When you think of military bases, “being green” is seldom the first thought to cross your mind-unless you are imagining fatigues. Nevertheless, the Army base at Ft. Lee is unique among its Virginia counterparts for having earned this distinction. Indeed, very few facilities, federal, state, or otherwise have been recognized for green practices. The base was awarded “E4” status, gaining admission into the Extraordinary Environmental Excellence Enterprise in September of 2011.

The award was granted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. During the award ceremony, the importance of teamwork combined with a strongly instilled feeling of personal responsibility for making a change in everyday habits is key to bringing about overall improvements. To gain E4 status, a facility must demonstrate a commitment to conservation and to the protection of natural resources. Consideration is given to facilities which exceed the federal regulations for waste management and conservation. Fort Lee gained recognition by implementing recycling programs, by their efforts to conserve energy and reduce pollution, for respecting and conserving natural waterways and land resources, and for introducing clean-up programs to make sure natural resources remain intact.

As the base continues to work with the VDEQ, conservation efforts are beginning to spread. Communities convene periodically in a Sustainability Conference to discuss environmental issues, to debate on feasible approaches to solve those problems, and to debunk myths about conservation. Through this dialogue, the environmentalism loses its stigma and becomes recognized as a patriotic act: when you love your country, you do whatever you can to protect it. For example, the base is in the process of phasing out the use of disposable plastic bags with a reusable bag campaign. This change alone is projected to save the recycling facility $100,000 annually, to say nothing of the reduced pollution from stray bags, and the reduction of gases produced in the recycling process.

Ft. Lee is also experimenting with alternative heating and cooling systems, and has installed geothermal systems in two of the barracks. These systems require as little as two-thirds the energy it takes to maintain a comfortable temperature via central heating and cooling. In the long run these environmentally aware changes will have a positive impact both in the local community as well as in the overall cost of the housing facility. With less energy needed to maintain the facility the financial relief will eventually be reflected in the cost of the rental spaces.

The efforts to reduce pollution, conserve resources, and become more sustainable don’t just stand out as inspiration to surrounding communities. These actions show leadership and innovation in growing sector of the American economy: the conservational techniques used here may stand as an example of how to diversify our energy needs to ensure greater sustainability down the road. Government can encourage further exploration into these techniques by offering lower-cost building permits for green construction. As the community continues to recognize and commend these innovations, they will begin to be more commonplace, particularly as it becomes common knowledge that conserving resources tends to conserve funds. Green city planning is sound financial planning, and simply requires individuals to think of themselves as parts of a greater whole, working toward improvement.

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Author Bio: Richmond extended stay specialists, Dabney Properties are also the leading supplier of off-base accommodation in the area. Check out the leading alternative to expensive Fort Lee hotels for military personnel attending Ft Lee ALU or other TDY personnel.

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