EPA Recognizes Federal Green Challenge Winners for Conserving Resources and Promoting Efficiency
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing national and regional awards to federal facilities for applying practical, cost-effective measures to conserve resources as part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC). The Challenge, which began in 2012, is a national effort under EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program to encourage agencies to reduce the federal government's environmental impact. Reducing the size of a facility’s environmental footprint conserves natural resources and reduces pollution that contributes to climate change.
“It’s going to take a whole-of-government approach to build a more sustainable future, and the awardees announced today are leading the charge,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “These agencies are addressing the impacts of the climate crisis by reducing the use of natural resources, resulting in an estimated cost savings across the federal government of $36 million in 2019.”
For 2021, EPA congratulates its national award winner Bonneville Power Administration (Portland, Ore.) on winning the Adaptation Award for their response during the pandemic.
Regional winners include Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare (Little Rock, Ark.) in the category of Innovation, Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center (Bonham, Texas) in the category of Leadership, and Presidio Trust (San Francisco) in the category of Education and Outreach.
Over the lifespan of the program from 2012-2021, more than 400 federal agencies have made many different changes to become more sustainable. Some high-level achievements have resulted in over three million tons of waste being diverted from landfills and 3,000 tons of e-waste being recycled. Agencies have avoided purchasing 15,000 pounds of office paper by switching to electronic documents. The federal government has purchased more electric and hybrid vehicles, resulting in a reduced fleet distance traveled by 28 million miles. These efforts and more have resulted in approximately $200 million saved for American taxpayers.
For more information on the Federal Green Challenge and this year’s winners, visit: www.epa.gov/fgc.