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Sustainability Plan

For The Washington State Department of Health
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Policy Statement

The Guiding Principle of Sustainability:
Zero waste in all things. Meeting today’s needs without compromising the needs of future generations.

Recognizing that:

  • The natural resources of our state are scarce and precious;
  • We have a responsibility to future generations to preserve our environment and natural resources;
  • Local decisions have regional and global implications; 
  • A healthy environment supports healthy citizens;
  • Investment in the design phase of any process or product drives sustainable outcomes;

Collaborative relationships and a collaborative approach support sustainable solutions;

Millions of tons of toxic chemicals are released into our air, land and water each year. 
The health impacts of these exposures can include asthma, birth defects, behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, autism, cancer impaired immune systems, neurological impairments, reproductive disorders, and even death. 

Adoption of sustainable practices marries well with the mission of the Department of Health. The Department of Health is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities under Executive Order 02-03, and will strive in partnership with other state agencies to model the principles of sustainability in all its business. We believe that adopting sustainable practices now as a method of doing business will assist in reversing the decline in our natural resources, and environment while improving our quality of life.

 

Impacts

Department of Health’s Mission Statement:
“The Department of Health works to protect and improve the health of people in Washington State”.

In accomplishing our mission, we have determined that we:

  • Travel
  • Purchase goods and services 
  • Construct and own facilities
  • Lease facilities
  • Consume energy and potable water
  • Discharge pollutants within EPA standards and generate solid waste into the natural environment.

 

Current Practices 

We found that we already are recycling items such as paper, cardboard, bottles and aluminum cans. We have equipment that is Energy Star rated. We have conducted energy audits on buildings we own and have upgraded lighting to save energy and reduce costs. We are turning off unnecessary lights and equipment. Some of us participate in commute trip reduction programs. We are purchasing some paper that is unbleached and chlorine free. We use recycled materials in some of the publications we issue. We have eliminated many paper publications by putting them on the Web or issuing them on CD-ROM.

Our Public Health Laboratory:

  1. Installed another autoclave to process biohazard waste, thereby reducing the biohazard waste to normal waste, which can be safely dumped in the landfill.
  2. Is purchasing paper products, which require less sterilization, thereby saving energy.
  3. Plans to change out ballasts in fluorescent lighting fixtures, which will save additional energy dollars.
  4. Reuses Styrofoam packing materials.

DOH has been aggressive in reducing energy consumption in all leased facilities.

Our capital program is using LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building standards for new construction and recycles building construction waste. 

DOH, in partnership with GA, is establishing standards for leased space that include LEED Certification for any new leased space.

We worked with GA Purchasing to eliminate the purchase of cars containing mercury light bulbs in the trunk and under the hood and with GA Surplus to ensure old vehicles have their mercury trunk/hood light bulbs disposed of properly. 
 


The Department of Health’s Sustainability Goals

Goal 1: By the year 2004 Department of Health (DOH) will establish a baseline. By the year 2005 10% of the goods purchased by DOH shall be environmentally preferred. By the year 2010, 25% of the goods purchased by DOH shall be environmentally preferred.
  Strategy: Develop and implement an environmentally preferred purchasing policy. Consider first environmentally friendly products in all areas of business (re-used/recycled content products such as recycled, unbleached paper and purchases of chlorine-free paper).
  Outcome: Participation in a public agency partnership that influences the marketplace to develop and produce more environmentally friendly products and reduce the cost of these products. This will result in decreased impact in the natural environment.
 
Goal 2: Reduce DOH’s vehicular use for business purpose by 5% by the year 2005. Reduce overall vehicular mileage for business use an additional 5% by the year 2007. Increase use of Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles (ULEV) by 5% by the year 2005.
 
  Strategy: Establish a baseline for measuring business vehicle use. Increase use of ULEV for business travel.
  Strategy: New vehicles purchased by the department will be certified as ULEV.
  Strategy: Work with GA to purchase more ULEV vehicles for State Motor Pool and ultimately offer only ULEV vehicles to its customers.
  Strategy: Use teleconferencing, video conferencing, and web-based meetings to reduce the need to drive to meetings.
  Outcome: Reduced auto emissions into the environment from reduced usage and improved technology. Reduced consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels. Reduced water and air pollution. Improved quality of life for the community. Improved natural environment.
 
Goal 3: Increase participation in the DOH Commute Trip Reduction Program. 
  Strategy: Establish a baseline for measuring employee commute trips.
  Strategy: Establish a standard staff incentives package to encourage participation in the commute trip reduction program.
  Strategy: Continue emphasis on employee carpooling, walking, bicycling, and use of public transport and video conferencing.
  Strategy: Continue support of employee alternative work schedules and telecommuting options where type of work allows.
  Outcome: Reduced auto emissions into the environment from reduced usage and improved technology. Reduced consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels. Reduced water and air pollution. Improved quality of life for the community. Improved natural environment.
 
