ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PURCHASINGI s s u e 1 0 | J a n u a r y 2 0 0 2

Printed on processed chlorine-free paper containing 100 percent recycled content, including 25 percent hemp and 75 percent postconsumer fiber.

EPPUpdate

< Continued on Page 2 >

Environmental Management SystemsDrive Agencies To Meet EPP GoalsEnvironmental Management SystemsDrive Agencies To Meet EPP Goals

The new EPA Headquarters complexis located in the historic FederalTriangle District in the heart of the

Nation’s capital. Part of what makes thesenew and old buildings so important goesbeyond their impressive architecture. Thebuildings incorporated sustainable build-ing practices where feasible through allphases of design and construction.Thanks to many dedicated individuals,including EPA’s Cathy Berlow, the EPAHeadquarters Project became a reality.

Cathy was involved in EPA’s headquar-ters project long before she was an EPAemployee. She had previously worked atthe Pennsylvania Avenue Development

Corporation (PADC), asmall federal governmentagency involved in thedevelopment ofPennsylvania Avenue andthe original RFP for con-struction of the RonaldReagan International TradeBuilding, which houses avariety of federal offices. Since EPA wasgoing to be housed in the Ronald ReaganBuilding, Cathy’s experience at PADC andthe Ronald Reagan Building led her toaccepting a position at EPA’s NewHeadquarters Project.

Organizations around the world are usingEnvironmental Management Systems (EMSs)more and more to integrate environmental con-

siderations into day-to-day decisions and practices.Recently, public agency facilities at all levels—federal,state, and local—have begun implementing EMSs toreduce their operational costs and to improve overallenvironmental performance. Moreover, Executive Order13148, “Greening the Government Through Leadership inEnvironmental Management” (which can be found at:<www.fedgovcontracts.com/fedregs/65f24593.htm>),requires federal agencies to implement EMSs by the endof 2005 at all applicable facilities.

• EMSs and EPP

• New Product-SpecificPurchasing Guides

• Federal ElectronicsStewardship Forum

• EPP Grants

• Biobased Lubricants

• NPS Partnership

• And More!

Highlights

< Continued on Page 9 >

PROFILE OF A PIONEER:

Working Toward a Greener EPA

update10.qxd 1/10/02 2:17 PM Page 2

2

EPP in PracticeThe EPP Update is highlighting a variety ofpaper types that EPA has determined to havecertain positive environmental attributes. Thepaper choice for this issue is Vanguard EcoBlend. Look to future issues of the EPPUpdate to highlight additional paper types.

Hemp Paper Is anEnvironmental Choice

This EPP Update is printed onVanguard Eco Blend paper,developed by the Living Tree

Paper Company. The paper is 100 per-cent processed chlorine-free (PCF),which helps reduce toxic dioxin andother persistent organic pollutants thatare released into the environment.

The paper also contains 100 percentrecycled content, which means no vir-gin wood (i.e., wood from cut trees)was used to produce the paper.Instead, the paper is produced using25 percent hemp—which requires nowood or paper resources—and 75percent postconsumer fiber. A similarproduct, Vanguard Recycled Plus, uses10 percent hemp and 90 percentpostconsumer waste and is a brightwhite color. All Living Tree papers usechlorine-free resources and postcon-sumer waste fibers, supporting themarket for recycled paper and helpingto reduce overall wood consumption.

For further information onVanguard Eco Blend or other LivingTree papers, contact the Living TreePaper Company at 800 309-2974, orvisit the company’s Web site at<www.livingtreepaper.com>.

EPA must not only comply with the Executive Order at its ownfacilities, but also has specific management and oversight responsi-bilities to assist other federal organizations in complying with theOrder. In that role, EPA encourages the use of EMSs that focus onimproved environmental performance and compliance, as well aspollution prevention and system performance. EMSs provide aframework for managing environmental responsibilities, includingregulatory compliance. By improving overall environmental perfor-mance and putting more emphasis on pollution prevention andcontinuous improvement, EMSs also can help organizations movebeyond compliance.

