WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Energy (DOE) this week received four White House Closing the Circle (CTC) awards, which recognize federal leadership in green purchasing, electronics recycling, and energy efficiency practices.  These awards are presented annually by the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive for outstanding achievements of Federal employees and their facilities for efforts that make a significant positive impact on environmental stewardship.

“I am proud to accept these awards on behalf of all the employees of the Department,” Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman said.  “We commend the other award winners and pledge to continue to lead in implementing President Bush's executive order to strengthen federal environmental, energy, and transportation management with a goal of fundamentally changing the way that we power our federal fleet, buildings, and facilities.”

DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office of Federal Energy Management (FEMP) received one of three "CTC Sowing the Seeds Award" for organizing and directing the Interagency Sustainability Working Group.  This group led the efforts of more than 300 environmental professionals from 20 federal agencies to create first-of-their-kind federal standards for hundreds of federal construction projects, leading to the design, construction and operation of dozens of clean, energy efficient High Performance Buildings.

DOE also received the first ever "CTC Electronics Stewardship Award" for the Headquarters Green Team Electronics Partners, which purchased more than 10,000 'green computers' in the past two years.  DOE also received recognition for implementing Energy Star efficiency procedures to save hundreds of thousands of kilowatt hours; and safely recycling more than 1.2 million pounds of end-of-life electronics over the past two years, including donations of hundreds of surplus computer workstations to New Orleans area schools.

DOE's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility received the "CTC Waste/Pollution Prevention Award" for their technologically innovative new helium processing operation, which dramatically reduces release of toxins while saving $33,000 each month in electricity costs.  Other public and private sector helium processing facilities are adopting the process while a federal patent is pending on the procedure.

Additionally DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory was awarded the "CTC Civilian Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Award" for significantly improving their site environmental management systems from 2003-2006, which resulted in a 40 percent reduction in the site-wide inventory of mercury; 90 percent reduction in the on-site inventory of PCBs; 35-ton reduction in ozone-depleting substances, such as refrigerants; and 101,400 pounds of electronics recycled during 2006.

DOE continues to garner awards and recognition for exemplary performance in environmental activities.  CTC awards are divided into military and civilian agency categories.  Of the seventeen awards, seven went to military agency.  Of the ten civilian agency categories for which DOE was eligible, DOE won four out of ten civilian awards, or 40%.  Read more about the White House Closing the Circle Awards (pdf).

Media contact(s):
Megan Barnett, (202) 586-4940