Champions of Green Government

2002 Recipients

Project: Installation of Four Solar Powered Entrance Stations
Awarded to: LMNRA Professional Staff
James Vanderford, Dale Mellville, Richard A. Shannon, and J. Shannon Swann
Department or Agency: U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service
Location: Lake Mead National Recreational Area
Lake Mead National Recreation Area installed four solar- powered entrance fee stations. Two stations are self-sufficient and completely independent of the utility grid, with propane back-up generators. Each system contains 78 solar panels capable of producing 9kW of electricity. The energy efficiency of the entrance stations was increased by the use electric heat pumps, augmented by swamp coolers, to control the temperature within the stations.

Project: Solar Power, Water Conservation and Alternative Fuels
Awarded to: Kent Bullard
Department or Agency: U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service
Location: Channel Islands National Park
Kent exemplifies a Champion of Green Government through his continuous efforts to use alternative energy and fuel sources and by his water conservation efforts, including: the installation of a 2.4kW photovoltaic system on East Santa Cruz island, in January 2002, which brought the total power generated through photovoltaic systems to 32.4 kW for the Park; conversion of Park Service ships, generators and other equipment to biodiesel fuel; the recommended purchase compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles as well as the initial installation and subsequent upgrading of the CNG pumping and fuel storage facility. Awarded to: Diane Mansker Department or Agency: U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service Location: Yosemite National Park Project: Renewable (Solar) Energy at the El Portal Complex Diane has been called Yosemite’s Energy Champion, now she is also a Green Government Champion. By working in partnership with several agencies -- the Department of Energy, the National Park Services Western Regional Support Office, the State of California and the Bonneville Power Administration -- Diane was able to secure $333,000 to install 374 solar panels as a renewable energy source for the El Portal Administrative Complex. The system is connected to California’s grid and produces up to 47 kilowatts of power. The estimated savings from the solar panels is projected to be $34,000 a year.

Project: Prevention Practices at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Fleet Maintenance Facility
Awarded to: Fleet Management Team Sal Ruiz, Beverlee Morales, Jose Pineda, Dennis Ouka Department or
Agency: Department of Energy Location: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) The Fleet Maintenance Team has undertaken a series of projects to minimize hazardous waste generation at the Lab’s Fleet Maintenance Facility. Their efforts began with the installation of an antifreeze recycling system in 1996, followed by the purchase and installation of two water-based bioremediating light duty cleaning systems. In 2000, the team installed a water-based system to clean brakes, which eliminated the use of VOC-containing aerosol cans. Most recently, the Fleet Maintenance Facility added an aqueous parts washer, specifically designed for heavily soiled parts. The group is still planning a wash water reclamation system. In addition to minimizing waste and using greener cleaning methods, the Fleet Maintenance Facility uses only re-refined motor oil, recycles air conditioning refrigerant and maintains a compressed natural gas filling station. For their awareness of pollution prevention opportunities and their diligence in implementing solutions, the Fleet Maintenance Team are Champions of Green Government.

Project: Solvent Replacement and Emissions Reduction
Awarded to: Alternative Solvents Team
Ali Farvid, Balbir Gosal, Robert Kirby Harold Morales, Mary Regan, Michael Hug, Butch Byers, and Richard Cellamare
Department or Agency: Department of Energy
Location: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Replacing ozone depleting solvents should be a snap for scientists and staff at the Department of Energy’s Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). However, when the parts and equipment being cleaned must be returned to a particle accelerator, where contamination can interfere with subatomic particle experiments, the process becomes much more complex. The team began by using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to compare the cleaning performance of existing and new cleaning methods. Once a method was in place to determine how clean is clean, the team proceeded to
(1) replace two vapor degreasers with a low-water aqueous cleaning system,
(2) implement alternative organic-based solvent in the cleaning of vacuum equipment, and
(3) purchase and install a near zero emission vapor degreaser. The result is a dramatic reduction in solvent emissions from the facility’s Plating Shop. From 1988 to 1998 average solvent emissions for the Plating Shop averaged 5,400 pounds per year. In 2001 solvent emissions were less than one pound! For this dramatic reduction in solvent emissions, SLAC’s team to replace ozone depleting solvents is a Champion of Green Government.

