How's My Waterway 2.0 is a tool that assembles publicly available water quality data into a user-friendly package of information on the quality of our nation's waters. The information the tool provides may help identify areas of need where green infrastructure can improve water quality, assist in the ecological restoration of water bodies, and have a positive impact on aquatic resources and recreational opportunities.

The SMM Prioritization Tools are life cycle-based tools that offer a starting place to establish priorities for environmental improvement, focus limited financial and human resources where action could offer greater holistic benefit, and consider key industries for collaboration.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the 2020 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards winners. The awards recognize installations, teams, and individuals for their accomplishments in innovative and cost-effective environmental management strategies supporting mission readiness.

DOE has released a notice of intent to issue the "Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) 2020" Federal Agency Call, which will help fund the development of federal energy efficiency, resilience, and security projects that use energy performance contracting

The Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) website is updated periodically based on Agency priorities and user requests. The following new features were recently added: • Links to EPA Inspection Reports and Enforcement Documents (no link) • Fiscal Year 2020 Data Downloads • EJSCREEN • Biosolids Annual Report Data Search Added • Search for EPA Cases by Pollutant • NPDES DMR Non-Receipt Status Search

This Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) online document includes the PFAS Technical and Regulatory Guidance Document, PFAS Fact Sheets and Explainer Videos, Training Module Videos and external tables of data and information prepared by the ITRC PFAS Team. The document is designed specifically to support state and federal environmental staff, as well as others (including stakeholders, project managers, and decision makers), to gain a working knowledge of the current state of PFAS science and practice.

The U.S Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue a funding opportunity to strengthen energy and water infrastructure across federal agencies. Projects will improve the energy efficiency of federal operations while stimulating economic development and creating jobs in construction, building trades, and other sectors.

The Federal Utility Partnership Working Group, initiated in 1994, was established to foster partnerships and facilitate communication among federal agencies and their regulated serving utilities to help agencies achieve their energy-related goals and mandates. The Federal Utility Partnership Working Group (FUPWG) meets twice per year to share success stories, information about Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) activities, and other business.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the 2019 Year in Review outlining major accomplishments and environmental progress during the Trump administration.

This February 2020 edition of The Corps Environment is an online quarterly news magazine published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is intended to provide information about USACE and Army environmental initiatives, policies and technologies.

GSA recently updated their leasing documents, including the sustainability requirements. The Leasing Alert briefly describes background for the sustainability modifications. The updated leasing document can be found under Contract/Procurement Language in the Acquisitions Program area on FedCenter (look under Green Lease Policies and Procedures for Lease Acquisition, GSA Realty Services Letter, RSL-2007-12)

While policy and manufacturing can at times dominate the headlines, AWEA also understand the importance of siting and environmental compliance. Understanding all the aspects involved with siting and compliance is a critical component for both individual wind projects and a robust industry. AWEA's Wind Project Siting and Environmental Compliance conference is the place where industry leaders, experts and external stakeholders gather to learn from each other and discuss the most challenging issues of the day.

FEMP recently presented its 39th annual Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. These annual awards honor federal personnel and highlight their outstanding achievements related to energy and water cost savings, optimized energy and water use, and distributed energy at our nation's federal facilities.

The presentations from the 2019 Federal Environmental Symposium held on October 30-31, 2019 at the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD, are now available for viewing or download at https://www.fedcenter.gov/symposium2019-proceedings.

The Federal Energy Management Program's Water Project Screening Tool enables federal agencies to quickly screen sites for water efficiency opportunities. General information related to a site's water use is entered into the tool and recommendations on potential water efficiency projects are provided. The tool provides a qualitative score that indicates low to high water savings potential for nine end-uses.

The DOE has released annual market reports documenting data and trends in wind installations, technologies, costs, prices, and performance through the end of 2018 for three sectors: utility-scale land-based, distributed wind, and offshore wind.

WASHINGTON (August 21, 2019) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes federal facilities for conserving resources and saving taxpayers' money as part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC). The challenge is a national effort under the EPA's Sustainable Materials Management Program, which encourages federal agencies to lead by example in reducing the federal government's environmental impact. Read more....

