2019 Federal Green Challenge Awards

National 2018 Results - Participating Agencies: Diverted 675K tons waste from landfills saving $37 million. Consumed 536 million fewer gallons potable water than FY17 saving $2.1 million. Reduced transport costs $22.6 million over FY17. Sent 235 tons elec

Recognition was a key element of the EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program and the Federal Green Challenge (FGC). FGC awards this year were data driven awards, given in the five target areas of Waste, Electronics, Purchasing, Water and Transportation, were based on the greatest percentage of change over the previous year.

The 2019 FGC awards recognized the achievements of participating facilities in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. In FY18, 334 federal facilities took steps to improve efficiency, save resources and reduce costs as part of the Challenge. Participants saved around $37 million across natural gas, fuel oil, paper purchasing, water and municipal solid waste (MSW) categories.

Across five of the main target areas, EPA recognized the following FGC participants for their significant efforts in improving the sustainability of their facilities and for their leadership in reducing the environmental footprint of federal government activities, which saves taxpayer dollars and conserves energy.

2019 National and Regional Awardees

2019 National Award Winners

Improvement by Target Area – Highest Increased Percentage Over Previous Year

Waste:

  • The Drug Enforcement Agency, Southeast Laboratory, Miami, Florida, recycled 4.11 tons of material.

Electronics:

  • The Drug Enforcement Agency, Southeast Laboratory, Miami, Florida, purchased 27 units of EPEAT certified gold level registered equipment. The facility enable power management monitoring on 98 percent of those units.
  • Department of Energy, East Tennessee Technology Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, recycled 16.2 tons of electronics equipment with a third-party recycler.

Purchasing:

  • The Drug Enforcement Agency, Southeast Laboratory, Miami, Florida, reduced printer and copier paper purchased by 700 pounds.
  • Department of Veterans Affairs, Manchester Medical Center, Manchester, New Hampshire, created an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and Pollution Prevention Policy at the end of 2017.

Water:

  • Department of Veterans Affairs, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia, reduced its water consumption by 1,000,000 gallons.

Transportation:

  • Department of Veterans Affairs, Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia, has 356 electric, hybrid and alternate fuel vehicles, and a newly implemented ride share program which saved employees over $964,000.
  • Department of Energy, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, increased sustainable vehicle charging infrastructure for its growing fleet of electric vehicles.

Learn more about our 2019 National Awardees

2019 Regional Award Winners

Northeast (Region 2)

  • Waste, Energy and Water: Fort Buchanan Army Reserve, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
  • Waste: U.S. Army Reserve 99th Readiness Division, Army Reserve Fort Dix, N.J.
  • Waste and Electronics: Department of Energy, Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, N.Y.
  • Waste, Electronics, Energy, Purchasing and Water: Department of Energy, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (PPPL), Princeton, N.J.
  • Waste, Electronics, Energy, Purchasing and Water: Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Caribbean Healthcare System, San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Waste: General Services Administration, Peter W. Rodino Federal Building, Newark, N.J.
  • Waste: General Services Administration, 20 Washington Place, Newark, N.J.
  • Energy and Water: General Services Administration, Martin Luther King, Jr. Court House, Newark, N.J.
  • Learn more!

Mid-Atlantic (Region 3)

  • Innovation: Department of Veterans Affairs, James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center, Altoona, Penn.
  • Waste Diversion: Department of Veterans Affairs, Coatesville VA Medical Center, Coatesville, Penn.
  • Learn more!

Great Lakes (Region 5)

  • Purchasing: Department of Housing and Urban Development, Chicago, Ill.
  • Water, Transportation, Waste, Electronics and Innovation Award: Department of Energy, Argonne National Lab, Lemont, Ill.
  • Learn more!

South Central (Region 6)

  • Innovation, Education and Outreach, and Leadership: Department of Veterans Affairs, Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center, Bonham, Texas
  • Innovation: Region 6 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, White Sands Test Facility, Las Cruces, N.M.
  • Energy: General Services Administration, 1 Justice Park Drive, Houston, Texas
  • Waste: General Services Administration, Earle Cabell Federal Building, Dallas, Texas
  • Waste Diversion: General Services Administration, Hale Boggs Federal Building and District Courthouse, New Orleans, La.
  • Water: General Services Administration U.S. Custom House, New Orleans, La.
  • Learn more!

Pacific Southwest (Region 9)

  • Innovation, Water and Electronics: Drug Enforcement Administration, Southwest Laboratory, Vista, Calif.
  • Leadership: Drug Enforcement Administration, Western Laboratory, Pleasanton, Calif.
  • Purchasing: U.S. Postal Service – Pacific Area, San Diego, Calif.
  • Waste: Army Reserve 9th Mission Support Command, Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Learn more!

Pacific Northwest & Alaska (Region 10)

  • Innovation: Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, Seattle, Wash.
  • Electronics and Waste: Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, Ore.
  • Energy: General Service Administration, Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, Portland, Ore.
  • Water: U.S. Coast Guard, Seattle Base Support Unit, Seattle, Wash.
  • Learn more!

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Last updated on May 30, 2025