in FY 2009 compared to its FY 2003 baseline, a reduction that was instrumental in EPA meeting its energy goals over the last few years. The RTP Energy Team consists of team members Greg Eades, Bill Gaines, Billy Morris, Sam Pagan, Carol Purvis, James White, and Robert Wippich.
- Russ Ahlgren and Mark Tagliabue of the Atlantic Ecology Division Laboratory in Narragansett, Rhode Island, received an H2Overachiever Award for helping to achieve water savings of 55.4 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008 due to improved water management practices and water fixture upgrades.
- Rick Pittman of the National Exposure Research Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, received an H2Overachiever Award for helping to achieve water savings of 41.3 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008 due to an air handler condensate recovery effort and the installation of high-efficiency toilets and urinals.
- Rick Dreisch of the Environmental Science Center in Fort Meade, Maryland, received an H2Overachiever Award for helping to achieve water savings of 24.9 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008 by implementing suggested practices in the facility’s water management plan and completing a project to capture air handler condensate and route it to a cooling tower.
- Robert Andrews of the National Exposure Research Laboratory Environmental Sciences Division in Las Vegas, Nevada, received an H2Overachiever Honorable Mention for helping to achieve water savings of 33.4 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008.
- Frank Price of the National Risk Management Research Laboratory in Ada, Oklahoma, received an H2Overachiever Honorable Mention for helping to achieve water savings of 35.1 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008 due to lowering irrigation water use.
- Joe Pernice of the Region 2 Laboratory in Edison, New Jersey, received the Reporter of the Year Award for consistently submitting timely, accurate invoice packages and reporting forms, well before the quarterly data call is sent out.
- May Fong and Robert Andrews of the National Exposure Research Laboratory Environmental Sciences Division in Las Vegas, Nevada, received Reporter of the Year Honorable Mentions for consistently submitting timely invoice packages and reporting forms and being attentive to any necessary follow-up items.
- Linda Donahue of the Region 10 Laboratory in Manchester, Washington, received a Reporter of the Year Honorable Mention for consistently submitting timely, accurate invoice packages and reporting forms.
- Jack Berges of the Region 9 Laboratory in Richmond, California, received a Reporter of the Year Honorable Mention for delivering six monthly reports before deadline as a participant in the Strive for 45 Recycling Rally and also for submitting pounds diverted and disposed by the laboratory for FY 2009 overall.
- The Xeriscaping Team of the National Exposure Research Laboratory in Las Vegas, Nevada, including team members Robert Andrews, Kevin Broadnax, Karen Dukeman, May Fong, and Hayden Hardie, received a Green Thumb Award. The laboratory is located in a desert environment where water is scarce, and when the local water authority offered rebates for converting high-maintenance lawn turf into desert landscapes, the Xeriscaping Team convinced the laboratory’s landlord to convert 120,000 square feet of turf. This change will save about 6.6 million gallons of water a year, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from lawn mowers, and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides.
- A Leading Edge Award went to the Green Rain Garden and Parking Lot Team of the Region 2 Laboratory in Edison, New Jersey, including team members John Beier, Mike Borst, Joe Pernice, Lance Swanhorst, and William Yuan. The group received the award for working throughout FY 2009 to finalize an experimental rain garden and parking lot at their laboratory as part of a long-term project to research the capabilities of low impact development features. EPA will use the parking lot to quantify the effects of different permeable surfaces on stormwater runoff. EPA will use the rain garden to quantify the ability of rain gardens to accept, store, and infiltrate stormwater.
- The Green Roof and Xeriscaping Team of EPA’s Atlantic Ecology Division Laboratory in Narragansett, Rhode Island, including team members Russell Ahlgren, Joe Gillian, Brad Heath, Mark Tagliabue, and Bill Wise, received a Leading Edge Award for working to replace a 30-year-old, 3,000 square foot roof with a green roof expected to reduce heating and cooling energy costs and provide stormwater mitigation. The project, completed in September 2009, includes sustainable materials and an irrigation system for maintenance during drought periods. In addition to the green roof installation, various xeriscaping practices and other water conservation measures contributed to a 55.4 percent water reduction at the Atlantic Ecology Division Laboratory in FY 2009, compared to FY 2008.
- Ryan Smith of U.S. EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC, received a Carbon Cutter Award for providing invaluable service as a liaison with the Chief Financial Officer's office in working through the policy and budget implications of the Agency's scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions.
- Rod Booth of the Large Lakes Research Station in Grosse Ile, Michigan, received a Carbon Cutter Honorable Mention for helping to achieve a GHG emissions reduction of 16.3 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008 (including green power purchases).
- Pete Schubert and the RTP, North Carolina, National Computer Center’s Energy Team, including team members Dan Amon, Greg Eades, Bill Gaines, Billy Morris, Sam Pagan, James White, and Robert Wippich, received a Carbon Cutter Honorable Mention for helping to achieve a GHG emissions reduction of 14.3 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008 (including green power purchases).