Purchasing decisions can have a significant impact on an organiza-tion’s environmental performance and, thus, the EMS’s success. EPAmaintains a leadership role in supporting environmentally preferablepurchasing and practices. Environmentally preferable products mayhave a variety of positive attributes—such as reducing the amount ofvirgin resources used, diverting materials from landfills, conservingenergy and water, and generating fewer emissions during manufac-ture or use of the product. The benefits of purchasing environmen-tally preferable products become even more apparent to anorganization implementing an EMS.

EPA’s leadership role in promoting environmentally preferable pur-chasing also encourages other agencies to explore EMSs. TheInteragency Work Group, chaired by Will Garvey, with EPA’s Officeof Federal Facility Enforcement, is responsible for assisting otherfederal agencies with EMSs by holding workshops and training ses-sions. According to Garvey, agencies across the federal communityare becoming more aware of the EMS program—and the benefits itcan provide—and are engaging in the planning process.

EPP—EnvironmentallyPreferable Partnerships

EPA’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing program is partneringwith the National Park Service (NPS) in a new initiative to helpgreen our national parks. The purpose of this new partnership is

to integrate green purchasing into our parks through a series of work-shops that NPS is developing.

NPS has recently established 20 parks as Centers for EnvironmentalInnovation (CEI) to advance the concept of sustainability. These willbe park areas where research, development, and appreciation of sus-

EMS < Continued from Page 1 >

update10.qxd 1/10/02 2:17 PM Page 3

3

Region 10: Seattle, WashingtonOfficials have been developing a plan for setting up an EMS in EPA Region 10. The

team has been working to define the nature and the scope of an EMS, as well as ana-lyzing the potential for success. Region 10 already has made significant steps to mini-mize the environmental impacts associated with its internal purchases, which includecomputers and other office equipment, furniture, office supplies, and energy.Integrating all these pieces into an EMS allows the Region to comply with E.O. 13148while increasing awareness of the sustainable practices and goals for future environ-mental impact reductions.

For more information about the Region 10 EMS, contact Bill Glasser with Region10 at 206 553-7215 or <glasser.william@epa.gov>, or the new EMS Coordinator inRegion 10, Clark Gaulding, at 206 553-1849 or <gaulding.clark@epa.gov>.

Region 8: Denver, ColoradoEPA’s Region 8 also is designing an EMS. Representatives from each Assistant

Regional Administrator’s office formed a team and began holding meetings in Fall2001. The region first hired a contractor for implementation support during the first 5to 6 months of the project. Region 8 had already established some purchasing practicesto reduce the environmental impacts of products and services used by employees.

The team identified areas for environmental impact analysis, including purchasing com-puters and related hardware; energy and water use; grants and contracts; meetings andconferences; and lunchrooms. The region’s next step is identifying specific project ideaswithin these general categories. According to Dianne Thiel of Region 8, division offices inRegion 8 will be able to use the information gathered during the EMS planning stages tohelp accomplish their missions. In addition, divisions with a specific need in mind candevelop their own projects and contribute their information to the regional EMS.

For more information about the Region 8 EMS, contact Marie Zanowick withRegion 8 at 303 312-6403 or <zanowick.marie@epa.gov>.

A number of EPA offices have shared their experiences in incorporatingEPP guidelines into their EMSs. Two reports from regions follow:

tainable practices occur and will serve as cat-alysts to teach and inspire people with con-cepts and values of sustainability. One of thekey expectations of these CEI parks is thatthey will be showcases for environmentallypreferable products and practices. CEIs willfocus on educating staff and working withpark partners to purchase more environmen-tally preferable products.

