The Natural Resources Defense Council and several groups recently called on the US Food and Drug Administration to ban several toxic chemicals allowed in food packaging, citing their potential to harm fetal development, male reproductive systems, pre-and-post natal brain development, and to cause cancer.
“We already know that perchlorate is both toxic and widespread in food and the bodies of virtually all Americans, so adding more to packaging that can get into food is especially risky,” said Erik D. Olson, senior strategic director for health and food at NRDC. “FDA should ban this chemical immediately from food uses to protect pre-natal and young children from potentially permanent brain damage.”
Previously, the FDA’s food additive toxicologists had said that there were uncertainties about the safety of long-chain perfluorocarboxylates, or PFCs. The agency took the unprecedented step of asking three companies to stop using types of PFCs it had allowed since 2000 in food contact products in the US, according to the petition addressing this chemical.
In 2011, all three voluntarily agreed. But, under FDA rules, perflurocarboxylates can still be used by manufacturers with overseas production in China and India, and shipped back into the US.
“FDA should swiftly ensure that these risky PFCs, which it has already asked domestic producers to stop using, aren’t sneaking into our food supply through pizza boxes or sandwich wrappers made overseas,” Olson said.
The petition notes that NRDC found 14 new studies from 2009 to 2014 supporting FDA’s earlier worries that these compounds may harm pre-natal and post-natal development, the reproductive system of men, and possibly the reproductive system of women. A study concluded that there is sufficient human evidence that pre-natal exposure to the perfluorocarboxylate PFOA reduces fetal growth, and another one classified PFOA as “known to be toxic” for human reproduction and development.
“Therefore, we request that FDA revoke the approvals it granted decades ago for the three classes of long-chain perfluorocarboxylates,” the petition states.
In 2008, the agency published results showing that 59% of 1,065 food samples had perchlorate, with children between six months and 6 years old having the greatest exposures.
That is alarming because the EPA’s Science Advisory Board makes it clear that infants are likely to be more affected by perchlorate than adults because their brains are undergoing development in the womb and in their younger years, the petition says. Because perchlorate could cause potentially irreversible harm to pre-natal and young children’s brains, the petition urges it be banned as an anti-static agent and in sealing gaskets involved manufacturing food containers and packaging.
The risk is especially significant if a pregnant and nursing woman consumes insufficient iodine—and the fact is many women consume too little iodine. Perchlorate interferes with the thyroid gland’s ability to make hormones from iodine. These hormones are essential for brain development in infants and in fetuses, the petition states.
The perchlorate petition stemmed, in part, from data NRDC received from a Freedom of Information Act request examining scientific assessments the FDA relied on to grant approval in 2005 for perchlorate’s use in food packaging and as an anti-static agent. NRDC contends that the industry assessment FDA relied upon was flawed, including a crucial mathematical error.
Moreover, the group says that FDA conceded in 2011 that the assumptions it recommends that industry use to estimate chemical migration from packaging were also flawed, but according to NRDC the agency has not taken the needed step to update its guidance and reassess its approval of perchlorate effectively allowing it to continue to be used.
In its petition, NRDC calls on FDA to issue new federal rules banning perchlorate from its currently approved uses in food processing and sealing gaskets.
Learn DOT’s New Rules for Lithium Battery Shipments
These changes are designed to ensure that lithium cells and batteries are able to withstand normal transportation conditions and are packaged to reduce the possibility of damage that could lead to an unsafe situation.
- Enhance packaging and hazard communication requirements for lithium batteries transported by air
- Replace equivalent lithium content with Watt-hours for lithium ion cells and batteries
- Adopt separate shipping descriptions for lithium metal batteries and lithium ion batteries
- Revise provisions for the transport of small and medium lithium cells and batteries including cells and batteries packed with, or contained in, equipment
- Revise the exceptions for small cells and batteries in air transportation
- Revise the requirements for the transport of lithium batteries for disposal or recycling
- Harmonize the provisions for the transport of low production and prototype lithium cells and batteries with the ICAO Technical Instructions and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code
- Adopt new provisions for the transport of damaged, defective, and recalled lithium batteries
If you ship batteries by ground or air, you must comply with the latest DOT and IATA/ICAO regulations that specify how the batteries must be packaged, marked, labeled, and transported. The rules apply not only to batteries, but also to equipment or vehicles that contain batteries as well as batteries packed along with equipment. Virtually all types of batteries are regulated, including lithium, lead-acid, nickel cadmium, and metal hydride alkaline. According to 49 CFR 172.704, all personnel involved in the classification, packaging, marking, labeling, or shipment of batteries must receive initial and recurrent transportation training.