August 2019 version of the quarterly publication of "The Corps Environment" newsletter published by the USACE Environmental Community of Practice. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide information about USACE and Army environmental actions, issues, policies and technologies. This edition highlights how the Corps employs an open and transparent process, in support of Environmental Operating Principle #7. In the spirit of transparency, this issue provides insight into the valuable role the Corps' National Program Managers (NPMs) play in championing environmental activities across the enterprise. It also includes content from some of the NPMs on the programs they support as well as highlights from the field.

This SMM webinar will be hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and led by a subject matter expert from the Hazardous Materials Safety Assistance Team under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The webinar will focus on the safe transportation of lithium batteries for recycling and the applicable regulations that must be followed by battery shippers.

The Green Electronics Counsel (GEC) has created this Guide to help institutional purchasers identify potential sustainability gains associated with their procurement of cloud services by posing questions to Cloud Service Providers regarding their performance in several relevant areas.

Sample of a Green Meetings and Conferences Policy including sample checklists for hosting a green conference or meeting, statement of work language, after-event questionnaire, event signage, documentation requirements, solicitation provisions, and reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities.

Federal agencies continue to demonstrate progress and performance on energy efficiency and sustainability. The Office of Federal Sustainability website has been updated with the FY17 sustainability progress data, agency OMB Scorecards, and the list of agency Chief Sustainability Officers.

April 2018 version of the quarterly publication of "The Corps Environment" newsletter published by the USACE Environmental Community of Practice. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide information about USACE and Army environmental actions, issues, policies and technologies.

(WASHINGTON, April 20, 2018) The Defense Department is honoring nine winners with the 2018 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards for exceptional environmental achievements and innovative, cost-effective environmental practices. The department has honored individuals, teams and installations each year since 1962 for remarkable achievements in these environmental management strategies that successfully support mission readiness, Ellen M. Lord, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said in the memorandum announcing the recipients.

The Cost Effective Upgrades Tool is designed to help identify upgrades and energy conservation measures that can enhance your building's sustainability. Get started by selecting your building size and climate zone. To help with procurement, you can generate reports outlining each upgrade, including its economic benefits. This tool is a part of GSA's SFTool.

The OGP Federal Supplier Energy and Risk Management Tool combines federal contract data with data about federal suppliers' and contractors' corporate-level sustainability practices. Contracting, procurement, and sustainable acquisition professionals can research existing practices and performance when designing contracting mechanisms to encourage additional cost-effective energy and risk management. Federal suppliers and contractors can benchmark versus peers. Other sustainability professionals and organizational leaders can benchmark existing or planned sustainability programs. Plus, the public can learn how the federal government spends money, and how federal contractors are working to reduce costs, avoid risks, and protect the environment.

By statute, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is required to publish scorecards on Federal agency performance on energy efficiency and sustainability. The scorecards available on this site assess agencies' fiscal year (FY) 2016 performance toward statutory and Executive Order goals, which were in place prior to the beginning of the current Administration. The information upon which the scorecards are based includes data, metrics, and scoring criteria that were developed in accordance with existing statutory and Executive Order requirements applicable in FY 2016.

This web tool helps building owners evaluate the economics of grid-connected solar photovoltaics (PV) and battery storage at commercial sites. It identifies the optimal PV system size and battery dispatch strategy to minimize the life cycle cost of energy at a specific site. The web tool also estimates the amount of time a PV and battery system can sustain the site's critical load during a grid outage. The REopt Lite web tool was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energys (DOEs) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office, and the nonprofit Clean Energy Groups Resilient Power Project, with support from The Kresge Foundation.

DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has announced the winners of the 2017 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. Winners will be invited to Washington, D.C., to receive their awards at a ceremony to be held on November 2, 2017. Click for the winners.

