Fugitive Emissions Working Group

Recent News | Reports and Assessments | FEWG Resources | FEWG Presentations | FEWG Meeting Notes

The Fugitive Emissions Working Group (FEWG) is a network of scientists, engineers, technicians, and environmental professionals representing more than 20 DOE laboratories, power marketing administrations, program offices, and National Nuclear Security Administration facilities. FEWG members share information and best practices in inventory management, monitoring and control technologies, and environmentally preferable substitutes for high-impact fugitive greenhouse gases (GHGs) among the DOE sites.

The FEWG supports Departmental efforts to reduce emissions of high-impact fugitive GHGs such as sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) from DOE operations. In GHG accounting, fugitive emissions are not physically controlled, but result from the intentional or unintentional releases of GHGs. They commonly arise from the production, processing, transmission, storage, and use of fluorinated chemicals, often through joints, seals, packing, and gaskets. SF₆ is the most potent GHG, with a global warming potential nearly 24,000 times greater than carbon dioxide (CO₂).

The FEWG is committed to using science, technology, and effective management to minimize fugitive emissions associated with DOE operations. Thanks to the efforts of FEWG members, DOE reduced its fugitive emissions by almost 40% from 2008 to 2010, largely due to a 42% decrease in SF₆ emissions. These activities avoided the release of more than 600,000 tons of CO₂-equivalent GHGs since 2008. The FEWG plans to cut fugitive emission rates even further in the next few years.

To join the FEWG or request more information, contact Josh Silverman at josh.silverman@hq.doe.gov or (202) 586-6535.

In Recent News

Secretary Chu presents FEWG members with the Secretary's Achievement Award on October 27, 2011.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu presented DOE's Fugitive Emissions Working Group (FEWG) with the Secretary's Achievement Award for uniting more than 20 DOE laboratories, power marketing administrations, and National Nuclear Security Administration facilities in a successful campaign to significantly reduce DOE emissions of the most highly potent greenhouse gases (GHGs). The award is the Department's highest nonmonetary honor for a group or team effort. For more information, see the article in the December 2011 DOE NEPA LLQR and/or the Energy.gov blog post.

Reports and Assessments

• Summary of Available Information on Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF₆) Byproducts and Safety and Health Considerations
  for Handling SF₆, 12/5/12
• A summary of the findings from DOE sites surveyed is located here.
• Fugitive Emissions in 2010 Site Sustainability Plans, Josh Silverman, HSS, FEWG Chair, 4/14/11
• Fugitive Emissions at the Department of Energy: An Overview, Josh Silverman, HSS, FEWG Chair, 9/9/10
   

An article on capturing fugitives to reduce DOE's greenhouse gas emissions is located here.

Fugitive Emissions Working Group Resources

The following presentations were given at FEWG meetings and consist of best practices, reduction and control strategies, problems and solutions, and status updates. The date each presentation was given is provided and additional notes and discussion of the presentations are included in the corresponding Meeting Notes. The most recent material is provided first.

Presentations | Meeting Notes

FEWG Presentations

• Managing SF₆ Emissions at Argonne National Laboratory FY 2012 - A Challenging Year
• Fugitive GHG Emissions Management: Beyond SF₆ (Preliminary Results)
• LLNL SF6 Program Update - 2013, 2/14/2012
• BPA SF₆ Emission Info, 12/2012
• Fermilab's Refrigeration Management Program: Protecting Stratospheric Ozone and Reducing GHG Emissions, FANL, 2/9/12
• FEWG Beyond SF₆: Managing Halocarbon Emissions, Corrie Clark, ANL, 11/15/11
• Controlling Fugitive Emissions to Achieve GHG Reduction Goals, Josh Silverman, HSS, FEWG Chair, Presented at 2011 GreenGov Symposium, Climate Risk & Resilience � Session 4: Comprehensive Climate Metrics, 11/1/11
• Controlling Fugitive Emissions to Achieve GHG Reduction Goals, Josh Silverman, HSS, FEWG Chair, Presented at ISM Workshop, 9/15/11
• The Science Daily: Under-Reported Greenhouse Gas Statistics? Sketchy Emission Reports Revealed by Swiss Measurements, 9/8/11
• Reducing Sulfur Hexafluoride Use at LANSCE, Hank Alvestad, LANL, LANSCE, 9/8/11
• LLNL SF₆ Management, Warren Rued, LLNL, 6/9/11
• Managing SF₆ Emissions at ANL, Gregg Kulma, ANL, 6/9/11
• Chemical Fume Hood Commissioning: SF₆ vs. N₂O, Peter Pohlot, BNL, 5/12/11
• Fume Hood Performance Testing with Simultaneous Use of Both Nitrous Oxide and Sulfur Hexafluoride through a Single ASHRAE Standard 110 Ejector, Martin Burke, TSS, Inc., 5/12/11
• The Brookhaven Tandem Van de Graaff Facility, Chuck Carlson, BNL, 4/14/11
• Reducing SF₆ Emissions @ PPPL, Keith Rule, PPPL, 2/10/11
• WAPA SF₆ Program Presentation, Gene Iley, WAPA, 1/13/11
• SF₆ Utilization at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility, Alan Tatum, ORNL, 11/16/10
• SF₆ Emissions Management at Jefferson Lab, Kevin Jordan, JLab, 11/16/10
• Progress Report on SF₆ Emissions Management, Greg Barrett, ANL, 10/14/10
• Sandia National Laboratories Overview: SF₆ Emissions Overview, Joanna Eckstein and Penny Avery, SNL/NM, 10/14/10
• SF₆ Emission Reduction, Steve Lowder, BPA, 9/9/10
• Reducing Fugitive Emissions of SF₆ at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Kirk Stoddard, SLAC, 9/9/10
   

FEWG Meeting Notes

• September 13, 2012
• April 12, 2012
• February 9, 2012
• November 15, 2011
• September 8, 2011
• June 9, 2011
• May 12, 2011
• April 14, 2011
• February 10, 2011
• January 13, 2011
• November 16, 2010
• October 14, 2010
• September 9, 2010
   

For additional information regarding this page or feedback on its content, please contact: Josh Silverman.