2006 Department of the Interior Environmental Achievement Award Honorable Mentions

Matheson Ore Transfer Station Cleanup - Pollution Prevention, Michelle Prowse, Richard Sugarek, John Spitzley, California, BOR

Michelle Prowse,
Bureau of Reclamation, Sacramento, CA
Phone: 916-978-5036
Email: mprowse@mp.usbr.gov

The Matheson Ore Transfer Station (Matheson) leached pyrite ore into the Sacramento River since mining operations began in the early 1900's through 2005. The pyrite ore was high in arsenic, lead and sulfuric acid.

Although Matheson was a part of the Iron Mountain Mine (IMM) Superfund site, the settlement with responsible party did not cover the cost of a full remediation. Hence, the less toxic areas of the affected IMM sites such as Matheson, were not covered. Funding had to be found elsewhere.

The Matheson team used a contracting technique to 'piggyback' on an existing contract to save time, money and resources. Reclamation used EPA's existing IMM contract with CH2MHill, amending it to include the cleanup and restoration of Matheson.

Pyrite ore from the site no longer enters the Sacramento River and visitors can safely recreate at the site. In fact, the site is now part of the Shasta area Rails to Trails system used for walking, jogging, horseback riding, and bicycling. BLM has plans to put in a public restroom, staging area and educational interpretive center that will describe this multi agency success.

Team: Reclamation (Michelle Prowse), EPA (Richard Sugarek), CH2MHill (John Spitzley), Envirocon

Matheson in Operation - 1924

Matheson the Attractive Nuisance / Party Spot

Matheson in September of 2005 Before Hydro Seeding

Matheson in March of 2006 with Grass Growing

Office Electronic Equipment Recycling Team, Alaska, FWS Charles D. Grant, Regional Environmental Compliance Coordinator

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK
Phone: 907-786-3506
Email: Charles_Grant@fws.gov

Old, outdated electronic equipment from throughout the Alaska was collected, stored, consolidated, palletized, wrapped, transported, and delivered to a responsible recycle collection center in Anchorage by a volunteer recycling team. The Team collected more than 6,600 pounds of outdated, bulky, old electronic equipment including Service-owned printers, PCs, laptops, copiers, monitors, speakers, radios, plotters, cabling and TVs. Some of this equipment had been stored for years at remote locations with no place to go except a local landfill. The equipment was certified for disposal, which required that property records adjustments, forms processing, etc. The total cost was approximately $6,000, or $.91 per pound, excluding the sweat equity of 25 to 28 person-days provided by members of the Team. Plans are underway to conduct a similar recycling event in Fiscal Year 2006

Yosemite Valley Hybrid Shuttle Bus Project, California, NPS
Superintendent, Yosemite National Park
Bureau of Reclamation, Sacramento, CA
Phone: 209-3270286
Email: YOSE_Superintendent@nps.gov

In 2005, Yosemite National Park successfully completed an innovative transportation project that resulted in remarkable reductions in fuel consumption, air pollution, and noise levels in Yosemite Valley, a world renowned visitor destination. The project consisted of the purchase and integration of a new fleet of eighteen 40-foot hybrid diesel-electric transit buses. These advanced technology transit buses replaced the prior fleet of conventional diesel shuttle buses, which were once the source of many visitor complaints. The new fleet is the first all hybrid electric transit bus fleet in the country. Response to the new buses has been overwhelmingly positive. The project has demonstrated Yosemite's leadership in the reduction of petroleum consumption through improvements in fleet fuel efficiency and the use of alternative fuel vehicles and alternative fuels.

Collaborative 2005 Colorado River Shoreline Cleanup, BOR, City of Yuma Clean and Beautiful, and Boy Scouts of America, Arizona, BOR
Jack Simes, External Group Coordinator
Bureau of Reclamation, Yuma, AZ
Phone: 928-343-8334
Email: jsimes@lc.usbr.gov

The bureau of Reclamation's Yuma Area Office (YAO) collaborated with the Boy Scouts of America and the City of Yuma (Arizona) Clean and Beautiful Commission in the 2005 Colorado River Sweep; a major pollution cleanup project along the lower Colorado River adjacent to the Yuma East Wetlands on Saturday, October 29, 2005. In all, 229 volunteers showed up to help. During this 3-hour cleanup along 2 miles of shoreline and up to a ½-mile area in the floodplain (below the high-water mark), approximately 109 tons of trash and debris were removed, to include 105.85 tons of trash and debris, 1.17 tons of metal, 80 car tires, and 6 semi-truck tires.

