The First Facility Management Blog

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB) as a 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. For the second consecutive year, K-C will be recognized for its energy management practices and commitment to sustainable operations, resulting in significant energy and financial savings. K-C will be recognized at the ENERGY STAR awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 18.

Kimberly-Clark is being honored for its continued focus on achieving its energy efficiency targets for its manufacturing processes as well as its energy conservation goals for all of its facilities. As part of its environmental vision 2010 program, K-C estimates that it has improved its worldwide energy efficiency by 4.4% since 2005. The company’s energy efficiency initiative continues to generate ongoing cost savings while further driving K-C’s long-term sustainability strategy.

“Kimberly-Clark is leading the fight against climate change through greater energy efficiency,” said Gina McCarthy, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation. ”Kimberly-Clark’s robust energy management program is a model for others and affirms that energy efficiency is our most cost-effective climate strategy.”

In choosing Kimberly-Clark as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, EPA specifically recognized the company’s approach to energy management, which is an integral part of K-C’s long-term strategy. In addition to its thorough tracking process of energy usage at its facilities, the company influences its supply chain to address imbedded energy costs in their operations. KC continues to invest in energy improvement projects including combined heat and power systems, landfill gas and biomass to power manufacturing sites and offices. The company also continued to launch energy and other sustainability awareness campaigns to further engage its employees worldwide.

“Earning the EPA ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for the second consecutive year is a testament to our ongoing commitment to sustainable energy management practices throughout every aspect of our business,” said Suhas Apte, Vice President of Global Sustainability at Kimberly-Clark. “Our partnership with ENERGY STAR allows us to collaborate on important issues and improve our environmental stewardship through energy efficiency, which is a critical component of K-C’s sustainability strategy and long-term growth plans.”

Kimberly-Clark has been a member of the ENERGY STAR program since 2007 and was originally recognized as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year in 2009. In addition, K-C is also involved in EPA’s Climate Leaders, Green Power Partnership, Landfill Methane Outreach Program and SmartWay programs.

The ENERGY STAR award follows K-C’s recent number one ranking on EPA’s list of On-site Green Power Users as well as its top 20 ranking on the organization’s National Green Power Purchasers list. In addition, K-C received its third consecutive Environmental Excellence award from EPA’s SmartWay Transportation Partnership for leadership in reducing greenhouse gases and conserving energy.

This past December, Armstrong World Industries named the National Security Agency (NSA) in Ft. Meade, MD as its 2009 Ceiling Recycler of the Year. Over the past 14 months, the government agency has recycled more than 400,000 square feet of discarded ceiling tiles. The award was presented to NSA at a ceremony at the National Cryptologic Museum, the NSA’s principal gateway to the public.

Steve Lopez, NSA deputy associate director for installations and logistics (left) accepts the award from Paul Corr, Armstrong regional vice president, commercial ceiling sales-east.

This Armstrong award recognizes companies and organizations that make significant environmental contributions through their recycling initiatives. Other recipients recognized for their recycling achievements have included General Motors, Nike, Pfizer, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

NSA began recycling its old ceiling tiles in September 2008 as part of the Armstrong Ceiling Recycling Program. The program, established in 1999, is the nation’s first and longest running program of its kind. It enables facility managers to ship ceilings from renovation projects to an Armstrong ceiling plant as an alternative to landfill disposal.

Earlier EPA Recognition

The NSA was also recognized for recycling actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in September 2009 wit the annual EPA, Region 3 [mid-Atlantic region), Environmental Achievement Awards program. Through the partnership of the Occupational Health Environmental and Safety Services (OHESS) organization, the Installations and Logistics organization (I&L), and the general workforce, more 11 million pounds (5,815 tons) of materials were diverted from landfills and recycled by the NSA Fort George G. Meade campus during the 2008 calendar year.

There are four broad classes of sources for the recycled material from NSA: Facilities-Related materials, Automated Data Processing Equipment (ADPE), Universal Wastes, and Employee-Derived Materials. The facilities-related recycled materials category contained the largest amount of recyclables at 3,278 tons. Most of these recyclables were derived from rehabilitation and construction projects. In addition to its ceiling tile recycling efforts with Armstrong World Industries, the NSA campus also recycled construction metal, paving millings, raised flooring cardboard, concrete and pavers, and cable reels and pallets.