EPA recognizes the efforts of federal facilities that took steps to improve efficiency, save resources and reduce costs as part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC). Through their involvement, FGC participants reduced the federal government's environmental impact by reducing fuel oil consumption by more than 500K gallons, sending 310 tons of end-of-life electronics to third-party recyclers, saving 9.2 million gallons of industrial water, and diverting over 336K tons of waste from landfills. FGC awards are offered in two categories – data driven and narrative. Data driven awards, given in the six target areas of Waste, Electronics, Purchasing, Energy, Water and Transportation, are based on the greatest percentage of change over the previous year. Narrative awards are self-nominating and are given in the categories of Innovation, Education and Outreach, and Leadership.

This presentation available will outline why federal food purchasing matters, how to include food recovery into strategic planning and food service contracts and leases, and provide examples of how federal and concessioner partnerships successfully contribute to food recovery.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the winners of the 2017 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards. Each year since 1962, the Secretary of Defense has recognized individuals, teams, and installations for their outstanding achievements and innovative work protecting the environment while sustaining mission readiness. Military Services and Defense Agencies may submit one nomination for each of the nine award categories. A diverse panel of judges representing Federal and state agencies, academia, and the private sector select the winners.

The April-May-June 2017 issue of the Public Works Digest, published by the U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM), focuses on environment and sustainability, including articles on the Secretary of the Army Environmental Awards and an article on the first recipient of the new Installation Management Command Environmental Officer Award. Check out commentaries by Lt. Gen. Gwen Bingham, the Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management, and by Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Other articles focus on the recent Directorate of Public Works workshop, the Army Reserve's environmental strategy, a Best-in-Class designation for the USACE Facilities Reduction Program, and how Career Program 18 (CP-18) provides opportunities.

This webcast series is for public officials and practitioners beginning to implement green infrastructure, as well as for those looking to enhance established programs. Initiated in 2014, the Series has featured leading academics and professionals from around the country sharing their expertise on a range of topics related to green infrastructure.

January 2017 version of the quarterly publication of "The Corps Environment" newsletter published by the USACE Environmental Community of Practice. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide information about USACE and Army environmental actions, issues, policies and technologies.

Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) 2017 will provide grants to federal agencies for projects in three topic areas: (1) Combined Heat and Power, (2) Renewable Energy and (3) Energy Efficiency Deep Retrofits. Applicants will be asked to show how the proposed project results are conducive to broader adoption at other Federal facilities, impacting the direction, strategy, and thinking of the agency to engage in similar efforts. The anticipated total funding level for AFFECT 2017 is $3.0 million, subject to appropriations, with anticipated funding per award to be between approximately $100,000 and $1.0 million. Letters of intent (LOI) are due by 22 December 2016, and full applications are due by 30 January 2017. Applicants must submit a LOI to be eligible to submit a full application. To apply to AFFECT 2017, applicants must register with and submit application materials through the EERE Exchange https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Send direct questions regarding this FOA to FOA.AFFECT4@ee.doe.gov.

U.S. General Services Administration's Green Proving Ground (GPG) program and the U.S. Department of Energy's High Impact Technology (HIT) Catalyst program have issued a joint Request for Information (RFI) seeking information on next-generation sustainable building technologies to measure and validate in select federal and commercial buildings. There will be a webinar about the RFI on 3 November 2016. To attend, register at https://goo.gl/aU6Wi4. To submit your technology, please complete the RFI by Friday, 18 November 2016 at 11:59 PM ET.

The White House has announced the winners of the 2016 GreenGov Presidential Awards, honoring those who have gone above and beyond to implement innovative sustainability projects within the government. Senior Administration officials will recognize the 12 individuals and team winners September 8, 2016 in a ceremony at the White House. Winners include EPA, NASA, DHHS, VA, and USACE.

April 2016 version of the quarterly publication of "The Corps Environment" newsletter published by the USACE Environmental Community of Practice. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide information about USACE and Army environmental actions, issues, policies and technologies.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the winners of the 2016 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards. Each year since 1962, the Secretary of Defense has recognized individuals, teams, and installations for their outstanding achievements and innovative work protecting the environment while sustaining mission readiness. Military Services and Defense Agencies may submit one nomination for each of the nine award categories. A diverse panel of judges representing federal and state agencies, academia, and the private sector select the winners.

