2009 White House Closing the Circle Awards
The Call for Nominations for the 2009 White House Closing the Circle Awards is now closed.
We thank you for all your nominations!
Beginning on January 2, 2009, the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE) will accept applications for the 2009 White House Closing the Circle (CTC) Awards. This program recognizes outstanding achievements of Federal employees and their facilities for efforts that resulted in significant contributions to, or have made a significant impact on, promoting environmental stewardship. The awards focus on waste prevention, recycling, green purchasing activities, environmental management systems, high performance/sustainable buildings, electronics stewardship, alternative fuel use and reduced fuel usage under Executive Order 13423, "Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management." Please note nominations can only be submitted from 2-30, January 2009.
Now in our 15th year, we continue to seek exemplary programs and activities that promote continuous improvement and set the example for other Federal facilities to follow.
Award Categories for 2009 are as follows:
The criteria for each category are found at the end of these instructions.
Descriptions of the award categories are provided, and while not all inclusive, they will help you to understand the criteria used to judge and evaluate the nominations for awards.
The program will consider nominations for programs or activities conducted in FY 2008, from either an individual Federal employee or teams/groups of Federal employees (including teams of Federal and contract employees). Partnerships between Federal facilities or Federal employees and non-Federal entities, such as surrounding local communities or non-profit organizations, are encouraged and will be considered for award. Each category will recognize Department of Defense and Civilian agency nominations with separate awards.
Agency Internal Award Programs
Several Federal agencies implement their own in-house environmental recognition programs, with categories consistent with the White House Closing the Circle Awards. These agency-wide winners may be the only programs, for that particular agency, eligible to compete in the annual White House Program after submitting their nomination package. For more information on your agency in-house recognition program, please contact your agency representative listed below:
Submission Instructions
The nomination submission has changed for this cycle. Applicants will be asked to download the Nomination Application ( .doc or .rtf ), complete it and append their narrative portion to the file. The completed Nomination Document (application + narrative) will then be uploaded in the usual manner.
Please remember these six important points when submitting your nomination package:
1. Only nominations for which there is a completed Nomination Document (application + narrative) will be eligible to participate. If you have problems downloading the Nomination Application ( .doc or .rtf ) or entering your data electronically, call us at 202-343-9481. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION IS NOT YOUR ENTIRE SUBMISSION. PLEASE READ ON.
2. We ONLY ACCEPT ELECTRONIC COPIES of Nomination Documents. In special circumstances, we will accept paper copies of your nomination; please contact us at 202-343-9481, to obtain approval to submit paper copies. We will not accept paper copies unless we have given you prior approval.
3. The narrative portion of the Nomination Document must contain no more than four pages of text in size 12 font. Please use Times New Roman or an equivalent font. Acceptable file types include MS Word (.doc) and Rich Text Files (.rtf), please do not convert to .pdf. Imbedded graphics and photographs are also acceptable but THE TOTAL SIZE OF YOUR FILE MUST NOT EXCEED 1.5 Megabyte OF MEMORY. Submit your Nomination Document, no later than close of business on January 30, 2009.
4. Describe what positive changes were made by the individual or facility program and provide supporting documentation along with quantitative data (for example, amount of green products purchased, reductions in waste generation, percentage of construction and demolition debris recycled). Additional documentation in excess of the four-page limit, that you believe may support your nomination, may be cited but NOT INCLUDED in your submittal.
5. Check with your Agency/Department headquarters Point of Contact listed above to determine if you have to submit the nomination package through them or if there are any internal requirements or due dates to be met.
6. Recognizing that compliance with environmental regulatory requirements is a fundamental responsibility of Federal agencies and Federal employees at all levels, each applicant will be subject to a review of background information on their environmental regulatory compliance status and enforcement history. This process will include consideration of information in the Environmental Protection Agency's Online Tracking Information System (OTIS), which is available online at: http://www.epa-otis.gov/otis/ (click this link for help in using OTIS) as well as other available compliance and enforcement information. In general, chronic non-compliance in any environmental media and/or recent or ongoing criminal or certain civil enforcement activity will be considered a basis for disqualification. Applicants should review their compliance status and history prior to submission.
Beginning in 2009, where the application involves activities at a Federal facility or installation, the application must affirm that the compliance information on the OTIS system for the relevant facility or installation has been reviewed and concur with the information presented. Applicants may elect to non-concur and provide information for consideration in the compliance screen where they believe the OTIS data is incorrect or not applicable to the application.
Sharing of Nomination Information
Part of OFEE's mission is to share best practices and success stories among Federal agencies and with other organizations through our web site, www.ofee.gov, our newsletter, and training sessions. The summer issue of our newsletter, Closing the Circle News, features the award-winning programs. Therefore, please be sure that any statistical information that you include in your nomination is accurate and cleared for public distribution by your respective Agency.