Raleigh Area DOT and IATA Training
San Diego RCRA and DOT Training
Williamsburg RCRA and DOT Training
Transportation of Infectious Substances by Ground and Air
Because pathogens can cause widespread danger, the requirements for the shipment of infectious substances are significantly different than those that apply to other hazardous materials. Infectious substances are found not only in hospitals, clinics, labs, and universities, but are also found at many industrial facilities where regulated medical (red bag) waste is generated.
In this live webcast, which will be held on November 6, you will learn the unique requirements for the transportation of infectious substances, including how to:
- Classify the different types of infectious substances
- Determine when you must triple-package infectious substances, and how to package these materials in accordance with the latest regulatory requirements
- Mark, label, and document infectious substances for shipment by ground and air
- Protect yourself and coworkers from the hazards of infectious substances
- Comply with both DOT and IATA regulations for infectious substances shipped by ground and air
A special offer is available for sites with multiple attendees: after the first two attendees pay the full price, each additional attendee will attend at half price. Click here to register online or call 800-537-2372.
Pentagon Signals Security Risks of Climate Change
It also predicted rising demand for military disaster responses as extreme weather creates more global humanitarian crises.
Webinar: Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security
The webinar will discuss progress on the federal action plan to include: strengthening community planning and preparedness; enhancing federal operational coordination; improving data management; modernizing policies and regulations; and incorporating stakeholder feedback and developing best practices.
T&K Asphalt Services Inc. Penalized $2,910 for Hazardous Waste Management Violations
MassDEP inspected the facility on January 31, 2014, and found the violations which will be corrected under the recent order.
MassDEP found that the facility was acting out-of-status as it had registered as a very small quantity generator hazardous waste and a small quantity generator of waste oil, but exceeded the allowable limits on hazardous waste stored on-site. The facility also failed to keep records of what recyclable material they received or generated over the last calendar year.
In addition to paying the penalty within 30 days, T&K Asphalt has agreed to bring the facility into compliance within five days.
Gloucester Marine Railways Corp. Fined $20,000 for Stormwater Violations
Gloucester Marine Railways Corp., will adhere to appropriate practices to protect water quality and thereby protect the health of citizens and the environment, under a settlement with EPA.
The facility covers approximately 3.3 acres, and contains several wharfs, two marine railways, a travel lift, a maintenance shop, and fueling operations.
An EPA inspection in June 2012 revealed that up until the summer of 2011, the company discharged process water from boat-washing operations directly into Smith Cove, which opens up into Gloucester Harbor. These discharges were mixed with paint chips containing toxic metals such as copper and tin, which are used to inhibit marine growth on ship hulls. During the summer of 2011, Gloucester Marine Railways Corp. (GMRC) ceased such discharges from the part of the site serviced by a travel lift by collecting such discharges and filtering and recycling the used wash water. Discharges from the part of the site serviced by the marine railways were ceased the following summer. In addition, at the time of the inspection, the facility did not have coverage under the federal Multi-Sector General Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activities (“MSGP”).
In addition to paying a penalty, GMRC will implement an “Environmental Compliance Promotion” project to raise awareness in the maritime community of Clean Water Act requirements that apply to boatyards, marinas, and private boat owners. GMRC will provide $30,000 to Maritime Gloucester, a local non-profit organization, to implement the project.