In early December, in response to the recent announcement of the impending change to the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) for hearing protection devices, the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) provided its recommendations to the U.S. EPA. Based on expert member input and review, NHCA’s recommendations are intended to improve the utility of hearing protection devices for occupational hearing conservation programs and for personal use.

One of eight practical guides on hearing protection available from NHCA

“Noise-induced hearing loss is a progressive and permanent disease which has a pervasive impact on people’s lives. While noise control efforts are the preferred way to reduce occupational and community noise exposures and prevent hearing loss, many Americans depend on earplugs and earmuffs to protect their hearing,” said Rick Neitzel, PhD, CIH, NHCA President. “The current Noise Reduction Rating methodology is obsolete and needs to be updated to reflect a more real-world approach to hearing conservation. Also, the new NRR needs to account for the fact hearing protectors are used both in the workplace, where users should be trained on how to protect their hearing and how to wear protectors correctly, as well as recreationally, where users are likely to be less knowledgeable about how to best protect their hearing.”

NHCA Requests

In a November 4, 2009 letter, which is posted at http://bit.ly/7qnVhq, NHCA asks for two major changes to the EPA’s proposed legislation (scroll down to “Current Activities”).

First, NHCA believes that the labeled values should be based on the ANSI S12.6-2008 Method B protocol, which accounts for hearing protectors fit by trained and naïve hearing protection device (HPD) users alike.

“The EPA should also ensure that the de-rating of labeled values is eliminated from the new NRR scheme. Over the years, de-ratings have created a great deal of uncertainty and confusion that has diminished the effectiveness of hearing loss prevention programs in the United States,” said Neitzel.

Second, NHCA urges the EPA to revise and simplify the labeling of hearing protectors.  This will help ensure that all users—and especially users who have not been trained on the proper use of hearing protectors—receive adequate protection when they use the devices.

“The required labels should be simplified, made more symbol-based, and provided in multiple languages to ensure that their correct use is clear for all users,” said Neitzel. “Supporting information, such as the performance of the protector at specific test frequencies, should be provided online, as a packaged insert or upon request from the manufacturer in order to further simplify package labeling.”

“NHCA is excited to work with the EPA to increase the effectiveness of hearing protectors sold and used in the United States by making the labeled values on hearing protectors more meaningful to end users. We feel that the proposed changes will help give Americans the protection from noise that they deserve, and will help reduce or eliminate the number of people who needlessly develop NIHL,” said Neitzel.

The U.S. EPA has released results of a limited field monitoring study of artificial-turf playing fields and playgrounds constructed with recycled tire material, or “tire crumb.” According to the Agency, this study was intended to gain experience conducting field monitoring of recreational surfaces that contain tire crumb. EPA will use the information to help determine possible next steps to address questions regarding the safety of tire crumb infill in recreational fields.

The EPA study is available for download.

“The limited data EPA collected during this study, which do not point to a concern, represent an important addition to the information gathered by various government agencies,” said Peter Grevatt, director of EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection. “The study will help set the stage for a meeting this spring, where EPA will bring together officials from states and federal agencies to evaluate the existing body of science on this topic and determine what additional steps should be taken to ensure the safety of kids who play on these surfaces.”

Recycled tire material, or tire crumb, is used in many applications, including as a component in synthetic turf fields and playground installations. According to the Synthetic Turf Council, artificial turf has been installed in approximately 4,500 U.S. fields, tracks and playgrounds.

In response to concerns raised by the public, EPA conducted a limited “scoping study” of tire crumb, which consisted of collecting air and wipe samples at three locations near EPA laboratories at Raleigh, NC, Athens, GA, and Cincinnati, OH. Sampling also was conducted in the Washington, DC area.

The limited study, conducted August through October 2008, found that the concentrations of materials that made up tire crumb were below levels considered harmful. However, given the limited nature of the study (limited number of constituents monitored, sample sites, and samples taken at each site) and the wide diversity of tire crumb material, it is not possible, without additional data, to extend the results beyond the four study sites to reach more comprehensive conclusions.

