Recognition is an important part of the Federal Green Challenge. Awards were given at the regional level in the categories of Electronics, Purchasing, Energy, Water, Waste, Education and Outreach, and Innovation.

In the South Central region, the 2016 award winners are the Department of Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue - Farmers Branch, B. Casey Courthouse, Fort Worth Federal Service Center, Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center, El Paso Intelligence Center and New Mexico Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care Service. Below are descriptions of what the awardees achieved and/or how they achieved reductions.

Electronics and Purchasing

Department of Interior Office of Natural Resources Revenue, Farmers Branch, Texas

The Department of Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue - Farmers Branch increased the amount of Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)-registered units from one EPEAT-registered unit in 2014 to 11 EPEAT-registered units in 2015, resulting in a 1,000 percent improvement. Additionally, they reduced the amount of paper purchased from 1,120.01 pounds in 2014 to 927.28 pounds in 2015, resulting in a 17.21 percent improvement.

Energy

General Services Administration (GSA) at the B. Casey Federal Courthouse, Houston, Texas

GSA at the B. Casey Federal Courthouse, reduced the amount of natural gas consumed from 4,378,000 cubic feet in 2014 to 479,900 cubic feet in 2015, resulting in an 89.04 percent improvement.

Water

General Services Administration (GSA) at the Fort Worth Federal Service Center, Fort Worth, Texas

GSA at the Fort Worth Federal Service Center was able to reduce their use of potable water in 2014 from 2,337,030 gallons to 1,661,608 gallons in 2015, resulting in a 28.9 percent improvement.

Waste

Veterans Administration (VA) North Texas Health Care, Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center, Bonham, Texas

The Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center increased the amount of construction and demolition recycled from one ton in 2014 to 24 tons in 2015, resulting in a 2,300 percent improvement.

 Education and Outreach

Drug Enforcement Administration, El Paso Intelligence Center, El Paso, Texas

The Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) conducted environmental education and outreach to 100 percent of its employees. In fiscal year 2015, their efforts resulted in a solid waste diversion rate of 67.91 percent due to  the recycling of 9.43 tons of commingled products, 1.4 tons of cardboard, 0.18 tons of toner cartridges, 0.21 tons of batteries, and 5.70 tons of unserviceable electronics. During the week of April 20, 2015, EPIC hosted a suite of education and outreach activities for their Earth Day Event. These activities included a question of the day, interactive training sessions on recycling and electric renewable energy technologies and a community walk.

The annual EPIC Environmental Stewardship Guidance Directive provides guidance for employees. EPIC continued to encourage and promote green purchasing, sustainable acquisition, recycling, waste diversion and electronics stewardship. In addition, their outreach includes partnering with Fort Bliss (contributing to Fort Bliss’s net zero approach) and the El Paso, Texas communities to achieve their environmental goals. EPIC further stated that continuing their employee education program will improve the environmental performance at the national level law enforcement center.

Innovation

New Mexico Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Albuquerque, New Mexico

The New Mexico VA Health Care System (NMVAHCS) Green Environmental Management System Program Manager used the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard as their innovative method to coordinate and implement continuous improvement efforts for the hospital. Efforts were coordinated with the Engineering and Logistics Services to recycle construction debris, install renewable energy photovoltaic solar panels as an alternative energy source, and to manage electronic waste. This collaborative effort resulted in a total recycling net benefit of $398,149.96 and the NMVAHCS generated 21 percent of its energy from a renewable energy.

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