A key element of the sustainability trainingworkshops is to demonstrate to park visi-tors, staff, and managers that environmental-ly preferable purchasing is a tool to achievetheir sustainability goals. EPA’s role in this

partnership will be to work directly withthese parks to identify the types of productsand services that will improve parks’resource stewardship capacity. The firstworkshop will be piloted at Big CypressNational Preserve in Florida March 26-27,2002. NPS hopes that the partnership willexpand to include other NPS-EPA opportu-nities that exist in programs such as GreenLights and Energy Star. For more informa-tion, please contact Shawn Norton at theNational Park Service at 202 565-1260 orJulie Shannon at EPA at 202 564-8834.

update10.qxd 1/10/02 2:17 PM Page 4

4

Government purchasers looking to procure “green” goodsand services have a new resource at their disposal. EPAhas recently produced a series of purchasing guides

covering the following product and service categories: food ser-viceware, copiers, cleaners, carpets, electronics, and meetings.These “one-stop shops” for green purchasing informationdescribe the challenges, successes, and resourcesassociated with each product or service,focusing on how to incorporate environmen-tal considerations into purchasing decisions.Although the guides have been developedwith government purchasers in mind, theymay be useful to anyone who wants to buygreener products for their office or household.

Each guide offers a product-specific educationabout environmental impacts of purchasing deci-sions. For example, when buying food service-ware, the green purchaser should considerproducts made from renewable resources, like agri-cultural waste; when buying copiers, the purchasershould look for a variety of energy- and paper-saving optionscurrently offered by a number of manufacturers. The“Success Stories” section of each guide highlights how vari-ous government agencies have identified and purchasedenvironmentally preferable products. The “Contacts andResources” section will lead purchasers to groups defining whatmakes a certain product green and to organizations that aresuccessfully practicing EPP.

The six, 6-page guides are available in aneasy-to-use format on the EPP Program Website at <www.epa.gov/oppt/epp>, or you may

order hard copies of these colorful publica-tions by contacting the Pollution

Prevention InformationClearinghouse at 202 260-1023.

In the future, EPA expects to pro-duce additional guides on other

products, including paper, and willrefine the content, if necessary, based on

users’ response to this initial set. Let usknow what you think!

EPP Supplements Its Suite of Tools withProduct-Specific Purchasing Guides

For more information,contact EPA’s AlisonKinn at 202 564-8859or by e-mail at<kinn.alison@epa.gov>.

update10.qxd 1/10/02 2:17 PM Page 5

5

The Center for a New AmericanDream, a nonprofit organizationdedicated to helping Americans

change the way they consume to helpprotect the environment, andTerraChoice, the contractor supportingCanada’s eco-labeling program, are co-hosting an environmental purchasingconference April 22 to 25, 2002, inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania. The confer-ence, which will be held at the SheratonRittenhouse, one of the greenest hotelsin the United States, is open to govern-ment purchasing officials and privatesector companies interested in increasingtheir environmentally preferable pur-chasing.

The conference is the first of its kind tofocus on the needs of government andother institutional purchasers since EPA’s1997 EPP conference in Baltimore,Maryland. The conference will give par-ticipants the opportunity to learn aboutnew EPP tools and strategies, as well asprovide information on a wider variety ofproducts and services that are now avail-able. It also will give purchasers theopportunity to meet with others to com-pare notes about progress made andissues they’re struggling with and providea forum for them to work collaborativelyand share information about green man-ufacturers and vendors.

The Center also has been sponsoring aseries of free bimonthly conference callsfor purchasers that focus on a variety ofgreen purchasing topics. The first twocalls addressed buying environmentallypreferable cleaning products (October)

and paper (December), and each includ-ed more than 100 participants from morethan 30 states. Each call features productexperts and government purchasers whohave recently participated in green pur-chasing programs. Conference call partic-ipants receive a PowerPoint presentationwhen they register, so they can followalong with the speakers during the call.Future calls will cover energy efficiencyand energy purchases, integrated pestmanagement, paint, carpet, eco-labels,and other related topics.

For additional information on the con-ference or a schedule of upcoming con-ference calls, visit the Center’s Web siteat <www.newdream.org/procure>, orcontact Scot Case at the Center for aNew American Dream at 610 373-7703,or by e-mail at <scot@newdream.org>.