Other
Finally, it is not our intent to limit your opportunity for award recognition by imposing strict parameters that may hinder program innovation. The objective of the White House Closing the Circle Award Program is to recognize all applicable waste reduction, high performance/sustainable building, environmental management system, recycling, green purchasing, electronics stewardship, and alternative fuels vehicles-related innovations and successes. Be creative and let your imagination run wild! If you have any questions call OFEE at 202-343-9481. Good Luck!
Closing the Circle Award Categories
Waste/Pollution Prevention
This category recognizes FY 2008 source reduction practices related to the generation of non-hazardous solid wastes or hazardous wastes or pollution from a Federal facility through any change in the design, manufacturing, or use/reuse of materials or products; and/or the amount of toxicity in waste materials before recycling, reuse, treatment or disposal. Preference will be given to nominations that include outreach programs/projects or educational efforts designed to promote the pollution prevention and waste prevention goals and objectives of E.O. 13423
Recycling
This category recognizes FY 2008 recycling activities – including collection, separation, and processing – by which products or other materials are recovered from the waste stream for use in the manufacture of new products (other than fuel for producing heat or power by combustion) at a Federal site, facility, or operation. Preference will be given for recycling programs that have an internal education component and/or a public outreach component designed to promote recycling at the site, facility, or operation or to promote partnerships with the surrounding community to promote recycling
Green Purchasing
This category recognizes the most effective and innovative programs implemented in FY 2008 for the purchase and use of recycled content products, Energy Star/energy efficient and EPEAT-registered products, biobased products, and environmentally preferable products and services at a Federal site, facility, or operation. The nomination must describe specific purchases of goods and services during FY 2008 in these categories, where applicable. It also must include a discussion of how green products requirements were incorporated in supply and services contracts (e.g., specifications, scope of work provisions, performance-based provisions).
In addition, nominees must have a written, integrated green purchasing plan (or affirmative procurement plan), policy, or procedures; training of contracting officials and requirements staff; and education and outreach to facility staff and contractors. There will be a preference for innovative purchasing techniques, such as the notification of green purchasing requirements in FedBizOps synopses, the use of solicitation or contract templates, blanket purchase agreements requiring the supply of green products, and the use of past performance criteria and evaluation factors for award for knowledge of the supply and use of green products.
Environmental Management Systems
This category recognizes the most effective and innovative FY 2008 programs implementing environmental management systems at Federal facilities and within Federal organizations in accordance with E.O. 13423. Effective implementation of environmental management systems includes measurable environmental objectives, and targets and associated management plans and also include a compliance management component as well as changes or amendments to contract or concessionaire agreements to reflect host EMS requirements. This category emphasizes the use of a formal EMS to identify and address environmental, transportation and energy issues as well as pursuit of sustainable practices identified in Section 2 of E.O 13423. This category also recognizes efforts where an EMS has been used to enable enhanced external communication with those interested parties, including stakeholders, contractors or concessionaires, and neighbors, affected by activities of those implementing the EMS. Applicants for this category must have declared conformance to the EMS requirements of E.O 13423 in accordance with the Clarification of Declaration of Conformance Requirements in Instructions to Executive Order 13423 issued by OFEE on January 15, 2008.
High Performance/Sustainable Buildings
This category recognizes the most innovative FY 2008 Federal government sustainable design and high performance building projects. Nominations are limited to projects that have been completed, are under construction, or have completed the planning process and have been awarded to a successful offeror. Nominations should address all facets of a structure/project's life cycle, i.e., encompass project design, energy efficiency, materials usage, building operations commissioning and recommissioning, etc. Preference will be given to nominations that demonstrate innovation in response to technical, logistical, financial and other challenges to implement the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings and other goals in E.O. 13423 section 2(f). Each nomination should highlight the cost effective use of innovative techniques and solutions that utilize sustainable design principles in the planning, construction, and operation of Federal facilities.
Electronics Stewardship
This category recognizes FY 2008 programs, practices and procedures at Federal agencies and their facilities which promote sustainable environmental stewardship of their Federal electronic assets in any one of or all three lifecycle phases: acquisition and procurement, operation and maintenance, and end-of-life management. practices. Preference will be given to nominations that demonstrate innovation in response to technical, logistical, financial and other challenges to implement the electronics stewardship goals in E.O. 13423 section 2(h).
Alternative Fuel and Fuel Conservation in Transportation
This category recognizes FY 2008 programs, practices and procedures implemented in a Federal fleet that result in significant alternative fuel use and fuel conservation measures in transportation. This includes establishment of new alternative fuel infrastructure; methods for encouraging the use of alternative fuels; ride sharing programs; increased vehicle usage efficiency programs; hybrid vehicle or NEV acquisition and use; or any other methods your fleet uses to decrease its petroleum consumption. Preference will be given to nominations that demonstrate innovation in response to technical, logistical, financial and other hurdles and support the goals of the Energy Policy Act, the Energy Independence and Security Act, and E.O. 13423