The project will include an outreach component that will target the 15 marinas and boatyards, five yacht clubs, and more than 1,200 mooring holders in Cape Ann. Also, a one-page handout will be mailed to all 1,200 mooring holders as well as to all marinas, boatyards, and yacht clubs in Cape Ann. In addition, a webpage will be specifically developed and referenced on the one page handout for additional information related to these topics.
Each facility must have a stormwater pollution prevention plan that sets guidelines and best management practices that the company will follow to prevent runoff from being contaminated by pollutants on their site(s). Without adequate on-site controls, stormwater runoff from such sites can flow directly to the nearest waterway and can cause water quality impairments such as siltation of rivers, beach closings, fishing restrictions, and habitat degradation. As stormwater flows over these sites, it can pick up pollutants, including sediment, used oil, toxic metals such as copper, tin, and nitrogen.
ATP Infrastructure Partners to Pay $1 Million for Environmental Violations
Under a settlement agreement with the US, ATP Infrastructure Partners, LP (ATP-IP) will pay a $1 million civil penalty and perform corrective measures to resolve claims by the US under the Clean Water Act and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) of unauthorized discharges of oil and chemicals from an oil platform into the Gulf of Mexico, announced the EPA, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). This is the first joint judicial enforcement action involving EPA and BSEE claims in response to alleged violations of both the Clean Water Act and OCSLA.
The United States’ complaint, which was filed in February 2013, in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, alleges that oil and an unauthorized chemical dispersant were discharged into the Gulf of Mexico from ATP-IP’s oil and gas production platform known as the ATP Innovator. A BSEE inspection of the ATP Innovator in 2012 revealed alleged unlawful discharges of oil and a piping configuration that routed an unpermitted chemical dispersant into the facility’s wastewater discharge pipe to mask excess oil being discharged into the ocean. At the time of the discovery, ATP Oil & Gas Corporation (ATP) was the operator of the facility, and ATP-IP was, and remains, the owner. The ATP Innovator was operating in the Mississippi Canyon, approximately 45 nautical miles offshore of southeastern Louisiana. Earlier this year, the ATP Innovator was removed from the deepwater production site and towed to port in Corpus Christi.
The US filed suit against ATP and ATP-IP seeking Clean Water Act penalties and corrective measures under the Clean Water Act and OCSLA. ATP-IP’s motion to dismiss the claims against it and a related motion for appeal were both denied by the court in 2013. In addition to the penalty and corrective measures, ATP-IP will conduct enhanced reporting to address safety and environmental concerns. The Clean Water Act and OCSLA claims against ATP are not part of this settlement with ATP-IP and remain pending before the district court for future resolution.
“EPA and its federal partners are committed to ensuring that offshore energy production is done safely and responsibly,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Discharging oil illegally can foul water, harm wildlife and is unfair to companies that follow the law. It is our obligation to protect local communities and companies playing by the rules.”
“The Justice Department is committed to protecting public health and marine ecosystems like the Gulf from unlawful and unsafe practices,” said Sam Hirsch, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This joint enforcement action demonstrates our resolve to hold non-operating owners of oil production facilities and their operators accountable for unlawful discharges from their facilities, and will result in important steps to help prevent future unlawful discharges of oil and chemicals from the ATP facility.”
“Our mission is to ensure offshore operations are conducted safely and in accordance with federal regulations to protect workers and the environment,” said BSEE Director Brian Salerno. “When violations occur, we will exercise our full authority, and leverage the authorities of our sister agencies, to hold companies accountable. We appreciate the EPA’s and DOJ’s assistance in bringing these claims to resolution.”
Under the Clean Water Act it is illegal to discharge oil or hazardous substances into or upon waters of the contiguous zone or in connection with activities under OCSLA in quantities that may be harmful to the environment or public health or welfare. The penalty paid for these violations will be deposited in the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund managed by the National Pollution Fund Center. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is used to pay for federal response activities and to compensate for damages when there is a discharge or substantial threat of discharge of oil or hazardous substances.