Three-Day Conference Will Focus onTraining Green Purchasers

update10.qxd 1/10/02 2:17 PM Page 6

To reduce the environmentalimpacts associated with govern-mental use and disposal of elec-

tronic equipment, a number of federalagencies recently signed aMemorandum of Understanding(MOU) to address this issue. Althoughindividual federal agencies have madeefforts to reduce this waste stream, suchas favoring purchases of environmental-ly preferable and energy-efficient equip-ment, the MOU outlines ways agenciescan build a more efficient infrastructurewithin the entire federal government forpurchasing and disposing of electronicproducts.

The White House Task Force onRecycling, U.S. Postal Service, theDepartments of Defense, Energy, andInterior, EPA, and the Council forEnvironmental Quality all signed theMOU on “Improving EnvironmentalManagement of Electronic Assets.” Theadministration will work to sign upmore agencies and is soliciting inputfrom other public and private sectorstakeholders. Electronic products cov-ered by the MOU include computersand monitors, fax machines, phones,and other devices used in military andscientific applications, communications,and information systems.

The Federal Government ElectronicsStewardship Forum held in October (seesidebar) was an opportunity to gatherinput from stakeholders on the proposedaction plan for the MOU participants, aswell as get feedback on an issues paper.The purpose of the Action Plan is toidentify the goals, objectives, and strate-gies the MOU parties will commit to inorder to reduce the overall environmen-

Federal Government Electronics S

6

The MOU, presentations,and draft action plansfrom this forum areavailable on line forreview and comment at<www.deer2.com/stewardship.html>.

Competitive bidding and contractprocesses often hinder agenciesfrom buying environmentally

preferable products. Many agenciesrealize the importance of environmen-tally preferable purchasing but questionhow they can apply it to their currentpurchasing process. To help educatefederal purchasers, EPA’s EPP program,showcases concrete examples of greenpurchasing success stories in its“Promising Practices Guide,” availableonline at <www.epa.gov/oppt/epp/ppg>.

Distinct from other tools on the EPPWeb site, the Promising Practices Guide

not only illustrates that environmentallypreferable purchasing is possible, butalso outlines the steps pioneers havetaken to make green purchasing deci-sions. For example, the Guide showshow the Department of Interior (DOI)wrote EPP criteria into a solicitation forits new custodial contractor, to ensureuse of environmentally sound cleaningproducts and to provide a safe, toxic-free working environment for janitors.Consequently, environmental preferabili-ty was a significant factor in the selec-tion of the contractor, and DOI included“greening” language in the final contract.

“PromisingPractices”Will GuideYou to EPPSuccess

update10.qxd 1/10/02 2:18 PM Page 7

tal and energy impacts of using and dis-posing of electronics assets across the gov-ernment. The two main objectivesidentified in the action plan are:

• Develop a government-wide strategyfor managing the electronics wastestream; and,

• Promote growth of the infrastructure forthe use, de-manufacturing, and recy-cling of obsolete electronic equipment.

At the forum, the White House Councilon Environmental Quality Chairman JimConnaughton underscored the centrality ofproduct stewardship in theAdministration’s environmental policy. “Wehave the opportunity to continue buildingon the successes of the last [several] years,to continue to set the example for theworld in terms of the kinds of stewardshippractices and forward thinking about howwe utilize all the assets that the federalgovernment brings to its disposal in theservice of the public,” he said.

s Stewardship Forum

7

In October 2001, the Federal Government ElectronicsStewardship Forum was held in Arlington, Virginia. Theforum was established by the workgroup created under

the MOU on “Improving Environmental Management ofElectronic Assets.” Attendees, including federal chief informa-tion officers and environmental and procurement profession-als, gathered to identify issues and make recommendationsthat federal agencies can use to develop a government-widestrategy to implement environmentally preferable and energy-efficient management practices and reduce the economic andlifecycle costs of electronic equipment.

