2017 Federal Green Challenge Award Winners

Participating Agencies: Diverted >336K tons from landfills, saving $16.7M; Saved 9.2M gal. water saving >$36k; Reduced fuel oil use by >500k gallons, saving <$700k; Sent 310 tons electronics to certified recyclers: Savings of >$17 million to U.S. taxpayer

Recognition was a key element of the EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program and the Federal Green Challenge (FGC). FGC awards were offered in two categories – data driven and narrative. Data driven awards, given in the six target areas of Waste, Electronics, Purchasing, Energy, Water and Transportation, were based on the greatest percentage of change over the previous year. Narrative awards were self-nominating and are given in the categories of Innovation, Education and Outreach, and Leadership.

The 2017 FGC awards recognized the achievements of participating facilities in Fiscal Year (FY) 2016. In FY16, 264 federal facilities took steps to improve efficiency, save resources and reduce costs as part of the Challenge. Participants saved more than $17 million across natural gas, fuel oil, paper purchasing, water and municipal solid waste (MSW) categories.

EPA recognized the following facilities for their outstanding efforts in 2016 to advance sustainability efforts and for their leadership in reducing the environmental footprint of federal government activities.

2017 National and Regional Awardees

2017 National Award Winners

Improvement by Target Area - Highest Increased Percentage Over Previous Year

Waste: The Department of Defense, Vermont Army National Guard (Jericho, Vermont) increased its composting efforts by 2,217 percent from the previous year, saving nearly $4,000 in tipping fees.
Electronics: The Department of Energy, East Tennessee Technology Park (Oak Ridge, Tennessee) increased its Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)-registered equipment by 1,328 percent and sent 11.6 tons of used electronics to third-party recyclers.
Purchasing: The Department of Veterans Affairs, Minneapolis Health Care System (Minneapolis, Minnesota) decreased its printer and copier paper purchased by 44 percent from the previous year, saving $125,600.
Energy: The Department of Veterans Affairs, Connecticut Health Care System, West Haven Campus (West Haven, Connecticut) reduced the amount of fuel oil it consumed by 58 percent, saving $59,456.
Water: The Department of Energy, East Tennessee Technology Park (Oak Ridge, Tennessee) reduced its potable water consumption by almost 94 million gallons, saving $357,412.
Transportation: The Department of Veterans Affairs, James E. Van Zandt Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Altoona, Pennsylvania) increased its hybrid vehicle fleet size by 125 percent.
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2017 Regional Award Winners

Northeast (Region 2)

Waste, and Education and Outreach: Department of Energy, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY
Waste: Department of Energy, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (PPPL) Princeton, NJ
Waste: Department of Veterans Affairs, Caribbean Health Care System, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Waste: General Services Administration, Alfonse D’Amato U.S. Courthouse, Central Islip, NY
Water and Energy: Department of Interior, Cabo Rojo NWR, Fish & Wildlife Service, Cabo Rojo, PR
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Mid-Atlantic (Region 3)

Overall Achievement: Department of Veterans Affairs, James E. Van Zandt Medical Center, Altoona, PA
Waste, and Education and Outreach: Department of Veterans Affairs, Wilkes Barre Medical Center, Wilkes Barre, PA
Innovation: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Langley, Hampton, VA
Purchasing: Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency, Ft. Belvoir, VA
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Southeast (Region 4)

Electronics: Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN
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Great Lakes (Region 5)

Leadership: Department of Veterans Affairs, Minneapolis Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN
Purchasing: Environmental Protection Agency, National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory, Ann Arbor, MI
Innovation, Waste, and Transportation: Department of Energy, Argonne National Lab, Lemont, IL
Electronics: Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office, Detroit Field Office, Detroit, MI
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South Central (Region 6)

Transportation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center, Bonham, TX
Waste: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, White Sands Test Facility, Las Cruces, NM
Electronics, Purchasing, and Education and Outreach: Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, El Paso Intelligence Center, El Paso, TX
Energy: General Services Administration, Federal Service Center, Fort Worth, TX
Water: General Services Administration, R.C. White Federal Building, El Paso, TX
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Pacific Southwest (Region 9)

Education and Outreach: Presidio Trust, San Francisco, CA
Energy: Department of Veterans Affairs, Northern California Health Care System (NCHCS), Martinez, CA
Purchasing: Department of Energy, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Livermore, CA
Transportation: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Region 5, Vallejo, CA
Waste: Department of Labor, San Francisco Federal Building, San Francisco, CA
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Pacific Northwest & Alaska (Region 10)

Innovation and Transportation: Department of Interior, Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, Skagway, AK
Electronics and Leadership: Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, OR
Energy: Department of Interior, National Parks Service, Cadillac Building, Seattle, WA
Water: Department of Interior, National Park Service, Whitman Mission National Historic Site, Walla Walla, WA
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