FederalDaily - October 27, 2005
AF Leads in Green Power
The Air Force (AF) won the 2005 Green Power Leadership Award on Oct. 24. Bases
like Dyess Air Force Base (AFB), Texas , and Fairchild AFB, Wash. —both
which receive 100 percent of their energy from wind or other renewable energy
power sources—helped the earn the award. The Environmental Protection
Agency, the Department of Energy and the Center for Resource Solutions sponsor
the annual awards to recognize organizations whose actions help advance
the development of the nation’s green power market. According to the
AF, it is now the largest purchaser of renewable power in the federal government.
During fiscal 2004, 10 AFBs collectively purchased more than 320
gigawatt hours of renewable energy certificates. That accounted for 41
percent of all green power purchased by the federal government, the AF said.
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Agencies Unite to Address Oil on Federal Lands
The Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, the Environmental Protection
Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a memorandum of understanding
(MOU) to enhance interagency coordination regarding the processing of permits
for oil and gas projects on federal lands. The MOU creates seven pilot offices
where the agencies’ staffs will work together as a single unit. The pilot
offices are located in five states. “I am confident that the pilot offices
will be ready for business soon,” said Interior Secretary Gale Norton.
The MOU also details requirements for how agencies will work together and be
funded. After a three-year period, the Department of the Interior will report
the results of the pilot project to Congress.
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New Team of Senators Focuses on Government Spending
Seven Senators on Oct. 25 announced the formation of Fiscal Watch, a team
of senators devoted to reducing government spending. The senators also unveiled
specific budget savings to offset the new spending obligations created by hurricanes
Katrina and Rita. “We can properly support victims of hurricanes Katrina
and Rita without creating a net increase in government spending,” said
Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan. He also proposed creating a bipartisan commission
called the Commission on the Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies
(CARFA) that would look for wasteful, duplicative, and outdated government
programs and agencies. Brownback’s proposed CARFA is modeled on the Base
Realignment and Closure Commission that reviews military bases.
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Federal Property House Cleaning
The House Government Reform Committee held a meeting on Oct. 26 to mark up
the Federal Real Property Disposal Pilot Program and Management Improvement
Act of 2005, H.R. 3134. The bill would authorize the creation of a Federal
Real Property Disposal Pilot Program to permit the expedited disposal of excess
property, surplus property or under-performing property. The federal government’s
real estate portfolio has more than 3.2 billion square feet in nearly 525,000
buildings valued at more than $328 billion. According to the House committee,
many of the properties are in disrepair, lack updated technological infrastructure,
pose health and safety threats and no longer meet the federal government’s
needs.
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