Newport, Oregon

This facility features the following green attributes:
Green Power
Water Management Plan

Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch

Total Facility Area: 38,851 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 50 persons
Energy Consumption: 13,660,905,042 Btu per year
Btu per GSF per Year: 351,623
Total Water Consumption: 259,000 gallons per year
Gallons per GSF per year: 6.7

All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2010.

Description

The Coastal Ecology Branch (CEB) is the marine research group for the Western Ecology Division, a part of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory of the Office of Research and Development (ORD). The Newport facility studies the effects of human population-induced stresses on the habitats and species of the estuarine systems of the Pacific Northwest.

Unique Environmental Features

Energy Conservation

In FY 2006, EPA replaced aging heat pumps at the Newport facility with new, energy-efficient, gas-fired boilers.

Green Power

EPA offsets 100 percent of the electricity consumption at the Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch with renewable energy certificates (RECs) purchased through the Agency's current blanket green power contract. Learn more about EPA's current and past blanket green power contracts.

Water Conservation

In June 2011, the Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch revised its water management plan (PDF) (18 pp, 620K, About PDF). The laboratory's first water management plan (PDF) (15 pp, 1.0MB, About PDF) was completed in August 2004.

Stormwater Management

Two polyethylene tanks at the Newport laboratory are being reused for stormwater capture. Roof drains have been routed to the tanks, and a small electric pump provides pressure for the rinsing of sampling boats and hovercraft.

Other Features

The Pollution Abatement Facility (PAF) is a unique feature of the CEB research facility. Drain lines from any laboratory in the wing can be routed into the PAF. Unaltered seawater free from contact with non-indigenous species or chemical contamination can be routed to the seawater drain and returned to the estuary. Seawater contaminated in any fashion by experiments can be routed to the storage tanks, analyzed, treated as necessary to remove or detoxify contaminants, and can then be released to the City of Newport wastewater treatment facility.
All of the facility's chlorofluorocarbons were replaced by 1998.

For More Information About This Facility

Website: www.epa.gov/wed/pages/facilities/newportfacilities.htm

Primo Knight (knight.primo@epa.gov)
Hatfield Marine Science Center
2111 SE Marine Science Drive
Newport, OR 97365
Phone: (541) 754-4418