Although ATP-IP took the Innovator out of operation earlier this year, it must perform corrective measures to ensure safe and lawful future operations. In particular, ATP-IP must remove and seal the connection on the wastewater discharge outfall pipe that was used to inject chemical dispersants, thereby permanently eliminating the access point for improperly injecting dispersants into the wastewater discharge pipe. Additionally, prior to any future use of the ATP Innovator for exploration, development, or production activities in US waters, ATP-IP will have to certify to EPA, BSEE, and DOJ:
- That the facility has sufficient wastewater treatment equipment and operational plans to meet and maintain Clean Water Act permit discharge limits and prevent unlawful discharge of pollutants to offshore waters at all times
- The facility’s surface production-safety systems will be maintained in a manner that provides for protection of the environment under BSEE regulations
- All facility operations will be performed in a safe and workmanlike manner in accordance with BSEE regulations
As a further safeguard, ATP-IP will be required to have the ATP Innovator’s wastewater treatment operations and surface production-safety systems independently audited for Clean Water Act and OCSLA compliance if the facility is used or leased in the future by ATP-IP or a related entity.
Pennsylvania DEP Fines Reed Oil Company $62,470 for Storage Tank Violations
On August 19, 2013, an above ground storage tank containing 7,500 gallons of off-road diesel fuel exploded at the company’s Pymatuning Township, Mercer County facility, killing a contractor that was not certified to work on storage tanks. As a result, DEP launched an investigation and uncovered several violations at this and another facility owned by Reed Oil Company in New Castle, Lawrence County.
DEP’s investigation found that Reed Oil Company used individuals that were not certified by DEP to perform work on above ground storage tanks as required by state law.
“The failure to use a certified individual as required by law resulted in a fatality,” DEP Northwest Regional Office Director John Guth said. “Assessing a penalty is key to ensuring this does not happen again.”
DEP also found that the company lacked secondary containment for many of its storage tanks at both its Mercer and Lawrence county facilities. At the Mercer County location, the company failed to have four tanks inspected as required by state law. The company has taken corrective action to remedy these issues.
Reed also failed to notify DEP when it changed the substance contained in one of its above ground storage tanks.
The August 19 explosion caused a spill, which contaminated nearby soil. A cleanup to remediate the soil is ongoing.
Reed Oil and its affiliated companies have received other violations and fines from DEP over the past several years, all for violations of the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act.
The $62,470 penalty announced will be paid to the Storage Tank Fund, which funds the administration of the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act. Reed Oil Company has the right to appeal the fine to the Environmental Hearing Board within 30 days.
The assessment of civil penalty is available for review by appointment at DEP’s Northwest Regional Office by calling 814-332-6340.
EPA Encourages Families to Have Soil Checked for Lead
EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck recently joined Newburgh Mayor Judy Kennedy and Richard Mayfield, Orange County’s Director of the Office of Community Development, to encourage Newburgh residents to reduce their exposure to lead from soil and paint.
Babies and young children can also be more highly exposed to lead because they often put their hands and other objects that can have lead from dust or soil on them into their mouths. Children may also be exposed to lead by eating and drinking food or water containing lead or from dishes or glasses that contain lead, ingesting lead dust from lead-based paint or lead-contaminated soil, or from playing with toys with lead paint.
“Infants’ and children’s developing bodies are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of lead," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. "The Soil Kitchen program is a great way for families to have their soil checked and learn about precautions they can take to reduce lead exposure."
Adults with high lead levels can suffer difficulties during pregnancy, high blood pressure, nerve disorders, memory problems, and muscle and joint pain. Even low lead levels in blood have been shown to have adverse effects.
EPA Honors the Winners of the 19th Annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards
EPA is recognizing landmark green chemistry technologies developed by industrial pioneers and leading scientists that turn climate risk into business opportunities, spurring innovation and economic development.
“From academia to business, we congratulate those who bring green solutions and help solve critical environmental problems,” said Jim Jones, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “These innovations reduce energy, chemicals and water waste while cutting manufacturing costs, and sparking investments. Ultimately, these chemicals and products are safer for people’s health and the environment. We will continue to work with the 2014 winners as their technologies are adopted in the marketplace.”
The awardees will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC.