On March 21, 2016, President Obama issued "Presidential Memorandum: Building National Capabilities for Long-Term Drought Resilience" and "Long-Term Drought Resilience: Federal Action Plan of the National Drought Resilience Partnership" to help sustain and expand efforts to reduce the vulnerability of communities to the impacts of drought.

The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued a revised "Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings", per Executive Order 13693 "Planning for Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade." This guidance updates and replaces the "High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Guidance", issued by CEQ in December 2008 to:

• reflect the evolution of sustainable building design, construction, and operating practices since 2008,
• incorporate other building-related E.O. 13693 requirements,
• increase the economic and environmental benefits of Federal investments in facilities,
• enhance occupant health, wellness, and productivity,
• include climate resilience in building design, construction, and operations, and protect Federal facilities investments from the potential impacts of climate change, and
• provide information on tracking agency green building performance.

The revised guiding principles are located here and its companion guidance "Determining Compliance with the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings" is located here.

January 2016 version of the quarterly publication of "The Corps Environment" newsletter published by the USACE Environmental Community of Practice. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide information about USACE and Army environmental actions, issues, policies and technologies.

The Committee reviews strategic plans, products, and activities of the Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings, and provides advice regarding how the Office can accomplish its mission most effectively. The next Committee meeting is 28 April 2016. See the Federal Register Announcement for details on the Agenda how to attend in person or virtually.

The Green Leasing task group is part of the Green Building Advisory Committee and is tasked with providing "recommendations to improve federal government leasing language and requirements regarding . . . sustainability goals.' The Green Leasing task group will hold recurring, weekly conference calls on Tuesdays beginning 1 March 2016 through 26 April 2016 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., (EDT).See the Federal Register Announcement for details on how to attend in person or virtually any or all of the meetings.

Water Resource Management and EO 13693 GSA and EPA invite all federal, state and local agencies, NGO's, and interested parties to the first meeting of the water resource management workgroup to learn of current programs, discuss challenges and identify potential collaborative efforts to meet the requirements of EO 13693. You can attend this meeting either virtually or in Lakewood, CO on February 24, 2016. See the attached flyer for details

On December 15 the White House announced a new public-private water innovation strategy. This strategy includes an aggressive two-part approach by EPA and other federal agencies to address the impacts of climate change on the use and supply of the nation's water resources and calls on private sector and other stakeholder groups to help significantly scale up research and investment in water efficiency solutions. The Administration's new water innovation strategy calls for: • Boosting water sustainability and long-term water security by increasing use of water-efficient and -reuse technologies. • Promoting and investing in breakthrough research and development that will reduce the price, energy costs, and emissions requirements of new water supply technology to achieve "pipe parity" in the next decade. The strategy was announced at a Roundtable on Water Innovation held to engage with industry and public leaders to start building broader consensus on a path forward.The roundtable provided an opportunity for leaders from industry, academia, and federal, state, and local governments to discuss how an aggressive innovation agenda can help America meet the challenge of a constrained water supply and increase the resilience of businesses and communities in regions that will be affected by increasingly severe and lengthy droughts.

The GreenGov Presidential Awards celebrate extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of President Obama's Federal Sustainability goals. They honor Federal civilian and military personnel, agency teams, agency projects, facilities, and programs that exemplify President Obama's charge to lead by example.

On November 23, the White House announced eight awards in seven different categories to individuals and teams. These honorees exemplify our Federal workforce's commitment to meeting the President's directive to create a clean energy economy that will increase our Nation's prosperity, promote energy security, protect the interests of taxpayers, combat climate change, and safeguard the health of our environment.

The new Submetering Wizard (https://sftool.gov/plan/submetering) enables the user to learn about submetering techniques and benefits as they relate to gas, water and electrical (circuit, system & end-use device) systems. The Agency Green Building Practices (https://sftool.gov/learn/10129/agency-practices) section is a detailed repository of education and information about policies, strategies, case studies and tools developed in the process of greening their buildings and shared with the Interagency Sustainability Working Group (ISWG).