The forum organizers identified five areas to consider as agovernment-wide strategy is developed:

1. Facilitating the procurement of greener electronics.2. Ensuring efficient use/management of electronics.3. Ensuring proper management of electronic products

through recycling and/or disposal.4. Overcoming barriers and seeking opportunities in the

regulatory arena.5. Determining the important components needed for a

government-wide strategy.

Many of the Guide’s success storiesinclude on-line contract language withthe exact specifications used to achieveresults. In addition, the primary con-tacts, lessons learned, and links to addi-tional information also are available forthose with further questions. This com-bination of tools will enable agencies toembark on the EPP journey with replic-able models that can be tailored to theirspecific needs.

To date, the Promising PracticesGuide includes 16 success stories, cate-gorized by both agency and productcategory. As the guide evolves, it will

feature additional resources, includingrelevant Federal Acquisition Regulationscitations and requirements and infor-mation on which environmental con-cerns should be examined at each stepof the purchasing process. More successstories are on the way—if you have anyof your own that the EPP Programshould consider adding, contact EPA at<epp.pilot@epa.gov>.

update10.qxd 1/10/02 2:18 PM Page 8

Foundation Helps MakeMeetings Greener

EPA awarded a grant to the OceansBlue Foundation to develop a Web-based tool to help meeting plannersand others incorporate environmen-tal considerations when organizingconferences and meetings. The Web

tool will be market-tested in spring2002, with a launch tentatively sched-

uled for July 2002. The foundation is aCanadian nonprofit that works to con-serve marine and terrestrial environ-ments by promoting environmentallyresponsible tourism and developing best-practice standards for all sectors of thetourism industry.

The purpose of the Web tool is to tellprofessional meeting planners, serviceproviders, and the public about the envi-ronmental issues they should considerwhen planning meetings and events.With a user-friendly and interactivedesign, the tool will help users makeenvironmentally sound choices whenplanning meetings.

“Meeting industry professionals, whetherthey be planners or suppliers, need thetools to be able to make appropriate deci-sions about how to minimize the impactsof their activities on the environment. ThisWeb tool will provide them with easy,accessible guidelines and information to dojust that,” said Julie Shannon, Branch Chiefof EPA’s Prevention Integration Branch,Pollution Prevention Division.

For more information on Blue and GreenMeetings, visit the Oceans Blue Web site at<www.oceansblue.org>, or e-mail <bluegreenmeetings@oceansblue.org> forfurther updates on the project.

Hotels Looking for a Green Seal

As part of its Green Meetings Initiative,EPA has awarded a grant to Green Sealto certify five Washington, D.C.-areahotels. Green Seal will evaluate hotels ontheir water and energy efficiency, freshwater usage, wastewater treatment, haz-ardous materials management, and envi-ronmentally preferable purchasing. Thegrant allows Green Seal to conduct theaudits free of charge to the hotels. GreenSeal plans to send an informationalpacket outlining theprogram to hotels,asking them if theywould like to havetheir facility audit-ed and certified.Green Seal’s teamof experts will eval-uate the first fivehotels to respond.

The goal is to market the District ofColumbia as the first area to offer environ-mentally responsible lodging facilities andto grow the market for green hotel ser-vices. The program is supported by thegovernment of the District of Columbia,select federal agencies, and corporationsthat will provide the buying power toincrease the demand for green hotels.Government travelers and visitors will beencouraged to stay and hold their meetingsin certified hotels. This, in turn, will helpmotivate others in the hotel industry togreen their services—especially since busi-ness travel is a major source of revenue forthe industry. In 2000, U.S. business travelexpenditures totaled $185 billion, with$37 billion spent on accommodations.

EPA Grants Focus on EPP

EPA recently awarded three grants to support other organizations’ environmentallypreferable purchasing efforts. The grants aim to boost markets for “greener” prod-ucts and services.

