The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced national and regional winners of the agency's Federal Green Challenge (FGC), an EPA call to federal agencies to reduce the federal government's environmental impact.
Bonneville Power Administration in Portland, Ore. was named the 2021 national winner, the EPA announced Jan. 26. Bonneville received the Adaptation Award for its pandemic response, the agency reports.
Regional winners are Presidio Trust in San Francisco for Education and Outreach; Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center in Bonham, Texas, for Leadership; and Central Arkansas Veterans Center in Little Rock, Ark., for Innovation, according to the announcement.
“These agencies are addressing the impacts of the climate crisis by reducing the use of natural resources," EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in the announcement, "resulting in an estimated cost savings across the federal government of $36 million in 2019.”
The FGC is part of the EPA's Sustainable Materials Management Program to inspire federal agencies to conserve natural resources and reduce pollution and waste at their facilities. The participating federal agencies select two of six areas to target: Energy, Waste, Water, Electronics, Transportation and Purchasing, the EPA reports, with either Waste, Electronics or Purchasing required.
"Reducing the size of a facility’s environmental footprint conserves natural resources and reduces pollution that contributes to climate change," the EPA states in the release.
More than 400 federal agencies have instituted changes to become more sustainable since the FGC began in 2012, the EPA reports. More than three million tons of waste have been kept out of landfills; moving to electronic documents and communications have kept 15,000 pounds of office paper from being purchased; and 3,000 tons of e-waste has been recycled. By purchasing electric and hybrid vehicles, the federal agencies reduced fleet travel by 28 million fewer miles.
As a result of conservation efforts inspired by the FGC, approximately $200 million has been saved for American taxpayers, according to the EPA
“It’s going to take a whole-of-government approach to build a more sustainable future, and the awardees announced today are leading the charge,” Administrator Regan said in the announcement