A new report by the Pacific Institute demonstrates that water use in the United States declined in the five-year period ending in 2010. The nation saw reductions in all sectors, including agriculture; municipal and industrial; and thermoelectric power. The report reveals that nearly two-thirds of the reductions were in the thermoelectric power sector, the largest use of fresh and saline water in the United States. These water-use trends reveal overall improvements in the management of our nation's water. Although substantial progress has been made, current water use trends are not sustainable in the face of population growth and climate change.

Public Works Digest is an unofficial publication of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, under AR 360-1, The Army Public Affairs Program. The April/May/June edition covers various environment and sustainability news and activities throughout the Army. See attachment.

This is GSA's innovative green building learning simulation which is a part of GSA's SFTool. Green the Building places you in the role of a resource-constrained decision-maker, charged with greening buildings through strategic energy, waste, water and occupant satisfaction improvements. You must choose technologies, implement best-practices, support behavior changes and plan carefully to create buildings that conserve resources, reduce waste, save money and keep occupants happy and healthy. Need help? Don't worry! Embedded links connect you directly to the clear explanations you've come to expect from SFTool.

EPA recognized 14 WasteWise participants this year, which include research institutes, retailers and local governments. The winner in the category for the Federal Government Partner of the Year for 2014 is the Presidio Trust. The WasteWise program helps organizations and businesses apply sustainable materials management practices to reduce municipal and industrial wastes. WasteWise participants reported preventing and diverting a total of nearly 7.6 million tons of waste from being disposed in landfills or incinerators in 2013. This amount of waste diversion represents a reduction in greenhouse gases equivalent to taking more than 2.3 million passenger vehicles off the road for one year.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) presents an updated series of training courses focused on the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High-Performance and Sustainable Buildings.

As part of an ongoing effort to modernize implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act and promote effective and transparent environmental reviews, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has released updated draft guidance for Federal agencies on how to consider greenhouse gas emissions and the impacts of climate change in their NEPA analyses, as well as final guidance on conducting programmatic NEPA reviews. These measures will increase the efficiency of environmental reviews and help agencies make informed decisions that are sound investments of taxpayer dollars and good for American communities.

The Obama Administration has released final Principles, Requirements and Guidelines (PR&G) for Federal investments in water resources, marking the first update to these important guidelines in more than three decades. In addition to helping cut costs and accelerate project approvals, the modernized PR&G guides Federal agencies to support water infrastructure projects with the greatest economic and community benefits.

On December 9, 2014, the White House held an event that brought together NASCAR, White House leadership, the U.S. Department of Transportation, tire manufacturers, and tire dealers to highlight common sense opportunities of properly maintaining tires, especially in regard to tire pressure. By enabling a driver to travel farther on a gallon of fuel, proper tire maintenance combined with the use of low rolling resistance tires could save a driver up to $80 per year, and avoid up to 560 pounds of annual carbon dioxide pollution, equivalent to nearly 600 miles of emission-free driving. For more information, please see the White House Fact Sheet (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/12/09/fact-sheet-increasing-safety-and-efficiency-while-saving-money-pump) highlighting new executive actions and private sector commitments to increase awareness about tire safety and efficiency. You can also view the Department of Transportation's report, "Be TireWise: Save Money at the Pump, Increase Efficiency, and Protect Your Safety" at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/tire_report_final.pdf.

FINAL REMINDER - ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT TO PARTICIPATE! The White House is launching the second GreenGov Challenge! If you're a federal employee, share your idea on how the federal government can lead by example in eight different categories -- from climate change mitigation and resilience, to water conservation, to waste reduction. Submissions are open until 5 December 2014. After the submission period closes, GreenGov will release the approved submissions and all federal employees will be able to vote for their favorite ideas.

On 31 October 2014 Federal agencies released their plans for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for climate change impacts such as flooding, sea level rise, severe weather and temperature extremes. The current agency Climate Change Adaptation Plans build on the first set of plans, which was released in February, 2013, and respond to a November 2013 Executive Order on Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change that established requirements for updating and reporting on progress on agency Adaptation plans.