In the small business category:
Amyris, Inc., of Emeryville, California, is being recognized for engineering yeast to make a renewable fuel replacement for petroleum diesel. Making and burning this bus and truck fuel could reduce 82% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as compared to petroleum diesel. Since carbon pollution increases our costs in health care and other impacts, this technology could save tens of thousands of dollars each year.
In the academic category:
Professor Shannon Stahl, University of Wisconsin-Madison, is being recognized for discovering a way to safely and efficiently use oxygen instead of hazardous chemicals in a step commonly used to make medicine. If brought to market, these methods could have a big impact on the industry, reducing chemicals and waste, and saving companies time and money.
In the “greener reaction conditions, designing greener chemicals, and greener synthetic pathways” categories:
Solazyme, Inc., of South San Francisco, California, is being recognized for developing novel oils from sugar and engineered algae in a way that significantly reduces the environmental effects that typically occur in producing and processing petroleum-based or plant-based oils. Soaps, laundry detergents, food products, fuels, and industrial products can now be produced with greatly reduced energy, water and waste, saving money. The company’s palm-oil equivalent can help reduce deforestation and GHGs that can occur from cultivation of palm oil.
QD Vision, Inc., of Lexington, Massachusetts, for developing a process to make more efficient LED lighting and displays for TVs and mobile devices with less environmental impacts and waste. The new LED lighting material may make it possible to save 36% of your TV energy costs. Using their technology in just 10% of flat-screen TVs can save 600 million kilowatt-hours worldwide every year. That is enough to provide electricity for 50,000 homes for one year. Even better, producing these materials avoids using an estimated 40,000 gallons of solvents per year. This technology brings massive energy savings and is good for the planet with reduced carbon and heavy metals emissions, and less use of toxic chemicals.
The Solberg Company of Green Bay, Wisconsin, for developing a safer foam using surfactants and sugars that can fight fires better than traditional foams that rely on persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals. One of the world’s largest oil and gas companies will be using this foam to fight fuel fires and spills. The product works better and is safer—a win-win for industry and protecting our health and the environment.
During the 19 years of the program, EPA has received more than 1,500 nominations and presented awards to 98 technologies. Winning technologies over the lifetime of the program are responsible for reducing the use or generation of more than 826 million lb of hazardous chemicals, saving 21 billion gallons of water, and eliminating 7.8 billion lb of carbon dioxide equivalent releases to air.
EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Program award winners have significantly reduced the hazards associated with designing, manufacturing, and using chemicals. An independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute formally judged submissions from among scores of nominated technologies and made recommendations to EPA for the 2014 winners.
New Jersey’s Recycling Leaders Honored
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) honored the state’s recycling leaders as part the 34th Annual Recycling Symposium and Awards ceremony at Jumping Brook Country Club in Neptune.
Among the honorees are a Middlesex County town that has executed an automated trash collection and single-stream recycling program, a non-profit’s program to train developmentally disabled students proper disposal of unwanted electronics and a Rutgers’ polymer engineer whose inventions have promoted plastics recycling.
Also recognized were a group of grade-school students from across the state for their poems about recycling. The annual event is co-sponsored by the DEP and the Association of New Jersey Recyclers.
“The Christie Administration is proud of these recycling leaders for their important efforts and what they do to expand recycling efforts and awareness,” said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin. “Recycling is a civic duty that gets everyone actively involved in protecting our environment and conserving our natural resources.”
In 1987, New Jersey became the first state to require recycling with the passage of the New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act. The Christie Administration continues to develop policies to boost current recycling rates and adapt recycling strategies to match today’s lifestyles. As part of that effort, DEP requires counties to achieve recycling tonnage targets and, with the assistance of local and county partners, promotes public participation in recycling programs.
The event was co-sponsored by the DEP and the Association of New Jersey Recyclers.
Recycling Awards:
Government: Township of Woodbridge
Starting in 2009, Woodbridge Township began to implement an automated trash collection and single stream recycling program for its residents. Since its implementation, Woodbridge has been able to reduce many of its expenses, particularly its landfill disposal costs and motor vehicle fleet expenses.