Goal 4: Increase awareness of recycling and solid waste disposal impacts through education of employees. 
  Strategy: Evaluate facilities buildings for waste system improvement opportunities. Change garbage collection services to materials management systems in which most items are recycled or re-used. 
  Strategy: Work with GA, cities and counties to negotiate contracts with refuse managers that favor recycle systems over straight landfill dumping.
  Strategy: Re-use or recycle office furnishings and equipment as an alternative to surplus or landfill. Contact GA Plant Operations Support to determine if items can be donated for other public use. 
  Strategy: Add additional recycle receptacles for new types of recyclable items (plastics).
  Strategy: Analyze agency battery use; use rechargeable batteries to the maximum extent possible.
  Strategy: Work towards reducing mercury residues from light bulbs found in the environment by recycling fluorescent bulbs. As current building leases expire where such buildings have fluorescent lights, negotiate with landlords to appropriately dispose of burned out fluorescent light bulbs.
  Strategy: Purchase or lease network printers and copiers that print 2-sided copies, and use 2-sided copies as the default for all print jobs. 
  Strategy: Purchase equipment that uses recyclable components and consumable products (cartridges).
  Strategy: Use recycled components wherever possible. 
  Outcome: Increased recycling and reduced solid waste generation, which improves the natural environment. Reduced solid waste dump fees. Cost savings to the taxpayer through reuse of items no longer needed by DOH. 
 
Goal 5: Decrease potable water consumption by DOH facilities by 5% by the year 2005.
  Strategy: Establish a baseline and ensure water saver fixtures are used in new leased facilities.
  Strategy: Negotiate leases where landlords use drought tolerant landscape plants.
  Strategy: If feasible, implement the use of reclaimed water as an alternate landscape irrigation method.
  Outcome: More potable water available for higher priority use within local communities, creating a better quality of life.
 
Goal 6: Reduce energy consumption per square foot at new DOH facilities in Thurston County by an additional 5% by the year 2006.
  Strategy: Establish a baseline for measurement from current leased facilities.
  Strategy: DOH management will continue to support conservation as a method to reduce overall consumption.
  Strategy: Reduce the number of DOH facilities in Thurston County from 21 to three (3), and have them on the same campus or at a minimum within walking distance to one another.
  Outcome: Locating staff in closer proximity will make our work more efficient. Less energy will be spent traveling between buildings. Operating costs will decrease from operating fewer buildings. Energy will be saved that can be used for another purpose.
 
Goal 7: All new DOH facilities construction and renovation shall be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified. Sustainability standards for all new leased buildings will be established.
  Strategy: Partner with GA to procure only LEED certified space.
  Strategy: Prior to renewal of leases require an energy audit by General Administration and determine alternate low energy solutions for lighting, heating, and water consumption.
  Outcome: Energy will be saved that can be used for another purpose. Sustainable practices will become standard in DOH facilities.
 
Goal 8: Educate 90% of DOH Employees on Sustainability by September 2004.
  Strategy: Develop “Top 10” lists for employees to use to implement sustainable practices immediately as they do their day-to-day business. Post lists on intranet and include in agency newsletter (Sentinel).
  Strategy: Develop and implement an agency-wide training plan for current DOH staff. 
  Strategy: Make sustainability training mandatory for new employees. Put training on the Web.
  Outcome: Employees empowered with the information and tools necessary to achieve DOH’s sustainability goals.
 
Goal 9: Implement the sustainability program throughout the Department of Health.
  Strategy: Establish an agency Sustainability Committee to help ensure continued implementation throughout the agency.
  Outcome: Sustainability will be melded into how the agency does its work on a routine basis. 
 

 

Roles and Responsibilities

Agency management staff shall be responsible for reaching sustainability goals.
 

Communication and Education

Communication: DOH management chose to create a sustainability task force consisting of department management staff to draft this plan. Managers engaged employees in the plan through gathering employee input during management/employee meetings. Distribution of draft plans and comments from employees were gathered through e-mail. We will continue to convene our task force and create a charter for guiding our future work.

Education: Further education of DOH employees will be accomplished under several of the goals contained in this plan. 
 

Performance

Performance for each of the above goals will be measured by completing assessments and developing baseline measurements for each of the goals. Current DOH data will be used to complete the assessments and develop baseline measurements.

The DOH Agency point of contact and administrator of this plan will be the Director of Property 

 

Agency Contact: Suzette Frederick 
Director of the Office of Properties Management 
Washington State Department of Health 
7211 Cleanwater Lane, Tumwater WA 98501-7905
Phone (360) 236-3901 

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