Environmental Management
The White Sands Test Facility Sustainability Program is administered in accordance with federal laws, Presidential Executive Orders, and NASA procedural requirements. The Program supports the facility in complying with Executive Order 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability, NASA Policy Directive 8500: NASA Environmental Management, and the sustainability goals as described in the NASA Sustainability Plan, and the sustainability goals as described in the NASA Sustainability Plan. Our employees are tasked with incorporating environmental risk reduction and sustainability practices into all phases of work – planning, development, implementation, and operation.
Waste Minimization
WSTF makes every effort to divert materials from the landfill through recycling and reuse or repurposing usable materials. WSTF received the EPA’s 2019 Region 6 Federal Green Challenge Award for the volume of waste diverted. The Reuse Market Place (ReMaP) is a software application where departments can post unneeded furniture, office supplies, some chemical products, and other materials to be claimed for reuse by other groups on-site to reuse materials and reduce WSTF resource use.
Sustainable Acquisition
A certain percentage of products and services purchased with government dollars are required to have a lesser impact on the environment than traditional products and services. We identify the applicable “green” requirements prior to purchasing and products and services receive preference if they are:
- Recycled content products that meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG)
- Energy Star® and energy-efficient products
- Products meeting EPA WaterSense criteria and water-efficient products
- Biobased products as identified by the United States Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred Program
- Safer products meeting the EPA Safer Choice standards
- Environmentally Preferable products and services
- Non-ozone depleting substances, as identified in EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Program
Site-wide Sustainability Working Group (S2WG)
The S2WG is a forum for WSTF employees from all departments to formulate innovative ideas and identify opportunities that may assist us in supporting agency sustainbility goals such as using water and energy more efficiently while still meeting mission goals. S2WG initiatives reduce our environmental impact, encourage employee involvement in advancing sustainability through outreach and awareness activities, and challenge employees to integrate environmental sustainability into the daily work ethic.
Green Projects
WSTF encourages employees to develop proposals for green projects that can benefit the site and reduce WSTF’s environmental impact. S2WG vets and reviews Green Project Proposals for funding consideration and forwards acceptable projects to the NASA Sustainability Project Review Board for a final determination. The approved projects are funded by recycling funds and must meet criteria outlined in Public Law 103-329 Section 608. Project categories include sustainable acquisition, waste reduction and prevention, recycling programs, hazardous waste management, and pollution prevention.