The township has also implemented the “Mow and Go” grass-cycling program, and uses the Route Smart program to design garbage and recycling routes that reduce travel time, save on gas, and reduce redundancies.
Institution: Green Vision, Inc.
GreenVision, Inc., trains developmentally disabled students to properly de-manufacture unwanted electronics, and ultimately employ them in that field. Client workers develop problem-solving skills as they disassemble e-waste and sort components for recycling. Satellite locations of this program now exist in Essex, Morris, Bergen, Union, and Atlantic Counties.
In 2013, GreenVision recycled almost 500,000 lb of electronics, trained 216 students, and employed 32 adults.
Business: Johnson and Johnson (New Jersey sites)
Johnson and Johnson’s New Jersey sites have partnered with SBM, its housekeeping company, as well as local waste vendors and internal green teams, to create an innovative waste management program entitled “Care to Recycle.”
SBM ultimately brought six Johnson and Johnson sites into the program by the end of 2013. Many types of waste have been diverted from the trash including compostable, 3-7 plastics, and even candy bar wrappers. The average diversion rate of these six sites was approximately 41% by the end of the first year of the program, with at least one site reaching close to 50%.
Leadership: Jim Morris
Morris, a Basking Ridge resident, has been synonymous with recycling education and training in New Jersey for almost three decades. His practical, real-world approach to quantifying and understanding the economic challenges of recycling has helped to train countless individuals, programs, and organizations throughout the state and beyond.
Morris became the driving force behind the creation of a Recycling Coordinator Certification Program for recycling professionals. With over 800 people trained and nearly 650 Certified Recycling Professionals still active, the certification program, which has attracted interest from other states such as Pennsylvania and California, is a testament to his commitment to continuously refine and improve recycling education and training products available in New Jersey.
Commissioner’s Award: George Chen
Chen has served as the President of the New Jersey Paper Recycling Organization since 2002. This organization was established to encourage and promote recycling in New Jersey. In this capacity, Chen has facilitated numerous educational seminars over the years for those in or associated with the paper recycling industry.
Chen has also shared his expertise about domestic and international paper recycling markets with business leaders and government officials at meetings of the New Jersey WasteWise Business Network. He served as president of the Paper Stock Industries from 2008–2010 and has been the Paper Division Director of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries since 2011. His efforts have helped to raise awareness about the environmental and economic importance of paper recycling in New Jersey and have contributed to the growth of New Jersey’s recycling industry overall.
Commissioner’s Award: Dr. Thomas Nosker
Nosker, an Assistant Research Professor at Rutgers University’s School of Engineering, has invented and developed recycled plastic composites and processes that promote plastics recycling. His materials development work provides an end use application for recycled plastics.
In the late 1980s, Nosker was part of the Center for Plastics Recycling Research (CPRR) at Rutgers, which developed and patented the first recycling process for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) soda bottles, for which 26 licenses were issued. This same process was applicable to high density polyethylene (HDPE) milk bottles and it also led to the development of the first recycled plastic lumber (RPL) for applications such as park benches and picnic tables.
Nosker’s research improved the stiffness and creep resistance of this original RPL to produce reinforced thermoplastic composite lumber (RTCL) suitable for load bearing applications. These patented materials are licensed and manufactured by companies in New Jersey and the United Kingdom to produce items such as railroad ties, marine pilings, I-beams, vehicular bridges, and railroad bridges.
Energy Department Recognizes Organizations in Better Buildings Challenge
As Better Buildings Challenge partners, they have committed to reduce the energy use of ten million square feet of building space, including libraries, schools and other public facilities, by 20% over the next decade, and to showcasing their innovations and successful strategies for other state and local government and school district leaders to follow.
“These partners are demonstrating leadership by cutting energy waste and reducing carbon emissions,” said Dr. David Danielson, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “By showcasing energy efficient strategies that can be replicated across the country, Better Buildings Challenge partners are showing other cities and school districts how they can save money by saving energy and protect the environment.”
