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​​​​​​​​​​​​​NIH Recipients of an FY2023 HHS Green Champion Award

​In the wake of the FY2023 HHS Green Champion Awards, the NIH is celebrating a grand total of 16 Green Champion awards earned for efforts completed during FY2023. This is the highest number of accolades earned by the NIH in this award series since FY2019. Please review some of the awardees below and celebrate our accomplishments as a community!

SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATOR

Patrick Shirdon

Patrick Shirdon facilitated the effective communication of the requirements of Executive Orders 14008 and 14075 and the HHS Climate Adaptation Plan by supporting the development and delivery of multi-media informational resources tailored to specific NIH workforce audiences. Mr. Shirdon’s multi-audience approach enhanced communication of challenges, expectations and support needed for the adoption and smooth transition toward meeting the requirements, without impeding the progress of the NIH mission.

Throughout FY 2023, Mr. Shirdon shared information on sustainability resources and environmental programs with the NIH executive officers bi-monthly meeting group, featuring actions to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Under his leadership, Patrick’s office has coordinated executive order briefings at National Institute on Aging (NIA) Town Hall meetings and hosted the quarterly NIA Sustainability Brown Bag Series, providing staff with multiple opportunities and platforms to receive sustainability information and establish knowledge of the topic. Mr. Shirdon further contributed to increased awareness of NIH environmental programs by sponsoring the design and production of more than 300 promotional materials for the NIH Green Labs Fair, helping to increase awareness of the event by showcasing laboratory products and techniques to reduce environmental impacts.

NIH Freezer Challenge Steering Committee

Helen Cawley, Jessica Hale, Helena Celia Cerda-Kun, Minoo Shakoury-Elizeh, Kerri Hartung

This team of NIH employees from several institutes has voluntarily worked to promote sustainability while still carrying out their official duties within their institutes. As a team, they collaborated to increase the NIH involvement in the national and global effort to reduce energy use and respective emissions from laboratory freezers.

The team created media that is informative and encouraging of laboratory action, including presentations, posters, announcements and articles. In FY 2023, the team promoted participation in the NIH freezer challenge as part of a campaign to engage staff and change the culture towards sustainability throughout NIH. They presented at several lab manager meetings, NIH safety committee meetings and sustainability focused meetings.

Overall, the team’s efforts helped increase NIH participation in the freezer challenge from 19 labs in 2022 to 65 labs in 2023, culminating in an estimated energy savings of 740,421 kWh per year, which results in the greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 546 MTCO2e per year and a savings of $87,681 annually. The NIH retired 31 freezers and refrigerators in the FY 2023 challenge that will not be replaced, equating to a maintenance cost and acquisition cost avoidance of $30,000 per year. The total annual cost savings amount to approximately $118,000. Due to their efforts, the NIH won the 2023 International Freezer Challenge in the government organization category of the International Freezer Challenge.

NIH NIEHS Recycling Program Innovation

Kerri Hartung, Paul Johnson, Bill Steinmetz, Cheryl Thompson, David Christie, Stephanie Bishop, Lisa Padilla-Banks, Andrea Kaminski, LCDR Justin Bunn, Paul Windsor

The National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS) recycling program has diverted over 10,000 tons of waste from landfill since its inception in 1993. Over time, however, changes to the types of materials that are recyclable at the institute, differences in what and how items are recycled at home versus work, and the well-meaning effects of “wishcycling” have negatively impacted workplace recycling.

To assist institute personnel to correctly recycle in the workplace, this team took an innovative, multi-faceted approach that combined updated digital resources and physical signage, in-person engagement, online interactive quizzes, and development of an online interactive recycling database for laboratories.

For example, Quick Guides for specific institute settings including labs, non-labs and leased office space, were added to the online Recycling Guide, followed by more in-depth guidance and streamlined special instructions by type of material such as laboratory materials, food and drink containers, office and administrative supplies, electronics, etc.

To further aid laboratories and help address their recycling complexities, development of an online interactive database of commonly used laboratory supplies began in FY 2023. The database will be both searchable and filterable and will include a photo of each item along with a color-coded symbol designating its recyclability. Initial laboratory testing of a prototype was positive, and NIEHS anticipates releasing a fully functioning version by the end of FY 2024.

The 2023 NIH Green Labs Program

In 2023, the participation in the NIH Green Labs Program (GLP) increased 87 percent over the participation rate in 2022, and a 1,272 percent increase since the inception of the program in 2018.

The Green Labs Program is a self-assessment tool for labs to learn about myriad environmental programs that are either mandated by federal, state or local law or internal NIH or HHS policies and best management practices to reduce environmental impacts from lab activities.

Since participation in the program is voluntary, it is challenging to gain the labs participation. Therefore, new innovative strategies were developed to maximize participation and encourage labs besides those on the main campus to join.

