 |
Fermilab employee Sylvia Wilson stands next to a portable DILO SF6 Gas Recovery System. Wilson and John Anderson were nominated for a DOE Sustainability Award for implementing a procedure that, using this system, helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Photo: Raymond Lewis, AD |
In late June, the Environmental Protection Group of the ESH&Q Section submitted five nominations for the 2013 DOE Sustainability Awards. These awards highlight DOE sites’ efforts and accomplishments in minimizing pollution and energy use.
The categories and Fermilab’s nominations include:
Green Buildings: Bill Frank, Gordon Gillespie, Todd Nebel, Eugene Schmidt, Aria Soha and Jerry Taccki were nominated for decreasing the energy use in the experimental area, MT6.2. Equipment used for experiments in the Fermilab Test Beam Facility requires stable temperatures. The area used to have to be constantly air conditioned. The team installed special insulation, and now the A/C units run about 50 percent less.
Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention: David Hockin of ESH&Q’s Hazard Control Technology Team was nominated for reducing spent-solvent waste by using Bio-Circle parts washers. These systems use microbes rather than solvent to clean oil and grease off of equipment. Fermilab has reduced its waste amounts and costs due to this new program.
Waste Reduction and Pollution Prevention: Brookhaven and Fermilab collaborated on the reuse of the Muon g-2 equipment, and a joint nomination was entered. Fermilab’s nominations included Del Allspach, Hogan Nguyen and Chris Polly. Reusing the ring and other equipment saves the lab an estimated $25-30 million. The environmental benefits include lessening the environmental impact from disposal of the ring, as well as conserving resources and emissions from building brand new equipment.
SustainABLE Communications: Katie Kosirog was nominated for launching Fermilab’s new sustainability website. With increasing focus on sustainability in the corporate and federal sectors, she forged the idea of Fermilab’s site as a way to inform the public and employees about Fermilab’s efforts in sustainability, as well as to increase and promote future efforts.
Greenhouse Gas Scope 1 and 2: John Anderson and Sylvia Wilson were nominated for implementing a procedure within the Accelerator Division to reduce Fermilab’s emissions of sulfur hexafluoride gas (SF6), the most potent greenhouse gas. The portable DILO SF6 Gas Recovery System was purchased in 2012 and is used when equipment containing SF6 is opened for maintenance and repairs.
Award winners will be chosen and recognized in the fall.
If you know any of the aforementioned employees, congratulate them on their nominations and their contributions to minimizing Fermilab’s impact on the environment. For inspiration, you can find these stories and more on the Green at the Roots page on Fermilab’s sustainability website. If you know of other accomplishments such as these that should be considered for next year’s award submittal, please e-mail Katie Kosirog.