Sustainability Champions
In This Section
EPA congratulates the winners of the Sustainability Champion awards for their leadership in reducing EPA's environmental footprint in fiscal year (FY) 2007. Awards to the following individuals and teams were presented at EPA's Building and Facilities Workshop in Denver, Colorado, in April 2008. These sustainability champions include facility managers, building design/maintenance personnel, and other EPA staff that have demonstrated exceptional effort and achievement in energy and water efficiency and other sustainability areas.
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Joseph Pernice of the Region 2 Laboratory in Edison, New Jersey, received a Btu Buster award for helping to achieve an 11.4 percent energy savings at the Region 2 Laboratory in FY 2007 compared to FY 2006. This significant reduction was achieved through diligent oversight of the replacement of inefficient fume hoods with new, high efficiency models and by improving the laboratory’s insulation.
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Clay Peacher of the Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory in Gulf Breeze, Florida, received a H2Overachiever award for reducing water consumption by an astounding 51.3 percent in FY 2007 compared to FY 2006. Through his leadership, adjustments were made to cooling tower set points and best water management practices were adopted, contributing to a 7 million gallon water use reduction in FY 2007.
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Russ Ahlgren and Mark Tagliabue of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory in Narragansett, Rhode Island, received H2Overachiever Honorable Mention awards for their successful oversight of the installation of a compressed air delivery system, which contributed to the facility’s 1.3 million gallon water use reduction in FY 2007, a savings of 33.3 percent compared to FY 2006.
- Betty Kinney
of the Science and Ecosystem Support Division Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, received an H2Overachiever award
for her diligent oversight, which helped the laboratory achieve water savings of 37.8 percent in FY 2007 compared to FY 2006. Ensuring that leaks were repaired, and helping to connect the landscape irrigation system to well water, resulted in 2 million gallons of water savings at the Athens Laboratory.
- The Research Triangle Park (RTP) Energy Team, consisting of
Dan Amon, Greg Eades, Bill Gaines, Billy Morris, Sam Pagán, James White, and Robert Wippich, received an Energy Partner of the Year award for reducing energy consumption at the RTP campus by 9.5 percent in FY 2007 compared to FY 2006. This accomplishment had a major impact on EPA’s overall energy use in FY 2007 since the RTP facilities represent 46.5 percent of EPA’s reported annual energy consumption.
- The Cincinnati Annex 2 Team, which includes
Rhonda Hampton, Gary Henson, Stephanie James, Abbas Keshavarz, Richard Koch, Bill Ridge, and Bill Wise, received a Leading Edge award for making a significant contribution to the creation of the Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center (AWBERC) Research Support Annex, known as Annex 2, which features state-of-the-art, energy-efficient building features, water-efficient plumbing fixtures, a low-impact development sustainable landscaping area, and a green roof.
- Clay Peacher, Mario Sanchez, and Cathy Berlow of the Gulf Breeze Facility Team received a Leading Edge award for continued management of the construction of the Gulf Breeze, Florida, facility, which incorporates several sustainable design features, including an extensive rainwater capture reuse system; high-efficiency, high-performance plumbing fixtures; occupancy sensors; and the use of local, recycled materials.
- Stephanie Bailey from the
Region 10 Laboratory in
Manchester, Washington, received the Pollution Prevention Partner of the Year award for her leadership as EMS Coordinator, in which capacity she led employees to recycle
more than 23,200 pounds of materials in 2007.
- Cathy Berlow from EPA Headquarters’ Architectural, Engineering, and Asset Management Branch received an Appreciation award for her enduring commitment to greening EPA facilities.
- The Cincinnati AWBERC Infrastructure Replacement Team, which includes Stephanie James, Abbas Keshavarz, Richard Koch, Bill Ridge, Evelyn Toro, and Howard Wilson, received an Appreciation award for their efforts toward the Infrastructure Replacement Project, a multi-year, multi-phase, multi-million dollar project that will replace all of the air handlers, vertical and horizontal supply ductwork, control systems, exhaust systems, and associated equipment at AWBERC.