Beaverton is making significant progress toward its citywide energy goal with energy savings of 15% over the last four years. Through the Beaverton Better Buildings Challenge, the city is working across its departments, the Beaverton School District and privately-owned buildings to identify efficiency investments and track savings over time. At the Beaverton City Library, where partners were recognized by the Department, the city upgraded lighting and heating controls, the heating and cooling monitoring system and added a new roof complete with solar arrays, leading to expected annual savings of 20% or more than $20,000.
In Hillsboro, the city has achieved 11% energy savings across their entire building portfolio as a result of facility lighting retrofits, installation of LED traffic signal bulbs, HVAC replacement and lighting controls, including nearly 200 kilowatts of solar generation added to city facilities. The city also completed an extensive renovation of the Shute Park Library, installing a new HVAC system, replacing windows, upgrading lighting, and adding insulation. In order to preserve the historical integrity of the library, air ducts were strategically placed between bookshelves and computer stations were removed to reveal clear story windows allowing access to natural light throughout the facility.
Portland Public Schools is driving energy reductions at 90 educational and support facilities comprising more than 8 million square feet. The school district upgraded the mechanical and electrical infrastructure and equipment at Benson Polytechnic High School, its Better Buildings Challenge showcase project, much of it dating back to the school’s original construction in 1916.
To date, more than 200 organizations are partnering with the Energy Department to achieve 20% portfolio-wide energy savings and share successful strategies that maximize efficiency over the next decade. Across the country, Better Buildings Challenge partners are implementing energy efficiency at more than 9,000 facilities with more than 2,100 buildings improving efficiency by at least 20%, and another 4,500 by at least 10%, compared to their baseline years.
Retrofit Chicago Awards: Windy City’s Energy Efficiency Leaders
“More than 40 of Chicago’s largest and most recognizable buildings have been taking part in the unique partnership that has transformed the city’s downtown into a learning-lab to harness the power of energy efficiency,” said Becky Stanfield, Midwest policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “These awards recognize the folks leading the charge to make our skyline more resilient, efficient, cheaper and on the global cutting edge.”
Dozens of the city’s most recognizable buildings have pledged to reduce their energy consumption by 20% over five years as part of Retrofit Chicago Commercial Buildings. Program participant buildings offer incredible diversity; ranging in age from 3–125 years old and includes cultural institutions, tourist attractions, hotels, university facilities, and some of the city’s most iconic office towers designed by architects from Burnham to Van der Rohe. To achieve those goals, buildings get access to incentives and technical expertise from an array of experts including program partners NRDC and ComEd.
Award winners, announced at an event hosted by the City of Chicago, Joyce Foundation, and NRDC last night, include:
Mayor’s Leadership Circle Award for exceeding the 20% energy reduction goal: FOUR40, 440 S. LaSalle Street
Most Valuable Engineers Award, in recognition for their innovation and success in navigating unique challenges posed by their buildings:
- Shawn Freeman, Chief Engineer at The Rookery – 209 S. LaSalle Street
- Calvin Oaks, Director of Engineering, and Ryan Egan, Chief Engineer at Chicago Sheraton Hotel & Towers – 301 E. North Water Street
“Daniel Burnham has stood out as one of Chicago’s most important architects and planners—so it is genuinely exciting to see the engineer at one of his most famous buildings continues to lead this city,” said NRDC Midwest Director Henry Henderson. “The results from these buildings and the program in general should be the envy of every town in America—they are not just leading the way down a more energy efficient path in Chicago; but for the nation.”
NRDC’s recent evaluation of the Retrofit Chicago Commercial Buildings Initiative showed that participating buildings have already cut energy usage by 7% in less than two years, putting them on target to fulfill their overall 20% reduction goals. Those savings led to significant positive impacts, including $2.5 million in annual avoided energy costs and the elimination of over 28,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions (comparable to removing 5800 cars from the road annually). As energy efficiency efforts take center stage in the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon emissions, the Initiative gives Chicago and the State of Illinois a head start in meeting those goals.
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Trivia Question of the Week
Currently, what percentage of electricity generation in the US comes from solar power?
a) 1
b) 5
c) 15
d) 20