Take Action To Protect the Future

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NIH Green InitiativesLab Managers Group
December 11, 2008Terry Leland lelandt_at_mail.nih
.gov
Take Action To Protect the Future
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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!

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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NIH Goes Greener
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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

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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

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Sustainable Labs WG Labs Go Greener Challenge
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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

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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

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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

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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

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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_at_mail.nih.gov

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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

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Mercury Free NIH

• NIH Catalyst article
  http//www.nems.nih.gov/outreach/mercury-freeNIH_C
  atalyst_jan-feb08.pdf
• Read the full NO MERCURY policy at NIH
  http//www.nems.nih.gov/records/NIH_Manual_Issuanc
  e_3033.pdf
• Mercury-free alternatives http//orf.od.nih.gov/E
  nvironmentalProtection/MercuryFree/Alternatives.
  htm
• Extended mercury website is under development
• For more information Captain Ed Rau at
  301.496.7775 or raue_at_ors.od.nih.gov

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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

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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

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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!

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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

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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 Clubs web site
  for more information http//www.recgov.org/rw/ni
  hbike
• NIH Shuttles
• Telecommuting options
• Learn more online at http//telework.od.nih.gov/In
  dex.htm

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NEMS Outreach Tools
NEMS - Program Poster
NEMS - Waste Information Poster
NEMS - Energy BillPoster
NEMS - Medical ResearchPoster
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NEMS Web Site nems.nih.gov