Newport, Oregon

This facility features the following green attributes:
Green Power
Water Management Plan

Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch

Total Facility Area: 38,851 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 26 persons
Energy Consumption: 13,274,190,528 Btu per year
Btu per GSF per Year: 341,669
Total Water Consumption: 257,000 gallons per year
Gallons per GSF per year: 7

All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2007.

Description

The Coastal Ecology Branch (CEB) is the marine research group for the Western Ecology Division, a part of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory of the Office of Research and Development (ORD). The Newport facility studies the effects of human population-induced stresses on the habitats and species of the estuarine systems of the Pacific Northwest.

Unique Environmental Features

Energy Conservation

In FY 2006, EPA replaced aging heat pumps at the Newport facility with new, energy-efficient, gas-fired boilers.

Green Power

In June 2006, EPA signed a contract to acquire 110 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in renewable energy certificates (RECs), or "green tags," from 3 Phases Energy Services over the period September 1, 2006 - September 30, 2007. This blanket purchase supplies EPA with enough RECs through FY 2007 to offset 100 percent of annual electricity consumption at the Newport laboratory and other EPA facilities not covered by separate green power contracts. Procured through the Defense Energy Support Center , this contract supports wind power generation in California, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Water Conservation

In August 2004, EPA completed a water management plan for the Newport laboratory (PDF) (15 pp, 1.0MB,About PDF).

Other Features

The Pollution Abatement Facility (PAF) is a unique feature of the CEB research facility. Drain lines from any laboratory in the wing can be routed into the PAF. Unaltered seawater free from contact with non-indigenous species or chemical contamination can be routed to the seawater drain and returned to the estuary. Seawater contaminated in any fashion by experiments can be routed to the storage tanks, analyzed, treated as necessary to remove or detoxify contaminants, and can then be released to the City of Newport wastewater treatment facility.
All of the facility's chlorofluorocarbons were replaced by 1998.

For More Information

Faith Cole (cole.faith@epa.gov)
Hatfield Marine Science Center
2111 SE Marine Science Drive
Newport, OR 97365
Phone: (541) 867-5000
Fax: (541) 867-4049

Web site: www.epa.gov/wed/pages/facilities/newportfacilities.htm