All News Releases By Date

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Earns ENERGY STAR Building Label - The State Leads by Example to Reduce Pollution Through Superior Energy Performance

Release Date: 07/07/2006
Contact Information: Donna Heron, (215) 814-5113

PHILADELPHIA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today commended the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection for earning the coveted ENERGY STAR Building Label.

DEP’S new headquarters building at 601 57th Street in Charleston, earned the ENERGY STAR award for superior energy efficiency and environmental performance in 2006. It is the first state government building in West Virginia to receive this designation. The building will display the prestigious ENERGY STAR plaque commemorating the state’s accomplishment.

“This is just one more way our state employees are working hard to save taxpayers money,” said Governor Joe Manchin, III. “It is impressive that a building, housing more than 500 employees, can boast low energy use. I encourage everyone in state government to follow the DEP’s lead and save on energy costs where ever you can.”

EPA’s Regional Administrator Donald S. Welsh praised West Virginia’s DEP for setting an important example. “By partnering with EPA, state governments like West Virginia are realizing that they can reduce energy costs by 30 percent or more while protecting the environment,” Welsh said. “EPA is pleased to recognize DEP’s commitment toenvironmental leadership through superior energy performance.”

Energy Star is a federal program that helps businesses, consumers and government protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. Building owners earn the ENERGY STAR designation by scoring in the top 25 percent on the EPA’s energy performance rating system. ENERGY STAR-qualified buildings use up to 40 percent less energy than typical buildings and the DEP’s Cabinet Secretary Stephanie R. Timmermeyer is pleased with the honor.

“From the moment this building was designed, this agency showed a commitment to reducing its footprint on the environment,” Timmermeyer said. “We are so proud of this designation and encourage others to look for ways they can make their homes and offices more efficient. Programs like ENERGY STAR show us that environmental responsibility goes hand-in-hand with financial rewards.”

Construction on the agency’s environmentally-friendly facility was completed in 2004. For the first time in agency history, the DEP could offer one-stop shopping for environmental protection business by consolidating other offices and bringing under one roof the divisions of air quality, water and waste management, mining and reclamation, and land restoration.

“The facility was built to be energy efficient and to minimize the agency’s footprint on the environment,” Timmermeyer added.

Two supermarkets, an elementary school and a medical center in West Virginia also have earned an Energy Star award.