On October 22, 2014, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced that it is on track to meet the Administration's 2020 renewable energy goal after awarding a competitive power supply contract to a commercial wind developer for the purchase of 140 megawatts (MW) of clean wind energy. The energy will come from the Walnut Ridge Wind Farm, which is currently in development in northwest Illinois, and will add more than 500,000 megawatt-hours (MWhs) of electricity to the power grid annually. The ten-year contract was awarded to MG2 Tribal Energy – a joint venture between the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians, a federally-recognized Native American tribe, and Geronimo Energy, a commercial wind developer – and is the largest wind energy purchase from a single source in federal contracting history.

President Obama's June 2014 memorandum, Creating a Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators, directs Federal agencies to take steps to protect and restore domestic populations of pollinators. To help achieve this goal, CEQ issued on October 22, 2014 an addendum to its sustainable landscape guidance, Supporting the Health of Honey Bees and other Pollinators. The guidance will help Federal agencies incorporate pollinator friendly practices in new construction, building renovations, landscaping improvements, and in facility leasing agreements at Federal facilities and on Federal lands.

For additional information on the importance of the revised guidance, see Kate Brandt's CEQ blog, Good News for the Bees: Supporting Pollinators at Federal Facilities.

The Army Sustainability Report 2014 highlights progress in FY12 and FY 13 in land management, operational energy, community partnerships, and programs.

The site offers complete annual data sets of agency aggregated annual energy and water consumption and costs by end-use sector, efficiency investment information, and progress toward key goals outlined in the National Energy Conservation Policy Act, as amended; Energy Policy Act of 2005; and Executive Order 13514. Historical data tables of agency energy use and costs by facility and mobility sectors by energy type are also available for FY 1975 through FY 2013. Detailed annual comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories by federal agency are presented along with progress toward achieving scope 1 and 2 GHG and scope 3 GHG reduction targets. The data tables may also be filtered by numerous variables (agency, year, sector) and are exportable to Excel.

The report, "Water/Wastewater Utilities and Extreme Climate and Weather Events: Case Studies on Community Response, Lessons Learned, Adaptation, and Planning Needs for the Future" examines how water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities - and other local water resource managers - make decisions in response to recent extreme weather events. The report is based on the results of six local workshops, organized to include participants that experienced different types of extreme events throughout a river basin or watershed in various regions of the U.S. The study examines what happened, how information was used to inform decisions, what institutional dynamics helped or hindered, and how water utilities and their communities plan to manage impacts and build resiliency for future extreme events. The research was jointly sponsored by EPA, NOAA, Water Environment Research Foundation, Water Research Foundation, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, and Noblis. Click here to access the report.

As part of the Obama Administration's initiative to reduce energy use, pollution and waste and save money in Federal operations, on 25 July 2014 Federal agencies released annual updates that show significant progress toward aggressive energy and sustainability goals set by the President in 2009. The Federal Government – the largest energy consumer in the U.S. economy – announced that it has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent since 2008, the equivalent of permanently taking 1.8 million cars off the road, and that 9 percent of Federal Government electricity is now from renewable sources.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a Green Infrastructure Collaborative with the support of six other government agencies at the President's State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience. EPA joined with the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Energy to release a Federal Letter of Support for green infrastructure and the Collaborative.

FedCenter is now on Facebook! Become a fan and follow us on Facebook, where you'll find valuable information that you need to help meet your environmental stewardship and compliance obligations. To follow us on Facebook, go to https://facebook.com/fedcenter.

New water components have been added to the Federal Green Challenge. Now it includes the goal of decreasing stormwater runoff from existing sites by 5% or more annually and a section focusing on reducing the use of federal funds to purchase bottled water. Launched in October 2011, the Challenge is a national effort led by EPA's Sustainable Materials Management Program that challenges federal agencies to lead by example to reduce the federal government's environmental impact. Participating agencies will benefit from the new water components. Effective stormwater management through the use of green infrastructure practices may result in: improved energy, efficiency, and improved site aesthetics. Since green infrastructure techniques may be less expensive than conventional stormwater management approaches, there may also be cost savings.

