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Take Action To Protect the Future

NIH Green Initiatives Lab Managers Group December 11, 2008 Terry Leland lelandt@mail.nih.gov. Take Action To Protect the Future. Why is NIH Going Greener?. Federal and state environmental laws and regulations

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Take Action To Protect the Future

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  1. NIH Green InitiativesLab Managers GroupDecember 11, 2008Terry Leland lelandt@mail.nih.gov Take Action To Protect the Future

  2. Why is NIH Going Greener? • Federal and state environmental laws and regulations • Executive Order 13423, “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management” • Requires Federal agencies to implement Environmental Management Systems (EMS), involve all employees in environmental awareness, continual environmental improvement • NIH Environmental Policy • Approved by Dr. Zerhouni in January 2005 • Support the NIH Mission: A healthier environment leads to better public health!

  3. NIH • Building, Maintaining, Renovating, and Demolishing Facilities • More than 75 buildings with 14 million square feet of laboratories, vivarium, patient care/clinical center space, offices, and shops • Laboratory Research • Clinical Center Activities • Office and Administrative • Procurement • Grants • General Services

  4. Environmental Issues of Concern • Environmental Concerns are Public Health Concerns • Energy Consumption and Air Emissions • Approximately $130 million in utilities FY08 • 6.6 trillion BTUs approximately equal to 53,000 houses • Air emissions from burning coal and other fossil fuels to produce energy • Climate change and health impacts from climate change • Transportation • Degradation of the Chesapeake Bay and Local Waterways • NIH uses 1 billion gallons ($8 million) annually • Stormwater runoff • Waste Management • 40,000 lbs of solid waste daily, 200 tons hazardous waste annually • Waste incinerated in Dickerson. Recycling and reducing is better

  5. What are the Major Components of the NEMS? • Examine all NIH activities and how they impact the environment • Recommend NIH environmental objectives • Determine polices and procedures as needed and assist with outreach and awareness to ensure all employees are aware • Conduct environmental awareness training for the NIH community • Perform audits • Prepare annual reports • Management reviews progress

  6. Performance Plan Elements – SES Level • Supports Achievements in the HHS Environmental Stewardship and Environmental Management System (EMS) and/or OPDIV-specific EMS initiatives that demonstrate: • Exceptional: By September 30, 2009, develop and implement at least three business practices that are designed to improve HHS’ environmental performance and simultaneously serve to minimize costs. This may be through the elimination of paper centric processes, office based energy savings practices, green procurement or other sustainable business practices. • Fully Successful: By September 30, 2009, develop and implement two initiatives focused on business practices that are designed to improve environmental performance, pollution prevention or conservation of resources.

  7. NIH Goes Greener

  8. NIH Green Teams • Green Teams examine activities occurring within their institute and develop tools to "green" those activities. This includes developing guidance, tools, outreach programs and best management practices, as well as identifying new opportunities to become more sustainable. • NEI: Focus on recycling • NIDDK: Increase recycling, minimize paper, raise awareness through brown bags and awards • NCI, NIAID: Looking at options for developing teams

  9. NIH Green Teams: NIDCD • NIDCD Environmental Policy • NIDCD Commitments • Employee Responsibilities • NIDCD Goes Greener Office Challenge • Evaluate: Copy rooms, conference rooms, common areas, kitchens for energy conservation, recycling, procurement, paper use, transportation • Provide outreach tools and fact sheets • Re-evaluate for final results • Green Team Development Guide

  10. Sustainable Labs WG: Labs Go Greener Challenge

  11. Labs Go Greener Challenge • Data Collection • Equipment • Water Use Activities • Target Chemical Usage • Fume Hoods • Pilot Evaluation in a Few Labs • Energy conservation, recycling, green purchasing, fume hoods, chemical management, water conservation, hazardous waste disposal, chemical minimization, fossil fuel use • Roll out to all of NIH

  12. Sustainable Labs WG: NIH Target Chemicals Ranking • Identify chemicals for reduction: Risk-basked criteria for use in targeting and prioritizing laboratory chemical waste streams for reduction efforts • Direct risk to health and safety • Wastes subject to specific reduction mandates by law, executive orders, and agency plans • Availability and feasibility of alternatives • Quantity • Develop awareness program • Track results

  13. Sustainable Labs WG: Six Target Chemicals • Chromic Acid • Detergent substitute for chromic acid. Non-toxic, phosphate-free, chlorine-free, and completely free-rinsing • Phosphoric Acid • Picric Acid • Alternative fixers • Ethidium bromide • Non-toxic, non-mutagenic alternatives • Ethylene oxide • Phenol/chloroform

  14. Sustainable Labs WG: Green Procurement • Recent presentations from Sigma-Aldrich and Fisher Scientific/Thermo Scientific • Environmentally preferable procurement for purchasers of scientific supplies, equipment, and services • Purchase office supplies and furniture that contain recycled and non-toxic content to conserve natural resources and reduce waste. GSA and EPA websites • Products should be from local as opposed to distant manufacturers where possible • Products should use minimal or take-back packaging • Staples Initiative • Self-Service Stores

