Accomplishments/Awards Data Entry


11/22/2009 8:11:44 PM Site Name: Y-12 National Security Complex FY Year:
Accomplishment Information:

This Accomplishment/Award was finalized by Jan Gilbert on 11/30/2006

Name of Activity:	Expanding Use of Alternative Fuels in Y-12 Vehicles
Category:	Alternative Fuels and Fuel Conservation
PSO:	NA
Description:	Y-12 is committed to continually pursuing ways to “green” the Y-12 vehicle fleet. In FY 2006, Y-12 personnel aggressively expanded the use of bio-based alternative fuels to reduce the use of non-renewable natural resources and the nation’s dependence on petroleum products (i.e., foreign energy sources). In the spirit of continual improvement and with strong management support, Y-12 initiated a program to increase use of E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline) in the Flex Fuel Vehicle (FFV) fleet in October 2005 with a target of achieving an 80% usage rate by the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. This target was rapidly achieved and surpassed, with the FFV fleet achieving a 100% usage rate by March 2006. Y-12’s expanded use of E85 resulted in a 15,500 gallon reduction in the amount of petroleum products (gasoline) consumed by the Y-12 FFV in FY 2006. Incredibly, the increase in E85 usage was so great, that the E85 usage reported in June 2006 alone was more than that reported for the entire 2005 fiscal year. The expanded use of E85 resulted in the elimination of more than 1,100 pounds of toxic air emissions in FY 2006 compared to emissions from burning standard gasoline, for an overall 39% reduction in tail-pipe emissions from the FFV fleet. This initiative reduced some of the air pollutants that are in non-attainment in Anderson County to support local government air pollution goals. In addition to Y-12’s E85 initiative, in FY 2006 Y-12 established plans, finalized contracts and took steps to prepare the Y-12 Complex diesel fueling infrastructure to allow conversion of 100% of diesel vehicles to bio-based diesel beginning in FY 2007. By integrating past experiences and lessons learned from other facilities into the overall process, Y-12 is fast achieving this goal and accepted the first shipment of bio-based diesel in November 2006. It is anticipated that use of bio-based diesel (B20) in the Y-12 diesel fleet will further reduce use of petroleum products at Y-12 by at least 6,000 gallons per year, and result in additional reductions in toxic air emissions. Each of these initiatives has shown innovation and dedication by Y-12 personnel to find environmentally-friendly products that met specifications, a win-win situation for the Y-12 Complex, the U.S. Department of Energy, the public, and the environment.
Were Costs Avoided by this project?	No
How much?
Was waste generation avoided by this project?	No
Waste Type:
Amount Avoided:
Is this activity being nominated for P2 Star and Closing the Circle award consideration?:	Yes


Award Information:

CTC Closing the Circle
Best-in-class selection?	Yes
Did this win:
DOE P2 Star Award winners?	Winner
CTC winner?	Winner

Nomination Point of Contact
Name:	Janice Gilbert Jackson
Organization:	Waste Management
Address:	BWXT Y-12, L.L.C., P.O. Box 2009, MS-8286
City:	Oak Ridge
State:	TN
Zip Code:	37831-8286
Phone:	865-241-2567
Fax:	865-574-6934
Email	gilbertjm@y12.doe.gov

Federal Point of Contact
Name:	James Donnelly
Organization:	NNSA Y-12 Site Office
Address:	NNSA Y-12 Site Office; P.O. Box 2050; MS-8009; Oak Ridge; TN 37831-8009
City:	Oak Ridge
State:	TN
Zip Code:	37831-8009
Phone:	865-574-6260
Fax:	865-576-3368
Email	donnellyjp@yso.doe.gov

Nominated Individual or Team Information
Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Phone:
Fax:
Email
Team/Project/Facility Information:	Y-12 Alternative Fuel Implementation Team
The List of people who directly participated in the activity:	Lyle Bennett, Sharon Gasaway, Erby Harris, Jan Gilbert Jackson, Tim Leach, Al McLendon, Aprell Patterson, Syretta Vaughn, Sara Cornwell, and Jim Probst

