R 261117Z APR 12 ALCOAST 193/12 COMDTNOTE 5090 SUBJ: ANNOUNCEMENT OF 2012 USCG ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AWARD WINNERS A. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS PROGRAM, COMDTINST 5090.5 (SERIES) B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 211455Z OCT 11/ALCOAST 497/11 C. COMMANDANTS SUSTAINABILITY ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY POLICY STATEMENT, SEPTEMBER 2010 D. CG OPERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE PLAN, OCTOBER, 2010 1. ON BEHALF OF THE COMMANDANT, I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS OF THE 2012 CG ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AWARD FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS DURING 2011. THESE AWARDS ARE DIVIDED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES AND IDENTIFY SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT AND COMMITMENT IN EACH CATEGORY. IN ACCORDANCE WITH REFS A THROUGH D THE AWARDS, SELECTED BY A PANEL OF CROSS-PROGRAM EXPERTS, RECOGNIZE SUPERIOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP ENCOMPASSING MULTIPLE CATEGORIES OF SUSTAINABILITY, ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE. 2. INDIVIDUAL AWARD: MS. ASHLEY CORDI WAS SELECTED BY THE AWARDS PANEL FOR HER OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AT THE COAST GUARD ACADEMY. THE ACADEMYS SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM WAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED BY AUGMENTING THE QUALIFIED RECYCLING PROGRAM (QRP), BY EXPANDING ELECTRONICS REUSE, INCORPORATING AND BENEFITTING FROM THE SALE OF HIGH-VALUE CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION MATERIALS (PREVIOUSLY DISPOSED OF AT A COST), AND REDUCING 2008 BASE YEAR SOLID WASTE GENERATION BY 69 PERCENT. SHE ALSO DEVELOPED ACADEMY SUSTAINABILITY POLICY AND INITIATED A COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM WHICH INCLUDED ESTABLISHING A CADET SUSTAINABILITY CLUB THAT CONTRIBUTED TO OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AT THE ACADEMY AND FOSTERED COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROJECTS. ADDITIONALLY THE CADETS RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION IN THE COLLEGIATE RECYCLMANIA COMPETITION, COORDINATED THE RESTORATION OF AN ENDANGERED WATERBIRD NESTING AREA THAT HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY HURRICANE IRENE, AND GARNERED MUCH COMMUNITY APPRECIATION DUE TO THESE INITIATIVES. 3. TEAM AWARD: NESU HONOLULU IS THIS YEARS WINNER. THEIR INDUSTRIAL GREEN TEAM SIGNIFICANTLY MITIGATED VERY COSTLY UTILITY RATES BY INTEGRATING A COMPREHENSIVE ARRAY OF ENERGY SAVING DEVICES AND PROJECTS AT THE UNIT. THESE INCLUDED INSTALLING SOLAR POWERED HEAT PUMPS AND TANKLESS HOT WATER HEATERS, RETROFITTING THEIR PERIMETER LIGHTING SYSTEM WITH LOW DEMAND-HIGH PERFORMANCE LIGHTING THAT ACTUALLY IMPROVED LIGHT DISTRIBUTION WITH LESS COST, SUBSTITUTING LOW-FLOW WATER FIXTURES THROUGHOUT AIR STATION BARBERS POINT, WHICH REDUCED SIGNIFICANT WATER AND SEWAGE COSTS, AND PROVIDED EDUCATIONAL EVENTS TO LOCAL SCHOOLS ON THE CONCEPTS OF SUSTAINABILITY. 4. SMALL UNIT AWARD: THE RESCUE 21 PROJECT RESIDENT OFFICE IN ALASKA WAS SELECTED FOR THEIR THOROUGH RESEARCH, TESTING, AND THEN INSTALLATION OF A WIND POWER TURBINE AT A NATIONAL DISTRESS AND RESPONSE SYSTEM REPEATER SITE, REDUCING ON-SITE PROPANE USE BY 30 PERCENT. THEY ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY (NREL) TO PROTOTYPE FUEL CELL USE AT REMOTE TRANSMITTING SITES. THIS LED TO REDUCED AIR POLLUTION, EXTENSION OF MAINTENANCE INTERVALS BY INCREASING BATTERY LIFE, AND IN TURN REDUCED THE FREQUENCY OF HELICOPTER MAINTENANCE VISITS. ULTIMATELY THE UNIT EXPECTS TO ELIMINATE MOST PROPANE USE AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THEIR OVERALL CARBON FOOTPRINT. 5. LARGE UNIT AWARD: BASE PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA EXCELLED IN MULTIPLE AREAS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. THEIR RECYCLING PROGRAM RECYCLED OVER 233,000 POUNDS OF MIXED SCRAP, CARDBOARD, AND BRASS AND LEAD FROM THE FIRING RANGE, AS WELL AS BATTERIES, CELL PHONES, AND REUSED COOKING OIL FOR HEATING BUILDINGS. THEIR NATURAL RESOURCES PROGRAM PARTNERED WITH A NON-PROFIT PRESERVATION GROUP TO RESTORE AND MAINTAIN A 5-ACRE REFORESTATION AREA BY INSTALLING FOUR RAIN GARDENS AND PERMEABLE PAVERS BEHIND THE GALLEY, WHICH REDUCED STORMWATER RUNOFF. THEIR ENERGY PROGRAM PARTNERED WITH THE LOCAL UTILITY TO SHED TWO MEGAWATTS OF LOAD DURING PEAK SUMMER MONTHS BY REPLACING WINDOWS AND INSTALLING SMART ENERGY METERS AND SOLAR PANELS ON SEVERAL BUILDINGS. IN 2011, STATE INSPECTORS FOUND THE UNIT TO BE IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR AIR PERMIT AND WASTE WATER DISCHARGE PERMIT. 6. I CONGRATULATE ALL THE WINNERS AND APPLAUD ALL THE NOMINEES OF THE 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AWARD PROGRAM. I APPRECIATE THE MANY CONTRIBUTIONS MADE TO ADVANCE THE SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM AND TO PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY STEWARDSHIP THROUGHOUT THE COAST GUARD. ALL OF YOU ARE MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE IN OUR COAST GUARD. WELL DONE. 7. RADM RONALD J. RABAGO, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT FOR ENGINEERING AND LOGISTICS, SENDS. 8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.