The new strategies included collaborating and conducting innovative communication and outreach with volunteers to create daily updates of GLP applicants participating in the program. Also, reaching out and requesting points of contact to obtain support from their Scientific Directors. Although it is hard to measure the impact of this increase in participation, there are now 247 labs aware of the available environmental programs promoting health and reducing environmental impacts. An additional benefit is that an additional 500 to 1,200 NIH staff are now cognizant of actions individuals can take to protect the environment and human health by embracing sustainability in their daily activities.

BUILDING SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAINS

NIH Sustainable Laboratory Supply Chain Strategy

Scientists and staff within the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, Nuclear Organization and Gene Expression Section, and Developmental Genomics Section of Laboratory of Biochemistry & Genetics, expanded the use of sustainable products and services while also reducing costs and emissions through the effective management of a common laboratory supply stock room.

This shared resource benefits various laboratory procedures required by the six participating labs and is maintained by a dedicated technical laboratory manager. The utilization of this space allows for advanced inventory planning that reduces the demand on supply chains and minimizes disruptions due to lack of supplies or further supply chain stressors and/or industry shortcomings.

The significance of this strategic planning is demonstrated by the cost savings funds made available to support the NIDDK Microscopy Core facility transfer, which was closed due to reorganization. Additionally, the reduction of duplicate supplies helped to reduce overall laboratory expenses, creating opportunity for the purchase of energy efficient freezers, refrigerators and centrifuges as needed. These efforts exemplify adaptive actions required of resilient operations, prioritizing efficiency and operational continuity.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

NIH Chemical Waste Compliance Poster

David Mohammadi, CDR Matt Deptola, Ty Adkins, Mike Stefan

The Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) conducts Laboratory Waste Compliance Inspections each year from early spring to late fall on the NIH Bethesda Campus and leased facilities in Montgomery County and Baltimore, Maryland. By using preliminary findings from these inspections and communicating with lab staff, DEP was able to identify awareness of compliance issues as an area of needed improvement.

To address this issue and to ensure that all NIH laboratories manage their waste and comply with regulations, the DEP developed a comprehensive Chemical Waste Compliance poster. This informative poster was created and distributed during fiscal year 2023 and provides detailed information on best practices for managing chemical waste, along with instructions on how to dispose of hazardous materials safely.

So far, DEP has distributed 273 posters to 257 laboratories, and plans to deliver over a thousand posters over the next two years. With the ongoing challenges that laboratories face in adjusting to the EPA Hazardous Waste Generator Improvement rule, this tool can help NIH laboratories prepare and have a reference for accurately completing all four sections of the NIH Chemical Waste Tag.

NIH Recycling and Reutilization of Excess Property

Willie Davis, Christopher J. Batzel, Sr., Javier Arce-Colon, Kimarlo Burke, Michael Turner

The Division of Logistics Services' Property Management Branch, Property Reutilization and Disposal Section (PRDS) is charged with supporting the NIH community through recycling and reutilization of excess property.

In 2023, the PRDS, Division of Logistics Services (DLS), Property Management Branch (PMB) engaged with NIH's 27 Institutes, Centers and Offices to collect, manage and redistribute excess property. The program was responsible for donating over 1,490 assets with an acquisitions value of $1.6 million to various schools in support of the Stevenson-Wylder Technology Act of 1980, and the Direct Donation's Computers for Schools Program.

In addition, PRDS re-issued or re-deployed 260 assets with an aggregate value of $2,652,222 to various entities for reutilization. An additional 53 assets with a combined value of $326,214 were transferred to other federal agencies that communicated a need for these items. Lastly, PRDS recycled over 900 lab grade freezers and refrigerators and more than 825 biohoods/fume hoods.

The team's efforts extend to more than 100 buildings, and the PRDS has processed over 25,000 excess property turn-in-requests. PRDS uses myriad approaches to prevent thousands of pounds of equipment from being treated as waste. Since the inception of this program, NIH has successfully recycled over 14,000 pounds of personal electronic equipment.

NIH RTP NIEHS Transportation Reduction of Soiled Animal Bedding

Paul Poliachik, Brian Harris, William Ragland, Ben Hocutt, Paul Johnson

At the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina, the cost of transporting soiled animal bedding from the facility became very expensive after the composting facility refused to accept the material due to circumstances beyond the office’s control.

The soiled animal bedding therefore had to be shipped to a specialized landfill. With this change, the material had to travel farther, the hauling rates were increased by about 60 percent, and disposal fees per ton had more than doubled. To address these concerns, the group developed a solution to transport the soiled bedding to a power plant where the bedding would be used to produce electricity.

