Smith: Lewis-McChord chosen as pilot site for Army’s “Net Zero” sustainability project
Washington,
Apr 20, 2011 -
Congressman Adam Smith (WA-9), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the Army’s announcement that Joint Base Lewis-McChord has been selected to be a Net Zero pilot installation for water consumption and waste production:
“Today’s announcement confirms that Joint Base Lewis-McChord is leading the charge to reduce the environmental impact of all U.S. military installations. The Army received over 100 applications from 60 installations to be a part of the sustainability program, ultimately selecting only six pilot installations in each of the energy, water, and waste categories to strive towards Net Zero by the year 2020.
“The goal of Net Zero is not only good for the region’s ecosystem, but increasing the U.S. military’s operational efficiency will aid missions in areas of the world where energy and water supply are in question. It will also lessen our dependence on foreign oil, making America more energy-secure. Greater environmental sustainability would boost quality of life on-base and improve relationships with surrounding communities. All of this is financially prudent and will save taxpayer dollars in the long-run.
“I applaud the men and women of Joint Base Lewis-McChord for aggressively pursuing the goal of becoming Net Zero in water use and waste production while still upholding their vital mission of training and deploying combat-ready troops.”
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Background courtesy of the Army Energy Program:
· A Net ZERO Installation applies an integrated approach to management of energy, water, and waste to capture and commercialize the resource value and/or enhance the ecological productivity of land, water, and air.
· A Net Zero WATER Installation limits the consumption of freshwater resources and returns water back to the same watershed so not to deplete the groundwater and surface water resources of that region in quantity and quality over the course of a year.
· A Net Zero WASTE Installation reduces, reuses, and recovers waste streams, converting them to resource values with zero landfill over the course of a year.
