PIKETON, Ohio ̶ The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site with two awards for environmental
Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office
May 20, 2014
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Pictured are members of the Portsmouth Site Sustainability Team, including: (Left to right) Joe Moore, Bob Anderson, Stephanie Puckett, Matt Vick, Lisa Burns, Vince Adams, Stephanie McLaughlin, Frank Johnston, and Ron Shelato. Team members Roger Steckel, Russell McCallister, Roger Coats, Jeff Stone, and Mandy Mayo are not shown.
PIKETON, Ohio ̶ The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site with two awards for environmental stewardship. The Portsmouth facility recently received a 2013 Sustainability Award for its efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and a Gold Level Award in the Federal Electronics Challenge.
The Portsmouth site has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 29 percent since 2008. The site was recognized for various accomplishments that led to the reduction, including the replacement of a 1950s-era coal-fired steam plant with a natural gas fired steam plant, the formulation of a Site Sustainability Team, training and awareness, comprehensive energy audits, conservation measures, reduction in electricity use, use of renewable energy sources and replacement of gasoline-powered vehicles with alternative-fuel vehicles.
“We are extraordinarily proud to be recognized by the Department for our continuous efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions as we work toward a cleaner energy future,” said Kristi Wiehle, an Environmental Protection Specialist at the Portsmouth site. “The results are a testament to the proactive, dedicated work of the Sustainability Team who helped make this a priority as we continue the safe and effective cleanup of our site.”
The Sustainability Team is comprised of representatives from DOE, Restoration Services, Inc. (RSI), Fluor-B&W Portsmouth (FBP), Wastren-EnergX Mission Support (WEMS) and Babcock & Wilcox Conversion Services (BWCS).
All award winners were recognized in a ceremony Tuesday, March 25, 2014, by Andy Szilagyi, Director of D&D and Facility Management for DOE’s Office of Environmental Management (EM). Portsmouth was one of three EM sites to receive a sustainability award.
The site was also recognized for meeting standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for environmentally friendly practices related to electronics management in 2013. The site was a Gold Level Award winner as part of the Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) and was one of only seven federal sites around the nation to receive the distinction. This marks the third FEC award the site has received for efforts that result in increased recycling, extended life expectancy of electronic equipment and energy conservation, among other benefits. WEMS executes these efforts on behalf of the DOE at Piketon.