To make the process more efficient, 30-yard dumpsters with augers were obtained to condense the bedding to reduce the number of trips to the collection site. Transporting the soiled bedding with the eight-yard dumpsters was performed four times a week, but the 30-yard auger dumpsters only need to be transported three times per month. The transport contractor drives 16,466 miles less per year, from 18,054 miles to 1,608 miles.

NIH Sterile Processing Section Nursing Department

Norman Hall, Dina Pokuaa, Tofic Rahmeto, Randy Caudle, Belinda Avila, Katina Elie, Georgine Hunter, Christopher Doleman, Wondwesen Gebrecrstos, Netsanet Fita

In 2023, the NIH Sterile Processing Section significantly reduced the environmental impact of sterilization packaging for surgical devices in the operating room. They were able to accomplish this by reducing the amount of waste created each day by switching all containers that were encased in wrap to metal containers.

The department realized a tremendous reduction of waste and went from using one case of wrap per day to one case a month. Additionally, eliminating the wrapping prevented occasional delays in surgery that would happen when there was a hole in the blue wrap, resulting in the item having to be wrapped and sterilized again.

It is difficult to reduce waste in the operating room due to infectious materials, however the Sterile Processing Section developed a new way to accomplish this and created a more efficient and effective outcome in their daily workload. Ultimately this project provided a reduction in waste, a reduction of the carbon footprint, a reduction in budget costs and a reduction in the workload.

ADVANCING CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE

LCDR Matthew Hunt

LCDR Matthew Hunt, General Engineer, NIH Sustainability Branch, leads climate vulnerability assessments that are critical to identifying climate risks, which enables the NIH to prioritize investments.

LCDR Hunt worked with contracting staff to award a climate vulnerability assessment contract for each NIH campus. The assessments consist of four phases for each campus including: Phase 1) aggregate and align climate data and propose the top three risk categories; Phase 2) review water and energy use data, master plans and campus-specific resources; Phase 3) conduct on-site visits and assessments, including discussions with facility staff; and Phase 4) develop a prioritized list of mitigation projects and actions that includes a rough order of magnitude for each action.

LCDR Hunt has completed Phases 1 and 2, with Phase 3 underway. By leading these assessments, he is preparing the NIH to have more climate-resilient infrastructure and facilities.

NIH Bike to Work Day

Joseph Cox, Anna Centeno, Steve Friedman, Jaroslav Sebek

Bike to Work Day (BTWD) took place on Friday, May 19, 2023. The NIH pit stop was hosted by the NIH Bicycle Commuter Club and the Office of Research Services, Division of Amenities and Transportation Services, and featured refreshments, prize raffles and additional biking-related activities. National BTWD recognized NIH as the largest participant of the 100-plus pit stops for the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region. There were 202 riders who checked in at the Building 1 stop, amassing 2,199 total round trip commute miles, equally 889 kilograms of emissions reduced. Many of the first-time participants of the event continued to utilize biking as a method of transportation after BTWD.

NIH NIEHS Refrigerant Management Plan

Bill Steinmetz, Kerri Hartung, Paul Johnson, Julie Johnson, Rachel Faison

In fiscal year 2023, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) implemented a Refrigerant Management Plan (RMP).

All refrigerants are covered by the NIEHS plan including formulations comprised of greenhouse gases (GHG) as well as ozone depleting substances. The RMP supports GHG and climate risk reduction and increased the climate resiliency and adaptation goals of Executive Order 14057. The plan promotes alternatives to refrigerants with high global warming potential (GWP) when purchasing new equipment such as chillers, air handlers and air conditioners.

Adherence to these procurement policies helps the NIEHS reduce the potential for Scope 1 GHG emissions during refrigeration equipment failure, repair, maintenance and disposal, and avoid Scope 3 GHG emissions associated with the manufacture of replacement equipment containing high GWP refrigerants.

The RMP also serves as a regulatory reference guide by summarizing EPA requirements for refrigerant leak testing, recordkeeping, and reporting as well as equipment maintenance and disposal. A presentation was created and shared with facility engineers as part of the initial implementation process, and components of the plan are now being referenced during project reviews that involve installation or repair of refrigeration equipment.

ELECTRIFYING AND OPTIMIZING THE FEDERAL FLEET

Lieutenant Brian Sims

Lieutenant Brian Sims is the Fleet Manager for the NIH Division of Police. Lt. Sims began researching the most cost-effective and beneficial way to begin replacing the NIH Police gas vehicles with hybrid and plug-in electric police vehicles. He completed extensive research prior to the issuance of Executive Order 14057, and was well prepared to begin the process of transitioning to hybrid and plug-in vehicles. Lt. Sims’ work will benefit the environment by reducing carbon emissions and fuel use in the NIH Police vehicle fleet. Operational costs are also lowered due to reduced required maintenance.