Project: Green Power
Awarded to: Ray Levinson
Department or Agency: Postal Service
Location: Pacific Area Operations

For his ability to promote and implement projects that provide green power to Postal Service facilities throughout the Pacific Area Operations, Ray Levinson has been named a Champion of Green Government. Ray was personally responsible for the largest retail federal purchase of green power to date. This purchase provided 100% renewable energy to approximately 1,100 Postal Service facilities throughout California, totaling 2,750,000 kWh/month, without any price premium. Ray was also responsible for purchasing and installing a 127 kW photovoltaic system for the USPS facility in Marina del Rey. Additionally, he also initiated leases for 16 Dalmer Chrystler EPIC (Electric) Minivans. Ray is currently in discussions with the Republic Landfill Corporation for development of a 2.5MW landfill gas-to-electricity system to be located on the property of the USPS facility in Santa Clarita, CA.

Pendleton Project: Hazardous Material Consolidation ProgramAwarded to: Hazardous Material Consolidation Program Department or Agency: U.S. Marine Corps
Location: Camp

In 1999, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton established a Hazardous Material Consolidation Program (HCP) that centrally manages all hazardous material procured and distributed to Commands on the Base. The HCP tracks the “life cycle” of all hazardous material, allowing for extended shelf life and avoiding premature disposal. HCP accepts unused, non-contaminated hazardous material and issues it to other commands at no charge. Customers may check the HCP Web site to see if any “free issue” material is present anywhere on the Base before they purchase new material. This Web-based interface offers an easy to use method for viewing, searching, and ordering hazardous material. In addition, HCP incorporates “Green Item” purchasing alternatives for new hazardous material. The Base realized a 1.9 million dollar savings through disposal avoidance and another 2.8 million dollar savings in reduced hazardous materials purchases from 1999 through 2001. For organizing and minimizing hazardous material use and disposal at Camp Pendleton, the Hazardous Material Consolidation Program is a Champion of Green Government.

Project: Federal Network for Sustainability
Awarded to: Federal Network for Sustainability
Department or Agency:U.S. Navy, Southwest Naval Facilities Engineering Command, U.S. Air Force, National Park Service (Pacific West Region, Intermountain Region, Alaska Region) GSA (Northwest Arctic Region and Pacific Rim Region), EPA (Region 9 and 10), DOE Seattle Regional Office, NASA, U.S. Army (Assistant Secretary for Health and the Environment and I Corp and Fort Lewis), Corps of Engineers (Southwestern Division and Northwestern Division), Bonneville Power Administration

The Federal Network for Sustainability (FNS) is a voluntary, informal network of ten federal agencies on the west coast that have joined together to meet the requirements stemming from the suite of executive orders, known collectively as "Greening the Government." FNS members seek to influence behaviors by encouraging the purchase of environmentally preferable products and services. FNS members have volunteered a combined 900 hours of employees time on five initiatives: Green Product Procurement, Greener Copier Paper, Electronics Products Stewardship, Purchasing Alternative Energy, and Implementation of Environmental Management Systems. A complete description of these initiatives can be found at www.FederalSustainability.org.

The FNS, alone or with its partners, has trained federal and private sector employees on buying green products (132 federal contracting officers), Environmental Management Systems (92 federal employees), sustainability (100 attendees), and green power (85 federal employees). The FNS was invaluable in bringing solar power to Yosemite National Park (another champion of green government) and supporting the development of geothermal power, nearly 30 MW, at the Fallon Naval Air Station. For all their efforts to “Green the Government,” the participating signatories of the Agencies and Departments comprising the Federal Network for Sustainability are Champions of Green Government.

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