The Office of Legacy Management’s (LM) Weldon Spring Site, Missouri, is the recipient of the U.S. Department of Energy’s GreenSpace Award for fiscal year 2021.

DOE honored LM for “greening” the newly built Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center by purchasing more sustainable equipment, materials, and products. The Silver-level GreenSpace Award recognizes organizations that meet an 80% threshold of environmentally preferable product purchases.

LM exceeded that threshold by 10 points, purchasing 90% environmentally preferable products for its new interpretive center.

DOE launched the GreenSpace Award this year, and LM was the first recipient for the Auditorium/ Conference Space category.

“This award demonstrates that LM is committed to DOE’s principle of sustainable acquisition,” said ESH&Q Team Lead Tracy Ribeiro. “We are truly honored to be the first recipient of this award. Considering that 80% is a high bar to clear, LM purchasing 90% environmentally preferable products is quite the achievement. We are proud to be among the pacesetters of federal agencies.”

Federal policy requires all agencies to purchase environmentally preferable products and services that use less energy and water, reduce or eliminate waste at the source, promote the use of nontoxic or less toxic substances, implement conservation techniques, and reuse materials rather than put them into the waste stream. The benefits of sustainable acquisition include:

• Improvement of employee health and performance.
• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. 
• Conservation of resources.
• Reduction of maintenance costs.
• Reduction of waste-management costs.
• Support of green building requirements.

To achieve these benefits, the federal government established requirements for the preferential purchase of products (often referred to as designated products), which are: 

• Energy efficiency: ENERGY STAR-certified or meet Federal Energy Management Program energy efficiency and low standby power requirements.
• Fuel efficiency: SmartWay-certified transport partners.
• Water efficiency: WaterSense labeled.
• Bio-based content: BioPreferred designated.
• Recycled content: Comprehensive Procurement Guideline designated.
• Non-ozone depleting: Significant New Alternatives Policy alternative.

DOE sites receive recognition for purchasing programs that obtain sustainable products, save energy, conserve water, and reduce negative health and environmental impacts under the GreenBuy Award Program. The GreenSpace Award, a component of the GreenBuy Award Program, recognizes achieving goals for multiple products within a single space or function. For the Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center, LM purchased products for the auditorium and two conference rooms within the following categories that met GreenBuy criteria: furniture, LED lighting, carpeting, acoustic ceiling tile, and electronic equipment/computers and displays.

DOE bases its sustainability goals on evaluations of environmental-performance standards, ecolabels, and input from DOE sites and external organizations. The goals often exceed the federal requirements but do not preclude responsibility for meeting the federal sustainable acquisition requirements. The awards become progressively more challenging over time, encouraging participants to transition to increasingly more sustainable products. LM’s participation in this program leverages the federal government’s purchasing dollars to achieve mission goals while improving the marketplace for greener products and reducing the environmental impact of DOE’s operations. LM encourages its staff and support contractors to do their part in improving the organization’s sustainability practices. Personnel working on procurement, environmental compliance, and sustainability are available to assist if needed.

LM and support contractor staff who contributed to the purchasing, information gathering, and award-nomination review were Sara Adkins, Annette Barndt, Teri Kisner, Bob Ransbottom, Tracy Ribeiro, Rebecca Roberts, Lisa Saurborn, Randy Thompson, and Kate Whysner.