DECARBONIZING FEDERAL BUILDINGS

Developing the NHGRI 2023 Freezer Replacement Program to Decarbonize NHGRI Labs 

Ellen M Rolfes, Emily E. Neveux, Jon W Garvey, Patricia Ann Messick, Bryan James Wedel, Andrew Nicholas Hogan, Danielle Denise Buice, Catherine L Brooks, Brandy L Robinson, Aimee Louise Mooney

In response to the recently issued Executive Orders 14008 and 14057, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) was tasked with supporting sustainability requirements for energy efficiency and net-zero carbon emissions.

Ultra-low temperature freezers (ULTF) were identified as a significant source of carbon emissions. ULTFs are essential equipment necessary for long-term storage of biological samples while requiring high levels of constant energy supply. The average ULTF on the NIH campus consumes 8,961 kWh per year and produces 6.4 metric tons of carbon dioxide (MTCO2e) annually.

To address these concerns, the NHGRI 2023 Freezer Replacement Program was created to procure and distribute 10 new ENERGY STAR certified eco-friendly ULTFs. These environmentally friendly ULTFs replaced old high carbon-emitting and energy consuming units across 10 separate NHGRI labs. As a result of this freezer replacement program, NHGRI will save approximately 42,810 kWh of energy, reduce carbon dioxide production by 31 MTCO2e, and reduce electrical utility fees by $4,710 annually.

Not only does the 2023 Freezer Replacement Program help NHGRI achieve decarbonization of their own laboratory facilities, but it also created a model that other NIH Institutes can adopt to increase their sustainability initiatives as well. To achieve this objective, members of the Freezer Replacement Program group have begun collaborating with different working groups and programs across the NIH Bethesda Campus.

NIH NIEHS Rall Building Roof Replacement/Refurbishments

Alison Karver, Cameron Thompson, James Stancil

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Office of Research Facilities, based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, successfully completed the replacement and refurbishment of the Building 101 Module D Roof, covering an area of approximately 16,000 square feet.

The primary objective of this project was to enhance energy efficiency by replacing all wet insulation with dry, incorporating 39 percent recycled material. Additionally, the entire roof surface was coated with a reflective membrane capable of deflecting up to 88 percent of ultraviolet rays, further contributing to energy conservation efforts. Substantially completed in September 2023, this innovative solution promises energy savings estimated at approximately $8,000 per year and approximately $100,000 of savings throughout the roof’s 20-year life span. The project has already been replicated and 20,000 more square feet of roofing will be replaced in fiscal year 2024, on the NIEHS campus.

NIH Optimizing Facility Efficiency: Achieving Cost Savings through Improved Steam Condensate Return

Michael Shaw, Jr, Vanessa Argote Macia, John Louis Fratangelo

The NIH Central Utility Plant (CUP) generates steam, chilled water, and compressed air to meet the needs of the NIH Bethesda Campus. Daily, the CUP utilizes about one to one and a half million gallons of water for chilled water, boiler feed water and cooling tower water makeup.

The steam generated by the boiler and cogeneration plants serves various purposes, including building heating, humidity control, equipment sterilization and cleaning. As the steam transfers its heat for building heating, heat exchanger or heating coil, it undergoes a phase change into a liquid known as condensate. A higher condensate return is indicative of improved efficiency and reduces the need for makeup water leading to savings in fuel, water and chemicals, as well as treatment costs.

Moreover, minimizing condensate discharge into the sewer system helps reduce disposal costs. Despite the target performance indicator for steam condensate return being set by the CUP at 75 percent, the CUP has seldom achieved it and in 2022 the condensate return dropped below 36 percent. In response, a comprehensive campus-wide repair project was urgently launched that involved inspecting several troublesome mechanical rooms in NIH buildings and facilities and repairing the steam condensate return systems and heat exchangers. This undertaking resulted in a significant increase in steam condensate return to an average of 65 percent. This improvement resulted in annual savings exceeding $785,000, attributed to reduced water, chemicals and fuel usage that would otherwise have been lost through drainage.

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​New Year, New You(Tube)! ​​Complete your New Years Resolution in just two clicks! Consider subscribing to the ORF YouTube channel​ for easily digestible videos on sustainability topics and more!​ ​​LEA​RN MORE​​​​​

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NIH Sustainability LMS Training​ ​ ​The Climate and Sustainability Training is now available to complete through the LMS Training Portal! In this training, you will learn about steps we can take, both on an individual and organizational level, to improve the sustainability of NIH operations.​​​ LEARN MORE​​

NEMS Training                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Did you know? ​​​​​There are many videos concerning environmental topics posted to the NIH ORF YouTube page​. Check them out to learn about the environment and NIH! To learn more about sustainability at the NIH​​​​​​​​​​​​​​, please visit the NEMS T​raining webpage​ to view a short (20 minute) NIH environmental awareness training video.