The study confirmed that most of the methods tested were accurate, reproducible, and appropriate for measuring concentrations of tire crumb constituents and therefore can be used in future studies.

Findings Of The Study

• Particulate matter, metals, and volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations were measured in the air samples and compared with areas away from the turf fields (background levels). The levels found in air samples from the artificial turf were similar to background levels.
• No tire-related fibers were observed in the air samples.
• All air concentrations of particulate matter and lead were well below levels of concern.
• More than 90% of the lead in the tire crumb material was tightly bound and unavailable for absorption by users of the turf fields.
• Zinc, which is a known additive in tires, was found in tire crumb samples. However, air and surface wipe monitoring levels of zinc were found to be below levels of concern.

EPA is aware that studies by other agencies were undertaken or completed while this survey was under way. EPA is planning a 2010 meeting with federal and state agencies to review all new study data and determine next steps. More information on artificial turf in the Exposure Research section of the EPA’s Web site.

Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC announced earlier this fall that two of its Dens™ interior gypsum panel products passed the industry’s most stringent mold resistance test. DensArmor Plus® High-Performance Interior Panel* and DensShield® Tile Backer each passed the 12-week test, conducted in accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ASTM D 6329 ** protocol (Web link below).

The test, which is three times longer and more rigorous than ASTM D 3273—the current industry standard, was conducted by an independent third party, RTI International, at its facilities in Research Triangle Park, NC between February and June 2009. To date, no other gypsum products manufacturer has announced test results showing zero mold growth for 12 full weeks for any product.

“These results confirm what we have long known—that our Dens products lead the industry in mold and moisture resistance performance,” said Kendall Clark, Research & Development Program Manager, Georgia-Pacific Gypsum. “Architects and builders can take comfort in the fact that the mold resistant properties of Dens products save time and money during construction, and also ensure the sustainability of structures.”

According to Susan Raterman, an industrial hygiene consultant in the areas of indoor air quality, mold mitigation, and asbestos management, the news that two Dens™ interior products have passed a rigorous 12-week test is noteworthy. “Both the length of the test and the fact that it used two of the most problematic species of mold found in buildings are indicative of the rigor of this mold resistance performance standard,” said Raterman, founder and president of The Raterman Group Ltd. “These results raise the bar for the entire industry, and further illustrate Georgia-Pacific Gypsum’s leadership in product quality and innovation.”

The DensArmor Plus® panels were also the first to be GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® and GREENGUARD Children & Schools™ Certified as low emitting gypsum panels.

* Test results limited to DensArmor Plus® High-Performance Interior Panel and do not include DensArmor Plus® Abuse-Resistant Interior Panels and DensArmor Plus® Impact-Resistant Panels.
** For more information about the EPA’s Environmental and Sustainable Technology Evaluations (ESTE) projects for microbial resistant building materials, visit www.epa.gov/etv/este.html#mrbmgw.

Facility Engineering Associates (FEA), in partnership with the IFMA Foundation, has released the second guide in the Sustainability “How-to Guide” Series. The new publication, EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, was written by Maureen Roskoski, senior professional; Laurie Gilmer, associate; and Greg Hughel, project engineer, all from FEA.

EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager guide has been created to help facility professionals better understand how to maintain a successful energy management program. The guide highlights essential terms and explains monthly and annual energy consumption within buildings and how this consumption can change over time. In addition to equipping readers with the latest trends and tools needed to tackle energy management, the new guide also provides step-by-step assistance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s online tool, the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.

Teena Shouse, senior facility management consultant at FEA and past IFMA chair, comments on the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager by saying, “In this ever-changing world peppered with so much information, it is truly a pleasure to have a resource which enables one to be immediately more effective in their search of the energy efficiency holy grail.”

“We are very happy with the response received to the first Getting Started guide and look forward to an even greater response to this guide because of the traction received as a result of the initial guide,” said Will Rub, executive director of the IFMA Foundation.