8

update10.qxd 1/10/02 2:19 PM Page 9

9

At EPA, she spent 10 years workingon EPA’s New Headquarters Project,helping with the transition of EPA officespace from Waterside Mall, where theagency had been housed since its incep-tion, and other satellite buildings, to thenew facilities in the Ronald ReaganBuilding and adjacent Ariel RiosBuilding and ICC/Customs (EPA Eastand West) Buildings. During that time,she worked with General ServicesAdministration (GSA) contractors tomake sure that the construction con-tracts met EPA’s sustainability goals.

Cathy began pursuing her environ-mental interests in her early career asan architect. “My original focus was onhistoric preservation, but my interest inconservation issues flowed naturallyfrom there,” she said. “It was a naturalprogression, and for me it seemed likethe right thing to do.”

In May 2001, Cathy moved to EPA’sSustainable Facilities Practices Branch,where she still works on sustainabilityissues, but now in a national capacity.In her new post, Cathy examines howto apply the U.S. Green BuildingCouncil’s Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED™) ratingsystem to EPA facilities across theUnited States.

Cathy also is coordinating an effortthrough GSA to green the proposed EPAonsite cafeteria in the ICC Building andconcession stands throughout the head-quarters complex. The plan is to set up aprogram similar to the one adopted bythe U.S. Department of the Interior,which incorporates several environmen-tally preferable products and practices.

EPA’s EPP program extends a specialthanks to Cathy for her continued effortsin sustainable construction and design.

Profile < Continued from Page 1 >

For more information on Green Seal’sGreening the Lodging Industry cam-paign, visit <www.greenseal.org/greeninglodge.htm>.

Nonprofit To EvaluateEnvironmental Paper Market

Conservatree, a nonprofit organizationthat works to grow the market for envi-ronmental papers, has received a grantfrom EPA to conduct a study on theobstacles slowing market developmentfor these papers. The Recycled PaperCoalition will collaborate withConservatree in researching issues ham-pering market development. The projectwill add collaborators with other areas ofexpertise as it progresses.

Conservatree will use a list of nearly 100questions on issues and controversies with-in the environmental paper field to begingathering perspectives from all interestedand involved parties. “We want to talk toeveryone involved in manufacturing, mar-keting, buying, and using environmentalpapers and hear as many different view-points as possible,” said Susan Kinsella,executive director at Conservatree. “Wehope to help make it more possible forpeople with differences of opinion to worktogether on achieving an environmentallyand economically sustainable paper pro-duction system for the future.”

More information is available at<www.conservatree.com/learn/ListenSnapshot/Listen.shtml>.

update10.qxd 1/10/02 2:19 PM Page 10

10

Recent laboratory studies undertak-en by the U.S. Department ofInterior (DOI) show the superior

performance of biobased lubricants underextreme pressure conditions at hydroelec-tric power facilities. These “green” lubri-cants can perform as well as or betterthan traditional lubricants, without thenegative environmental impacts.

DOI’s Bureau of Reclamation operates58 hydroelectric power plants in theWestern United States. DOI is con-cerned about the environmental impactof grease released during the produc-tion of energy. Some wicket gate grease“washes out” from the turbine with thedischarge water. Potential harm toaquatic life is a concern, as the petrole-um hydrocarbons in traditional greasesbiodegrade fairly slowly and are highlytoxic to aquatic species. Also, somepetroleum greases contain toxic metalsthat can accumulate in the food chain.

In 1994, staff at Parker Dam inCalifornia began investigating the use ofalternative greases in wicket gates.Parker Dam staff found that food-grade(i.e., safe enough to be in contact withfood) petroleum grease fromLubrication Engineers, Inc. providedexcellent lubrication qualities andresisted washout. Called Quinplex4024, the grease is rated as a low-haz-ard material to human health, thoughcomplete information on its biodegrad-ability and aquatic toxicity was lackingwhen it was tested. It performed well atParker Dam from 1994 to 2000, show-ing exceptional resistance to washout.

