Athens, Georgia - ORD

This facility features the following green attributes:
Green Power
Water Management Plan

National Exposure Research Laboratory

Total Facility Area: 78,146 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 184 persons
Energy Consumption: 25,471,087,236 Btu per year
Btu per GSF per Year: 325,942
Total Water Consumption: 3,463,780 gallons per year
Gallons per GSF per Year: 44

All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2007.

Description

The Ecosystems Research Division of EPA's National Exposure Research Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, conducts research on organic and inorganic chemicals, greenhouse gas biogeochemical cycles, and land use perturbations that create stressor exposures and potential risks to humans and ecosystems. EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) maintains the following three facilities.

The Environmental Research Laboratory contains the Center for Exposure Assessment Modeling Annex, which is used as office space by ORD, and an Environmental Information Annex, which is used as a library and conference area.
The Lifespan Center serves as a childcare center for EPA and other nearby federal agencies.
The Bailey Road Annex serves as laboratory and office space for an analytical support facility for the Ecosystems Research Division of the National Exposure Research Laboratory.

Unique Environmental Features

Green Power

Design of a new entryway for the facility, including a guard station, will allow for the development of a 10-kilowatt photovoltaic installation. Anticipated construction for this project is FY 2009.
In FY 2008, EPA continued to support the renewable energy market by purchasing green power through two separate Agencywide blanket contracts for a combined total of 380 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy certificates (RECs), or “green tags,” from Sterling Planet , Luminant Energy Company , and FPL Energy . These purchases will allow EPA to offset 100 percent of electricity consumption for FY 2008 and the first half of FY 2009 at the Athens laboratory, as well as many other EPA facilities across the Agency. Procured through the Defense Energy Support Center, these contracts support renewable energy generation from wind and biomass resources in nine states.
In June 2006, EPA signed a contract to acquire 110 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in renewable energy certificates (RECs), or "green tags," from 3 Phases Energy Services over the period September 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007. This blanket purchase supplied EPA with enough RECs through FY 2007 to offset 100 percent of annual electricity consumption at the Athens laboratory and other EPA facilities not covered by separate green power contracts. Procured through the Defense Energy Support Center , this contract supported wind power generation in California, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Water Conservation

EPA completed a water conservation assessment and developed a water management plan for the Athens ORD Laboratory (PDF) (22 pp, 799K, About PDF) in July 2006.
The ORD/ERD lab in Athens has improved onsite stormwater management by retrofitting the site with a bioretention pond. The pond is designed to reduce the amount of sediment and pollution flowing into local tributaries and to facilitate better aquifer recharge. Retaining the runoff of the site, the release of stormwater is also returned to near predevelopment conditions. Retaining this water in the pond saturates the soil and enables an abundance of plant growth. In addition, the use of flower gardens and a variety of vegetation has helped to improve the aesthetics of the facility.

Stormwater Management

The ORD/ERD lab in Athens has improved onsite stormwater management by retrofitting the site with a bioretention pond. The pond is designed to reduce the amount of sediment and pollution flowing into local tributaries and to facilitate better aquifer recharge. Retaining the runoff of the site, the release of stormwater is also returned to near predevelopment conditions. Retaining this water in the pond saturates the soil and enables an abundance of plant growth. In addition, the use of flower gardens and a variety of vegetation has helped to improve the aesthetics of the facility.

Additional Features

All of the facility's chlorofluorocarbons were replaced by 1998.

For More Information

Harvey Holm (holm.harvey@epa.gov)
National Exposure Research Laboratory/
Office of Research Development
960 College Station Road
Athens, GA 30605-2700
Phone: (706) 355-8008
Fax: (706) 355-8026

Web site: www.epa.gov/athens