Environmental Stewardship at Xanterra Zion Lodge Reduces Impact on a Global Scale Station, Utah, NPS
R. Harsh, Concessioner
Xanterra Zion Lodge, Springdale, UT
Phone: 435-722-7776
Email: rharsh@xanterra.com

Xanterra Parks and Resorts® is continually thinking of ways to become more sustainable from procuring eco-friendly products and supplies to implementing projects that utilize alternative energy, eliminate waste, and encourage recycling. To ensure their continuous improvement, they implemented an Environmental Management System (certified to the ISO 14001 international standard) which lays the foundation for success and measures results. This system, called Ecologix, represents the "logical integration of business and ecology," and is the driving force behind our journey towards sustainability.

And they go beyond compliance crafting Xanterra's 2015 Environmental Vision, which established long-term company-wide goals that guide all Xanterra employees and partners. The goals center around four general concepts: 1.) slowing global warming; 2.) preserving natural resources; 3.) minimizing hazardous substances; and 4.) protecting the natural environmental. The goals are:

2015 Environmental Vision Goals: (2000 baseline)

• Decrease fossil fuel usage by 30%.
• Increase usage of renewable energy to 7% of total electrical consumption.
• Achieve CAFÉ (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) of 35 mpg.
• Decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 30%.
• Divert 50% of solid waste from the landfill.
• Decrease water usage by 25%.
• Increase sustainable food purchases to 50%.
• Generate zero hazardous waste.

• 6% decrease of fossil fuel usage
• 43% increase in renewable energy
• 13% improvement of average fuel economy
• 35% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions
• 36% diversion of solid waste from the landfill
• 50% reduction of water use
• 7% increase in sustainable cuisine
• Decrease in hazardous waste generation

Sustainable Principles Rehabilitate the Gateway NRA Visitor Contact Station, Gateway NRA, Denver Service Center, and National Renewable Energy Lab, New York, NPS

Gateway National Recreation Area, Superintendent
National Park Service, Staten Island, NY
Phone: 718-354-4665
Email: GATE_Superintendent@nps.gov

The visitor facility is an addition to and an adaptive re-use of an existing facility originally constructed as concrete maintenance garage for the New York City Parks Department in 1970.

Environmental goals interweave within the three core park programs: resource stewardship, environmental education and recreation. The project minimizes environmental impacts, improve habitat quality, and maximizes the quality of the visitor experience through sustainable principles.

The environmental achievements of this project include:

• Minimizing overall development footprint
• Extensive use of recycled materials
• Sustainable materials including cork, bamboo and wheatboard
• Natural light: light shelves, skylights, light pipes
• Ground source heat pumps / water heat exchange system with primary and discharge wells
• Thermal storage wall for winter heat
• Building integrated solar photovoltaic system to heat domestic water
• Passive solar heating features and architectural overhangs to provide summertime shade
• Water reduction measures using waterless urinals resulting in a 66% water savings per year or a reduction of $1,800 in water/sewer costs
• Reduced water usage fixtures translating into 25% reduction in maintenance costs and 50% in water savings
• Green energy sources to power facility (wind source)
• Natural ventilation turbine extractors in north lobby
• LEED (gold- pending) certification: the first Northeast Region building and only the 3rd building within NPS with LEED designation
• Energy savings of 378 million Btu = $6,898 / annually
• Serves as a model of sustainability for public and private sector

Yevette Converse, Assistant Director
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bozeman, MT
Phone: 406-944-9903
Email: Yvette_Converse@fws.gov

Since 2004, the Bozeman Fish Technology Center (Center) has made great strides in becoming a more environmentally-friendly facility. A vigorous recycling and energy conservation effort was instituted by the addition of a new building and additional staff. The Center staff developed an Environmental Management and Energy Conservation program to promote and improve environmental protection of the Center resources and conserve energy. The Center's Management of Environmental Resources Plan covers all aspects of environmental and natural resource management including: 1) recycling, 2) waste pollution prevention, 3) sustainable design and green building and purchasing, and 4) natural resource conservation. The Center's program includes various aspects of environmental, natural resource conservation, and energy management. In 2004, the Center teamed up with Montana State University to conduct an energy audit and to evaluate use of alternate energy. The staff developed an Environmental Compliance and Permitting Program and completed a comprehensive Human Health and Chemical Use Safety Plan in 2005 after several years of intensive work. Also in 2005, a new state-of-the-art laboratory and administrative building was completed. The building makes use of energy conserving strategies such as passive solar for heating and lighting, use of spring water for building cooling, and an automated HVAC system to promote effective energy conservation.