EPA is recognizing federal facilities for their efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of facilities across the country. As part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC), more than 400 federal facilities representing nearly 1.6 million federal employees are leading by example by taking steps to reduce the federal government's environmental impact in 2013, resulting in an estimated cost savings of more than $42 million to U.S. taxpayers. This year's Overall Achievement winner is The National Benefits Center, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Lee's Summit, Mo. Additional winners by target areas include DOE, DOD, and DOI facilities.

This May 2014 document was developed by VA's Office of Construction and Facilities Management in cooperation with other VA partners. The intent of the document is to consolidate the wide range of sustainable design requirements into one easy-to-navigate resource.

EPA has recognized six federal agency offices in California with its prestigious Federal Green Challenge (FGC) program award for reducing their operations' environmental impacts. Honored entities are: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Pacific Southwest Lab, Naval Base Coronado, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Pacific Rim Region, U.S. Forest Service Region 5, and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

Spring 2014 edition of the DoD Chesapeake Bay Program Journal, published quarterly and sponsored by the DOD/Navy Chesapeake Bay Program Office. See attached.

The Department of Defense (DoD) announced the winners of the 2014 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards on April 21, 2014. Each year, since 1962, the Department has honored individuals, teams, and installations for their outstanding achievements in environmental performance. In naming the winners of the 2014 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards, Frank Kendall, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, stated, "Their remarkable achievements exemplify the Department's continued commitment to sustain mission readiness while cost-effectively addressing environmental issues, thereby increasing efficiencies and supporting the quality of life for service members, their families, and local communities."

May is quickly approaching, and communities across the country are preparing to celebrate National Bike Month. This year, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Pacific Northwest regions of the EPA and DOT are cranking up efforts to promote the Federal Bike-to-Work Challenge.

(WASHINGTON, February 4, 2014) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today recognized projects in seven communities as winners of the 2013 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement for their creative, sustainable initiatives that better protect the health and the environment while strengthening local economies. Among the winners are an expansive greenway in Atlanta, a downtown whitewater rafting park in rural Iowa, and a regional development plan for metropolitan Chicago. Other winners include the revitalized Historic Millwork District in Dubuque and an innovative, affordable infill housing development near public transit in Sacramento.

Each year, the U.S. EPA Region 2 honors individuals, businesses and organizations that have contributed significantly to improving the environment and protecting public health in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and eight federally recognized Indian Nations. The period for the awards is 2013 and nominations are due no later than 18 Feb 2014.

The Energy Department has announced that the General Services Administration's (GSA) United States Court House in Wichita, Kansas is the winner of the 2013 Better Buildings Federal Award. The Better Buildings Federal Award challenges agencies to achieve the greatest reduction in annual energy intensity, or energy consumed per gross square foot. This year's winner cut its energy intensity by 20% and saved over $40,000 in utility costs in the 12 month competition period.

On 5 December 2013 President Obama issued a new renewable energy goal of 20 percent by 2020. The memorandum further details priority actions, directions on accounting for renewable energy, and building performance and energy management.

Finalized in November 2013, this slide deck from EPA provides training for Federal procurement of computer desktops, notebooks, integrated systems, thin clients, workstations, displays, televisions, printers, copiers, scanners, fax machines, multifunction devices, digital duplicators and mailing machines that meet the requirements of the IEEE standards.

The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has issued Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0000901 on the EERE Exchange titled "Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies." The AFFECT FOA will provide direct funding to U.S. Federal agencies for the development of combined heat and power or renewable energy capital projects at agency facilities. Letters of intent (LOI) are due by 10 December 2013, and full applications are due by 18 February 2014. A webinar will be held on 12 November 2013 to provide information and answer questions.

The U.S. EPA recognized two federal facilities with the ENERGY STAR Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Award for their highly-efficient CHP systems, which increase the reliability of their electricity supply while reducing carbon pollution that causes climate change. The awards, which demonstrate how federal agencies are reducing carbon pollution in support of the President's Climate Action Plan. The winners were the Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) Albany, Albany, Ga and the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

(WASHINGTON, D.C., November 5, 2013) The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) today announced the fourth annual winners of the GreenGov Presidential Awards, which honor Federal civilian and military personnel as well as agency teams, facilities, and programs that have taken innovative steps to reduce energy use and carbon pollution, curb waste, and save taxpayer money in Federal agency operations. At a White House ceremony, senior Administration officials recognized the eight award winners for exemplifying President Obama's charge to lead by example and demonstrating extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of the President's 2009 Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (Executive Order 13514). Click here for the full announcement.
UPDATE Nov. 18: 2013 winner announcement with photo gallery is now available here.

