Obama Administration Announces Winners of 2012 GreenGov Presidential Awards

The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) today announced the winners of the 2012 GreenGov Presidential Awards, honoring Federal agency teams and individuals who are taking innovative approaches to curbing waste, reducing energy use and saving taxpayer money in Federal agency operations. The GreenGov Presidential Awards celebrate extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of President Obama's Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (Executive Order 13514).  The awards highlight Federal civilian and military personnel, and agency teams, facilities, and programs that exemplify President Obama's charge to lead by example.  The award winners were honored by senior Administration officials at a White House ceremony yesterday.

"Reducing waste, curbing energy use and saving money through sustainability measures in Federal operations is good for our communities, and good for agencies’ bottom lines,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality.  "The winners of the GreenGov Presidential Awards exemplify how the Federal Government is leading by example, and are demonstrating how smart energy and sustainability decisions reduce costs, curb pollution and improve working environments."

CEQ solicited nominations for the 2012 awards from the Federal community.  A panel of judges that included Federal and local sustainability leaders reviewed the nominations and recommended the award finalists to the President.  The outstanding achievements by this year’s GreenGov Award recipients are described below:

Award Category:  Building the Future

Project Name: Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield, DPW, Environmental Division
Agency: Department of Defense

The Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield has incorporated sustainability into forward-thinking policies and daily operations, achieving significant, quantifiable accomplishments. The Airfield has reduced water intensity, increased waste diversion, reduced energy intensity, and helped protect more than 28,000 acres of surrounding wildlife. These milestones have been accomplished through partnerships with local governments and communities, and an intensive outreach campaign.

Award Category:  Good Neighbor 

Project Name: Montlake Laboratory Green Team
Agency: Department of Commerce

The Montlake Laboratory has developed a community-focused recycling program by partnering with local Seattle area organizations to divert unique waste streams from landfills and reduce the carbon footprint of the Northwest Fisheries Center. These partnerships, based on redirecting used materials, benefit the local community. The Northwest Fisheries Center’s leading practices can be replicated by Federal facilities of all sizes.

Award Category:  Green Dream Team

Project Name: Sustainability Now!
Agency: Department of Homeland Security

The Sustainability Club is a voluntary organization of cadets at the US Coast Guard Academy that is focused on improving the environmental footprint at the Academy and in the surrounding New London, CT area. By coordinating their sustainability initiatives with the Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the local government, the Boy Scouts, and area high schools, the Sustainability Club is leveraging resources to complete sustainability improvements on the ground and connect with a wider audience. 

Award Category:  Green Innovation

Project Name: Mid-Atlantic Region Reverse Osmosis Team
Agency: General Services Administration

Through the use of reverse osmosis (RO) technologies at the Veterans Administration (VA) Center in Philadelphia, the GSA team developed a more efficient way to use potable water in cooling towers.  Using RO technology significantly decreases the amount of water wasted during each cooling cycle and prevents the need for treatment chemicals to rid the water of solids.  The VA Center estimates savings of more than 3 million gallons of water per year due to the reverse osmosis installations alone. Thanks to the Mid-Atlantic Region Reverse Osmosis team, the VA is significantly reducing its potable water use with a technological upgrade that can be replicated in other facilities.

Award Category:  Lean, Clean, and Green  

Project Name: Fleet Management Office, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Agency: Department of Homeland Security

Working through a multi-strategy plan to address fleet management at multiple locations, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center’s Fleet Management Office was able to obtain 54 new flex-fuel vehicles, tighten environmental requirements for fleet procurements, and improve their infrastructure for alternative fuels and electric vehicles. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center is targeting a fleet that is 97% hybrid or alternative fuel at its four law enforcement training sites by 2016.

Project Name: Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka Naval Base
Agency: Department of Defense

In what began as a response to the Japanese government’s request to reduce peak energy demand by 15% following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) installation initiated a Demand Reduction Program to reduce energy strain on the local grid.  By the summer of 2011, energy demand had been reduced by 25% at the Yokosuka Base.  The CFAY Energy Team instituted 14 projects for reducing energy demand, from replacing light fixtures and elevators, to targeted education and outreach campaigns. The CFAY community exceeded expectations and avoided $2 million in electricity costs.

Award Category:  Sustainability Hero

Project Name: Dianne Lyons Shoaf
Agency: United States Postal Service (USPS)

Dianne Lyons Shoaf led the development of the Lean Green Team Initiative at USPS, engaging employees in the implementation of low- and no-cost projects across the country. These projects reduce spending on facility electricity, fleet fuels, water, landfilling, and consumables. Dianne recognized the need to do more with less and to expand sustainability efforts at USPS. After the Lean Green Team saved $500,000 at Headquarters in 2010, Lean Green Teams across the nation saved USPS more than $41 million in 2011.

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