During this period, Parker Dam staffexamined information from the Bureau ofReclamation’s Water Resources ResearchLaboratory (WRRL) in Denver, Colorado,as it also was evaluating several alterna-tive lubricants. WRRL compared fivealternative greases against a standard lithi-

Using Biobased Lubricants at Hydroelectric P

Ahydroelectric plant passes waterthrough a series of louvers, called“wicket gates,” to a turbine that

powers an electric generator. Opening andclosing the wicket gates regulates the flowof water to the turbine. Greases lubricatethe wicket gate bushings [see illustration].These greases must function under difficult-use conditions, including frequent openingand closing of the wicket gates and highpressures on the bushings. The greases alsomust provide sufficient protection to maxi-mize the service life of the wicket gatebushings.

Hydroelectric Power Plants 101

update10.qxd 1/10/02 2:20 PM Page 11

11

c Power Facilities

um-petroleum grease. The five greasestested included three food-grade petrole-um greases similar to the grease used atParker Dam, a synthetic ester-basedgrease, and a canola-based grease.

The tests were performed on a scalemodel of a prototype wicket gate at theMt. Elbert Power Plant near Leadville,Colorado. The model gate operatedunder conditions that simulated themost severe duty cycle experienced bya wicket gate. WRRL determined lubri-cation efficiency by measuring the fric-tion torque during gate opening andclosing. The performance of the lithi-um-based grease was defined as a goodlubrication rating of 100 percent.

Synthetic ester-based and canola-based greases, with lubrication ratingsof 93 percent and 105 percent, respec-tively, performed much better than thefood-grade petroleum greases in thesetests. The average rating for the threefood-grade greases was 55 percent.Environmental data on these and simi-lar lubricants are available from manu-facturers. After analyzing itsperformance under extreme-wear con-ditions, WRRL recommended thatParker Dam switch to a canola-basedwicket gate lubricant.

Parker Dam switched to a canola-based grease—Cor-Tek VSG—made byUtility Service Associates in 2000, andstaff at the dam are satisfied with theperformance of this grease, althoughsome are concerned that VSG’s appar-ently higher washout factor could com-promise its superior wearcharacteristics. Utility Service Associatesreports that other facilities using VSGare using less grease, indicating greater

resistance to washout. A more completeunderstanding of washout performanceunder various use conditions wouldprovide valuable information to poten-tial users of VSG and similar products.

Data on biodegradability and aquatictoxicity supplied by Utility ServiceAssociates show VSG’s environmentallypreferable characteristics:

• VSG demonstrated more than 80percent biodegradation in a 21-daytest (meeting the German Blue Angeleco-label criteria for “readybiodegradability”).

• VSG was virtually non-toxic to rain-bow trout and Daphnia magna (awater flea), with a 96-hr LC50 valuein trout of greater than 93cc/l and a48-hr LC50 in Daphnia of greaterthan 1,000 ppm.

For more information,contact Jim Darr of EPAat 202 564-8841 or<darr.james@epa.gov>.Details of the studiesdone by the Bureau ofReclamation are at<www.usbr.gov/wrrl>.

update10.qxd 1/10/02 2:21 PM Page 12

1EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency(7409M)Washington, DC 20460

Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use $300

Calling All Private Sector EPP Pioneers!Don’t let your EPP efforts go unnoticed—tell your success story in a new EPA report!

Due to the popularity of the June1999 report, Private SectorPioneers, available on the Web at

<www.epa.gov/oppt/epp/pdfs/privsect.pdf>, EPA’s EPP Program is col-lecting information for a new reporthighlighting the efforts of companies to“buy green” and “sell green.” The 1999report showed how 18 companies wereexpanding the market for green prod-ucts, preventing tremendous amounts ofpollution, and saving millions of dollars,all as a result of considering the environ-ment, along with price and performance,when making purchasing decisions.

Great strideshave occurredin the last 2½years, so weare excited tohear howyou are con-tributing tothe greenpurchasingtrend. If you areinterested in sharing your EPP experi-ences, please contact the EPP Program at<pilot.epp@epa.gov>.

Pollution Prevention and Toxics(7409M)EPA742-N-02-001www.epa.gov/oppt/eppJanuary 2002

update10.qxd 1/10/02 2:16 PM Page 1