Spring 2006, Vol. 3, Issue 1

The environment and you

Chances are you've heard the story about the man walking along the beach early one morning who threw a stranded starfish back into the water. When someone asked him what he was doing, he replied that he was saving starfish.

Over the past 15 years, Y‑12 has reduced energy consumption by more than 40%.

You're crazy,” the bystander observed. “There's no way you can save all the starfish that wash up on the beach.

Probably not,” the man noted, “but I can save that one.

At the Y‑12 National Security Complex, we are working together to make our environment better, and everyone's individual contribution can make a significant difference. When we work together, the little things we do can add up to have a great impact. Y‑12 has several established programs that are the result of caring, cooperative endeavors.

BWXT Y‑12 PRYDE is one such effort that serves to help the environment through different programs.

One component of Y‑12 PRYDE is the Clean Sweep Program, which is designed to address the cleanup of work areas. Areas are identified and prioritized, and schedules are then developed and implemented to clean and maintain various locations throughout the plant. Program goals and initiatives include pickup of materials for disposal, recycle and excess and establishment of lay-down areas for the segregation of materials for disposal, recycle and excess.

Pollution Prevention, another Y‑12 PRYDE program, is designed to reduce the generation and toxicity of wastes in all media. In fact, the program received the following two National Nuclear Security Administration Pollution Prevention Awards for 2005 activities:

• Pollution Prevention Best-in-Class award for the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Team and

• Environmental Stewardship Award for the Y‑12 Oil-Free Vacuum Pump Implementation Team.

The Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Team nomination also is being submitted to the White House “Closing the Circle” awards.

Y‑12 recycles a variety of materials:

• aluminum beverage cans (all revenues from the ABC recycle program are donated to charity),

• auto cores,

• ballasts (polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCB, and non‑PCB),

• batteries (lead acid, nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride),

• lamps,

• paper and

• tires.

Y‑12 PRYDE recently sponsored a recycling event to reduce the amount of paper going into landfills.

Y‑12 also has an energy management plan. This plan defines Y‑12's general energy requirements and provides a brief history of energy reduction efforts with a timetable for further energy-savings measures. The primary focus for energy conservation is on electricity and water, with a secondary focus on reducing natural gas, fuel (gasoline and diesel), and coal use, and it is making a difference.

The Energy Management program coordinates energy conservation at Y‑12. Energy management is a federally mandated effort and was recently reinforced by the U.S. president.

These are only some of the ways Y‑12 gives back to the environment. Find out more about our environmental stewardship in this issue.

Steven D. Liedle

Acting General Manager

Table of contents