“The large scale implementation of ENERGY STAR is a major priority for IFMA this year,” said Eric Teicholz, executive editor of the Sustainability “How-to Guide” Series. “We have no doubt that FEA’s guide will play a major role in its successful implementation.”

To obtain your own copy of the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager guide, please visit FEA’s Web site at www.feapc.com.

On November 6, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2868, the Chemical and Water Security Act of 2009, by a vote of 230-193. This bill reauthorizes the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) program to implement and enforce the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS), which are currently set to expire in October 2010, and improves these standards in a number of ways. It also requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish parallel security programs for drinking water and wastewater facilities.

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security and lead sponsor of the legislation, released the following statement upon passage: “In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, security experts immediately identified the threat of an attack on a chemical facility as one of the greatest security vulnerabilities facing the Nation,” said Thompson. “After four years of hard work, this Congress finally got the opportunity to consider and pass this landmark homeland security bill. Passage of this legislation demonstrates the progress we make with a transparent process that is open to diverse viewpoints,” Thompson stated. “We can now ensure that this vital industry, and the population that lives around these facilities, are secure,” said Thompson.

H.R. 2868:

• Authorizes reasonable, risk-based security standards for chemical security.
• Closes a major security gap identified by both the Bush and Obama Administrations by establishing a security program for drinking water and waster water facilities.
• Requires all tiered facilities to assess “methods to reduce the consequences of a terrorist attack.” Plants that voluntarily perform these assessments, which are sometimes called “IST” assessments, often find that good security equals good business.
• Strengthens CFATS by adding enforcement tools, protecting the rights of whistleblowers, and enhancing training security.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its first WaterSense specification for a commercial building product—flushing urinals—on October 9, 2009. WaterSense-labeled flushing urinals will use 50% less water than standard urinals, which is expected to save 4,000 gallons of water per year for every model installed.

The intent of this specification is to assist facility professionals in identifying and differentiating those products that have met EPA’s criteria for water efficiency and performance. This final specification addresses flushing urinals—urinals that use water to convey waste through a trap seal into a gravity drainage system—and their flushing devices. Devices using other techniques such as non-water urinals, composting urinals, and retrofit devices or other aftermarket retrofit systems are not covered by this specification.

While current federal standards set the maximum allowable flush volume at one gallon per flush (gpf), an estimated 7.8 million urinals currently in use are older inefficient models. In addition to using no more than a half gallon per flush, urinals bearing the WaterSense label must meet EPA’s performance requirements, ensuring they work as well or better than standard models. All WaterSense labeled products are independently tested and certified to meet criteria for both efficiency and performance. To ensure satisfactory performance, urinals will be tested for flush effectiveness and other measures before they can earn the WaterSense label.

WaterSense product research has shown that there are at least eight manufacturers offering nearly 40 models of high efficiency flushing urinals that are expected to meet the requirements of this specification and would be qualified to apply for and use the WaterSense label.

More information from the EPA can be found here…

Carpet manufacturer Beaulieu Commercial was recently honored with a 2009 Green Power Leadership Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the annual Green Power Leadership Awards ceremony in Atlanta, GA. The EPA co-sponsors the Green Power Leadership Awards with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Center for Resource Solutions, a national non-profit organization. The award, which Beaulieu Commercial received on September 14, 2009, recognizes exceptional dedication to environmental protection through green power commitment. Beaulieu Commercial purchases kilowatt hours of green power annually to meet 100% of the organization’s purchased electricity use nationwide.

“People don’t always realize that in the U.S., the largest source of carbon heavy greenhouse gasses comes not from automobiles, but from coal fired electric power plants,” said Beaulieu Commercial President James Lesslie. “Supporting clean sources of electricity is a sound business decision and crucial in reducing our climate risk.”

A recent introduction in the company's BOLYU carpet line is Yada Yada (seen here).

In addition to energy conservation and waste management best practices in running its manufacturing operations, Beaulieu Commercial was the first carpet manufacturer to include post-consumer recycled content in 100% of its products.