  15. Recycling Initiatives for Lab Materials • Exploring new opportunities for recycling for laboratory related materials • Existing programs include: • Glass and plastic bottles containing non-hazardous waste (saline solutions, buffers, etc) may be placed in red NIH commingled recycling containers. Glassware can be recycled, except Pyrex.* *Do not recycle containers contaminated with infectious, radioactive, or hazardous waste. • Propylene pipette racks recycled on campus • Chemical reagent bottles are recycled in bldg 21 as applicable • Recycle cardboard • Check with your laboratory supply companies for other opportunities • An updated Waste Disposal Guide will be released later this year and will contain recycling information • For more information: Mark Marshall, NIH Recycling Coordinator; 301.496.7990; marshallma@mail.nih.gov

  16. NIH Mercury Policy Manual Issuance • As of September 2, 2008, the procurement and use of mercury and its compounds and mercury contaminated products are now prohibited on all NIH facilities • There are a few general exceptions for items like fluorescent lights that require small amounts mercury to work properly • Key components: • Prohibit the procurement of mercury added products with NIH appropriated funds • Prohibit use of mercury and its compounds on all facilities owned, operated, or leased by NIH • Require the elimination of existing mercury containing devices in use on NIH facilities • Provide for exceptions or procedures for obtaining variances for necessary scientific and medical uses of mercury

  17. Mercury Free NIH • NIH Catalyst article: http://www.nems.nih.gov/outreach/mercury-freeNIH_Catalyst_jan-feb08.pdf • Read the full NO MERCURY policy at NIH: http://www.nems.nih.gov/records/NIH_Manual_Issuance_3033.pdf • Mercury-free alternatives: http://orf.od.nih.gov/Environmental+Protection/Mercury+Free/Alternatives.htm • Extended mercury website is under development • For more information: Captain Ed Rau at 301.496.7775 or raue@ors.od.nih.gov

  18. What are Some of the NIH Energy Objectives? • Reduce energy consumption by 3% annually or 30% by 2015 • Audit 10% of facilities every year • Matrix of energy technologies in use or explored for use at NIH • New programs to remotely enable ENERGY STAR computers and purchasing efficient computers • Meter buildings and share results • Use animal bedding as biomass • Solar panels • Greening all NIH facilities including leased buildings • 36 existing buildings registered for LEED • Increase purchase of renewable energy to 7.5% by 2013 • Currently purchase at least 3.5% from renewable resources: wind, sun, biogas

  19. What Can Employees Do to Reduce Energy Consumption? • Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) • Saves 350 lbs coal, 500 lbs greenhouse gases, and 16 acid rain producing emissions • Switch off unnecessary lights and use natural lighting • Use task lighting and turn off general lighting • Turn off display and decorative lighting • Sensors can result in a 40% reduction in lighting costs • Energy vampires • Unplug equipment (e.g., phone chargers, radios, coffee makers) when not in use • Use the stairs instead of the elevator • Use reusable items when possible: • Plates, cups, utensils, water bottles, and grocery bags

  20. Greening General Operations and Procurement • Procurement: The EPEAT Standard (epeat.net). Computers are rated gold, silver, or bronze based on: • Reduction/elimination of environmentally sensitive materials • Materials selection • Design for end of life • Product longevity/life cycle extension • Energy conservation • End of life management • Corporate performance • Packaging • Operation • Enable the low-power or sleep mode features on your computer and monitor • Turn off computers and monitors at the end of the workday • Sleep-mode enabled computers and monitors with the low-power or sleep mode enabled can save $10 to $45 per computer annually (ENERGY STAR estimate) • 60,000 desktop computers and monitors x ($27) $1.6 million in energy costs a year!

  21. Greening General Operations • Operations: Printing and Copying • Use recycled-content paper with a minimum 30% post-consumer fiber content • Copy and print all materials double-sided • Set your default print settings to duplex • Minimize the number of hard copies and paper drafts • Disable the printer test page feature • Set fax machines to print a confirmation sheet only when there is a problem • Save documents on your hard drive to create a virtual filing system instead of printing out hard copies • Turn off printers and copy machines at the end of the workday • Use copiers instead of printers to produce multiple copies • Configure the power saving features so that printers go into sleep mode when not used for more than 30 minutes during the workday

  22. Transportation • Commuting options that can ease traffic congestion, decrease pollution, and reduce the stress: • Ride Metro, Buses or other Public Transportation • Join the NIH Transhare Program: http://dtts.ors.od.nih.gov/transhare.htm • Join a Carpool or Vanpool • Bike to Work • Visit the NIH Bicycle Commuter Club’s web site for more information: http://www.recgov.org/r&w/nihbike • NIH Shuttles • Telecommuting options • Learn more online at http://telework.od.nih.gov/Index.htm

  23. NEMS Outreach Tools NEMS - Program Poster NEMS - Waste Information Poster NEMS - Energy BillPoster NEMS - Medical ResearchPoster

  24. NEMS Web Site: nems.nih.gov

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