- Jennifer Mann of the Region 9 Laboratory in Richmond, California, received a Carbon Cutter Honorable Mention for helping to achieve GHG emissions reduction of 11.0 percent in FY 2009 compared to FY 2008 (including green power purchases).
- The Strive for 75 Team of EPA’s Region 1, including team members Kathleen Campbell, Tom Faber, and Scott Pellerin from the New England Research Laboratory in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and Bill Holbrook and Jeri Weiss from the Region 1 office in Boston, Massachusetts, received a Pollution Prevention Partner of the Year Award for designing Strive for 75, a waste reduction competition among their own facilities. The Strive for 75 team also developed an educational campaign to motivate employees, with impressive results: during the Strive for 75 Recycling Rally, the Region 1 office achieved a 76 percent waste diversion rate, while Chelmsford came in at 74 percent.
- The Customer Technology Solutions (CTS) Deployment Recycling Team, including team members Cheryl Dale, Susan Mizinski, Dorothy Richards, and Ruth Schenk of the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, received a Pollution Prevention Partner of the Year Award. The CTS Deployment Recycling Team recognized that the facility would see new waste streams and an increase in existing waste streams due to a new CTS deployment in FY 2009. They borrowed an additional dumpster to cover the increase in cardboard recycling during the deployment period, resulting in approximately 3 tons of cardboard recycled; rented a 23-foot trailer for the collection of polystyrene and shipped three full trailers to a container company for reuse; and donated 363 computer systems to schools.
- A Pollution Prevention Partner of the Year Award went to EPA’s Region 4’s Office of Policy and Management’s (OPM) Employee Infrastructure and Services Section (EISS) Team, including team members Gregg T. Adams, Iris J. Ashmeade, John W. Bell, Cory G. Berish, Walter P. DiPietro, Donald O. Fortson, Phyllis W. Graham, Wanda L. Johnson, Patricia W. Simmons, Sharon E. Weeks, Gary H. White, Miguel A. Whitlow, Patrice Williams, and Daphen R. Willis. Through their Greening Region 4’s Workspace Project and Property Management Program, Region 4’s EISS Team achieved great success in FY 2009, including: system furniture enhancements to more than 950 cubicles; space consolidation resulting in the release of 26,000 square feet of space; and recycling of large amounts of carpet, construction waste metal, cardboard, and office paper. Additionally, the team sought to improve the reuse of government property, resulting in donations and reuse of property valued in excess of $2 million.
- Jennifer Mann of EPA’s Region 9 Laboratory in Richmond, California, received a Pollution Prevention Partner of the Year Award for setting up a compost system to process lunchroom waste into organic fertilizer to replace chemical fertilizer for landscaping on site. She also provided information and desktop containers to lab personnel to encourage maximum participation.
- The Region 1 Office Renovation Team, including team members Cynthia Greene, Cathy Berlow, Dave Austin, Carol Wood, and Alice Kaufman, received a Sustainable Partner of the Year Award for continued management of the historic, sustainable renovation of EPA’s Region 1 office in Boston, Massachusetts, which applied for U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) version 2.2 Gold certification for New Construction in March 2010. The team was a significant asset in coordination with EPA Headquarters and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) on a green roof, LEED certification, and green power purchasing. The team was also helpful in leading building tours and producing videos of the sustainable features for the region’s staff and management.
- Jonathan Aplin of the National Air and Radiation Environmental Laboratory in Montgomery, Alabama, received the Rookie of the Year Award for working hard in FY 2009 to help successfully implement an advanced metering system, which will identify energy and water savings in years to come.
Strive for 45 2009 Recycling Rally Winners
To help increase Agencywide waste diversion rates and highlight outstanding waste diversion achievement, EPA initiated the Strive for 45 Recycling Rally in 2009, a six-month recycling competition among EPA offices and laboratories. Along with creating a spirit of friendly competition, EPA challenged its facilities to achieve the highest overall waste diversion rate. Presented below are the champions by category.
Highest Overall Waste Diversion Rate
- EPA's NVFEL in Ann Arbor, Michigan, achieved an 82 percent waste diversion rate, the highest among all participating EPA facilities. The 400 employees of NVFEL achieved this amazing display of waste diversion prowess through their extensive paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, and battery recycling; pallet and office furniture donations; and composting of food and organic wastes.
Regional Offices
- Most Pounds Diverted Per Capita: Region 9 Office, San Francisco, California
- Most Improved: Region 1 Office, Boston, Massachusetts
Regional and National Laboratories
- Most Pounds Diverted Per Capita: Mid-Continent Ecology Division Laboratory, Duluth, Minnesota
- Most Improved: Region 9 Laboratory, Richmond, California