Description
BWXT Y-12 personnel recognize the benefits of using bio-based alternative fuels to reduce the use of non-renewable natural resources, toxic emissions, and dependence on petroleum products (i.e., foreign energy sources) and are committed to expanding the use of bio-based fuels in the Y-12 vehicle fleet. Underpinning this commitment is the fact that Anderson County is in non-attainment for some of the pollutants present in vehicle emissions, and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Presidential Executive Orders call for federal fleets to be converted to bio-based fuels to improve the energy security of the United States. The Y-12 fleet is comprised of 73 diesel and 515 gasoline-powered vehicles, of which 76 are flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) that can burn E85 (i.e., 85 percent ethanol and gasoline mixture). The FFV’s currently comprise approximately 13 percent of the fleet. Y‑12 has in place an ongoing program to purchase more FFV’s to replace gasoline-powered vehicles that are removed from service, and has one fueling station on-site providing E85. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, BWXT Y-12 established an objective and target as part of their Environmental Management System (EMS) to increase E85 use in the FFV fleet to 80% in FY 2006. BWXT Y‑12 developed and implemented an EMS action plan to achieve this goal and has completed various initiatives to increase the use of bio-based fuels by improving E85 usage rates. Before this project was implemented, FFV drivers at Y-12 could choose between regular gasoline and E85 when they fueled their vehicle at Y-12 fueling stations. When E85 became available to the Y-12 Complex in October 2004, E85 usage rates were lower than expected due to low driver awareness of E85 availability, resistance to change, and possible misconceptions about E85 costs and safety. Beginning in October 2005, Y-12 changed fueling policies and procedures to make it mandatory that all FFV drivers use E85 while on-site. “E-85 Only” decals were placed on FFV gas caps, and large “E-85 85% Ethanol” magnets were added to all FFV’s. Awareness and education on E85 benefits and availability was delivered across the Y-12 Complex. Y-12’s initiatives increased the E85 used by the FFV fleet to 100% by March 2006, and reduced consumption of gasoline by more than 15,500 gallons in FY 2006. E85 usage in June 2006 was greater than that reported for the entire FY 2005. This increased E85 use resulted in elimination of more than 1,100 pounds of toxic air emissions for an overall tail-pipe emission reduction of 39% from emissions if standard gasoline had been used. Use of E85 fuel in FY 2006 resulted in the following emission reductions: nitrogen oxides (NOx) 4.6 lb (10%), volatile organic compounds (VOC) 8.8 lb (15%), carbon monoxide (CO) 1,092 lb (40%), and particulate matter (PM) 1.3 lb (20%). In addition to Y-12’s E85 initiative, in FY 2006 Y-12 established plans, finalized contracts and took steps to prepare the diesel fueling infrastructure to allow conversion of 100% of diesel vehicles to bio-based diesel (B20) during the next fiscal year. Final procurement activities were completed in FY 2006 and Y-12 received the first shipment of bio-based diesel in November 2006. Bio-diesel burns cleaner and is biodegradable, which means it dissipates quickly after a spill. Additional benefits of bio-diesel usage include the following: bio-diesel has a high flashpoint and low volatility so it does not ignite as easily as petroleum‑based diesel, which increases the margin of safety in fuel handling. In fact, it degrades four times faster than petroleum-based diesel and is not particularly soluble in water. Bio-diesel also provides better lubricity than diesel. It is anticipated that use of bio-based diesel (B20) in the Y-12 diesel fleet will further reduce use of petroleum products at Y-12 by at least 6,000 gallons per year, and result in additional reductions in toxic air emissions. These alternative fuel initiatives showed innovation and dedication by Y-12 personnel to find environmentally-friendly products that met specifications, which resulted in a win‑win situation for the Y-12 Complex, the U.S. Department of Energy, the public, and the environment.