In addition, its Nexterra® tile backing is an industry leader with 85% post-consumer recycled content. The Nexterra® carpet tile products recently earned the platinum level of NSF 140-2007 certification, the only ANSI certified sustainable carpet assessment standard in the industry. NSF International, a not-for-profit organization setting standards in development and product certification, certified all Nexterra® tile products under the BOLYU Contract, Cambridge Commercial and PURE CONTRACT product lines manufactured at Beaulieu Commercial’s Adairsville and Chatsworth facilities in Georgia.

Beaulieu Commercial’s green power purchase of 9 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power represents over 12 million pounds of emissions that won’t be going into the atmosphere. This is the equivalent of taking more than 1,300 cars off the roads or the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 1,000 average American homes each year.

The Center for Resource Solutions' Green-e logo

Beaulieu Commercial’s green energy leadership entitles the company to display the Green-E Certified Renewable Energy logo (seen at right) on all of its products and corporate communications. “Beaulieu Commercial continues its commitment to being a leader in corporate environmental stewardship,” Lesslie said. “We’re honored by the EPA’s recognition of our efforts.”

Green power is electricity generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. These resources generate electricity with a net zero increase in carbon dioxide emissions, while offering a superior environmental profile compared to traditional power generation sources. Green power purchases also support the development of the new renewable energy generation sources nationwide.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized 11 small businesses and congregations for their efforts to reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency. Through the use of energy management practices and efficiency solutions in their buildings, these organizations reduced annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from the average electricity use of more than 1,000 homes, while saving nearly $900,000 annually on their energy bills.

The 2009 Energy Star Small Business and Congregations Award winners used tools and resources provided by EPA to develop their plans and measure and track their accomplishments.

The 2009 Energy Star Small Business and Congregation Award winners are:

Small Businesses

* Elephants Delicatessen (Portland, OR)
According to Anne Weaver, CEO of Elephants Deli, the business uses ENERGY STAR qualified products when the life span of existing equipment expires. In the kitchen, refrigerators, freezers, and ovens have all been replaced with ENERGY STAR qualified products. New gas convection ovens and a high efficiency freezer were purchased with help from Energy Trust of Oregon.

Weaver admits that like most small business, a sweeping replacement of everything is virtually impossible. “Where we cannot replace we have made efforts to conserve,” she sais. “We have annual scheduled maintenance, we’ve examined our cooking practices and close-the-door practices and eliminated stand-by times on equipment.” Weaver’s list goes on: adding night curtains to display cases, recharging low refrigerant, checking and setting defrost cycles, installing strip curtains in walk-ins, keeping equipment as clean as possible, fixing leaks of all kinds, and even hiring a handy man to assist them in everything from fixing leaks to improving efficiency across the board.

* Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (Geneva, NY)

* MAINTCO Corporation (Burbank, CA)

* Old Town Trolley Tours (San Diego, CA)

* Preston Hood Chevrolet (Fort Walton Beach, FL)

* RCC Associates (Deerfield Beach, FL)

* South Coast Mold, Inc. (Irvine, CA)

To read more about each winner, visit www.energystar.gov/SmallBizAwards.

Congregations

* First Baptist Church of Springdale and Shiloh Christian School (Springdale, AR)
James Maxwell, energy manager at the congregation, said, “The most significant things we did were to monitor our usage patterns and become aware of how to better use energy, and train both staff and members on how they could contribute to our energy savings effort. “Our energy-saving program so far is based mainly on awareness and attention to details,” Just 14 months since the First Baptist Church of Springdale (FBCS) and Shiloh Christian School (SCS) began an energy-saving program they have saved nearly $250,000 without any major overhaul or replacement of equipment.

* First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas (Dallas, TX)

* Idlewild Baptist Church (Lutz, FL)
Efforts included Tony Pasley, director of facilities, and Robert Wilson, a member of the building management team, launching a program that was both attentive and aggressive to monitor and curb energy consumption. Quarterly meetings are held with utility providers to understand load profiles and usage. This data is used to set priorities and systematically work on areas to reduce consumption. A full mechanical maintenance contract was signed to cover chiller repair, but also to provide preventative maintenance for the facility’s three chillers.

* Swarthmore Presbyterian Church (Swarthmore, PA)

To read more about each winner, visit www.energystar.gov/CongregationAwards.