National Archives Receives Top Presidential GreenGov Award
Press Release · Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Washington, DC

The White House Council on Environmental Quality has designated the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) one of the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly places to work in the United States.

The National Archives Energy Team at Archives II in College Park, MD, received one of eight Presidential Awards for Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance. NARA was cited in the “Lean, Clean and Green” category. Winners were selected from over 300 nominations. GreenGov Presidential Awards celebrate extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of President Obama's Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (Executive Order 13514).

The White House praised the National Archives:

The National Archives and Records Administration has successfully implemented sustainable infrastructure and operational changes at its National Archives Building II, located in College Park, Maryland. This project is estimated to reduce annual energy use by 24 billion BTU’s, saving more than $400,000 in taxpayer money and eliminating 2,000 tons of carbon emissions.

A NARA video outlining these changes – produced at the request of The White House Council on Environmental Quality – was shown at the opening plenary of the GreenGov Symposium held earlier this month. Watch the video of Mark Sprouse, Director of the National Archives Facilities and Personal Property Management Division, outlining these changes [http://community.planetforward.org/video/national-archives-greengov].

"This is a significant achievement for the National Archives," said David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States. “The National Archives is committed to maintaining and improving this and other NARA facilities nationwide at the highest performance level possible. We hope to become a beacon to other federal agencies that want to go green and enhance their own performance.”

NARA also received a Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Energy Management in 2008. The Clinton Library achieved a Silver Certification under the LEED for New Construction rating when it opened in July, 2004. In 2007, the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, AK, received the highest green building rating – making it the first existing Federal building certified Platinum by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Program.

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For press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs Staff at (202) 357-5300.

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