Bozeman NFH water re-use recirculation system

Rhode Island National Wildlife Complex Headquarters and Kettle Pond Visitor Center, Pam Rooney, Supervisory Architect, Rhode Island, FWS

FWS Team and William Warner Architects and Planners
Division of Engineering, Hadley MA
Phone: 413-253-8563
Email: Pam_Rooney@fws.gov

Built to co-house several divisions of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the 14,400 s.f., USFWS Rhode Island Headquarters and Kettle Pond Visitor Center is an outstanding example of sustainable design. A recipient of the Department of Energy's Energy Saver Showcase Award, this LEED Certified-equivalent showcase is an example of careful site planning, recycling, and energy and water conservation. Layout and placement of the building and support facilities minimized land disturbance and sensitive site features were protected or restored during construction. Durable and long-lived recycled building materials were used throughout. Pavement from an abandoned airfield runway at Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge was used as base for the entry road. Low-flush toilets and flow restrictors minimize water use. Energy efficient technologies and materials are calculated to save approximately 41 percent of energy compared to a traditional office building, and an estimated 150,570 gm/yr of NOx; 532,875 gm/yr of SOx; and 70,491 lbm/yr of CO2, compared with conventional construction techniques. The geothermal heat exchange system for heating and cooling is calculated to save $7,000 in energy costs annually.

Main Lobby of the Kettle Pond Visitor Center

Great American Cleanup, Boise & Twin Falls Districts, Idaho, BLM

Karl Gebhardt,
Bureau of Land Management , Boise & Twin Falls, ID Phone: 208-373-3814 Email: Karl_Gebhardt@blm.gov

Illegal dumping and promiscuous littering is a huge problem on public land and costs BLM significantly each year. The Great American Cleanup™ is a program under Keep America Beautiful, Inc. that is designed to help communities get involved with trash pick up and raise the awareness of the littering problem. This year the BLM Boise District Office and Twin Falls District Offices teamed with the Great American Cleanup to help communities in Idaho become familiar with the program and to bring public awareness to the litter problem on public lands. Through programs like this, we are hoping that littering will be reduced and more of the public will help look out for public lands to help keep America beautiful. The Districts organized several cleanup efforts using volunteer groups and contractors where needed. News releases were made throughout the state to help bring the awareness to the general public. Additional news coverage, through newspaper, radio, and television, helped the general public see the activities. Television interviews showed volunteers loading dumpsters and commenting about the trash on public lands. Generally, the volunteers were shocked at the amount of trash that people placed on the public land. BLM received a number of calls from several different communities wanting to conduct future cooperative efforts with the Great American

Need and Implementation: In Idaho, BLM spends more than $ 50,000 annually removing household garbage, construction debris, and other waste left on public land. The trash sites tend to attract more trash and other wastes, sometimes dangerous in nature. BLM needs a nationally recognized program to deal with this problem.

Innovation: Dump and trash pickups are common. What is innovated about this approach is utilizing the Great American Cleanup program, a series of volunteers, and a coordinated public relations effort.

Partnering and Cooperative Conservation: Idaho BLM believes the only way to defeat the illegal dumping problem is to have more people aware of how their public land is being trashed. This effort utilized a national partnership in concert with several local partnerships. The long range goal is to have these examples spawn additional partnerships throughout the state.

Scope and Project Impact: While the individual sites were definitely eyesores, the larger public relations effort and continuation of the program should result in a statewide scope of impact.

Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery Environmental Management System, Andrew Currie, Project Leader, Tennessee, FWS

Andrew Currie, Project Leader
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Celina, TN
Phone: 931-243-2443
Email: Andrew_Currie@fws.gov

Developed and initiated in March, 2003, the Environmental Management System (EMS) has been a major influence in the manner in which Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery conducts day to day operations, plans for future activities and seeks community involvement. The plan establishes the field station’s environmental management policy, identifies the key environmental aspects and impacts of its operations, and establishes goals and targets to improve the field station’s environmental performance. A major component of the Plan is waste pollution and recycling. Dale Hollow is proud to publicize information and benefits we learn with our partners and local community. Some of the many benefits and Hatchery accomplishments include excellent outreach and environmental education programs, and outstanding waste and pollution prevention initiatives. Notable achievements include reducing the use of formalin by approximately two-thirds by modifying operations and using hydrogen peroxide that breaks down in air and water, and also executing an outstanding recycling plan that diverts more than 70 percent of materials from the waste stream.

Big bluestem grown in the demonstration plot at Dale Hollow NFH

Prineville Bureau of Land Management District - Biomass Fuel Reduction Fire Prevention Program, Oregon, BLM

Gregg Nelson
Bureau of Land Management, Prineville, OR
Phone: 202-452-7754
Email: gregg_nelson@blm.gov

The Prineville Bureau of Land Management (BLM) District is collaborating with federal, state and local agencies to promote increase use of, and to provide a steady supply of woody biomass. The BLM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) in which the federal agencies in Central Oregon agreed to offer 80,000 bone dry tons off of 8,000 acres of woody biomass material annually for ten years. This biomass will reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. The Prineville BLM has several other projects in central Oregon using stewardship contracting to provide woody biomass to current and future markets.