This October 2013 Green Infrastructure Strategic Agenda renews the EPA's support for green infrastructure and outline the actions the EPA intends to take to promote its effective implementation.

This resource contains a series of materials and instructions to help both rural and small water and wastewater systems and service providers market and conduct workshops based on the Rural and Small Systems Guidebook to Sustainable Utility Management.

This new site intends to help agencies close gaps between potential energy savings and actual performance. Specifically, it shows agencies how to use institutional change to meet their energy- and water-reduction goals. Institutional change integrates technology, policy, and behavior to make new sustainability practices and perspectives become "business as usual" at an agency.

FedCenter has compiled a topical index of Federally-sponsored and non-profit mobile applications that may be of interest to the Federal environmental community. Mobile applications are those tools and information resources that have been specifically developed for your mobile devices, such as smartphone, tablet, or other Internet-connected hand-held device. The directory will be maintained daily to keep you abreast of any new and useful mobile applications the federal community releases.

The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), on behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) initially titled "Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT)." The AFFECT FOA will provide direct funding to U.S. Federal agencies for the development of capital projects and other initiatives to increase the energy efficiency and renewable energy investments at agency facilities. It is anticipated that the FOA will include the following two topic areas: 1. Combined Heat and Power (CHP); and 2. Renewable Energy, including solar, wind, biomass, landfill gas, ocean, geothermal, waste to energy, and new hydroelectric energy technologies.

Used to simplify the green procurement process, SFTool has been further enhanced with the following changes: addition of a cafeteria space on how to not only design a more sustainable cafeteria, but also how to operate and stock it with green products; launch of a services module that provides you with information on how to include green purchasing requirements in a variety of service contracts; and a capability to create customized product lists.

The DoD Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards issues awards in the areas of Sustainability, environmental Quality, Environmental Excellence in Weapon Systems Acquisition, Natural Resources Conservation, environmental Restoration, and Cultural Resources.

(WASHINGTON, D.C., February 7, 2013) – Continuing the Obama Administration's commitment to lead by example and cut waste, pollution, and costs in Federal operations, Federal agencies today released their 2012 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans. President Obama signed Executive Order 13514 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance in October 2009, setting aggressive targets for reducing waste and pollution in Federal operations by 2020. The Sustainability Plans build on three years of progress under the Executive Order and provide an overview of how agencies are saving taxpayer dollars, reducing carbon emissions, cutting waste, and saving energy.

This year, agency Sustainability Plans for the first time ever include Climate Change Adaptation Plans, outlining initiatives to reduce the vulnerability of Federal programs, assets, and investments to the impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise or more frequent or severe extreme weather. Agency adaptation plans highlight actions to plan for and address these impacts in their programs and operations, and protect taxpayer investments. In addition to the Climate Change Adaptation Plans, this year's Sustainability Plans include two other new components, Fleet Management Plans and Bio-based Purchasing Strategies.

This year's Secretary of the Army Environmental Awards recognize the efforts of Army installations, teams and individuals to sustain and restore the natural and cultural resources found on Army lands throughout the U.S. and in Europe. The six installations, two teams and one individual selected as this year's winners represent the best of the Army's ongoing commitment to sustain its training lands through sound environmental stewardship. The winners are from Army installations in Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Italy.

GSA and its Federal agency partners in the EISA 436(h) Ad-Hoc Discussion Group are seeking public input regarding possible approaches GSA may take in fulfilling its requirement from the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 to provide a formal recommendation to the Secretary of Energy that identifies a green building certification system(s) most likely to encourage a comprehensive and environmentally-sound approach to the certification of green Federal buildings. Comments are due 60 days after 5 February 2013.

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