Virginia: VPA’s Overall Sustainability Program Wins Gold Medal Award

The environmental and sustainability program that governs all of the cargo terminals owned, leased and operated by the Virginia Port Authority has won a gold medal in this year’s Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards. 

The award recognizes organizations or facilities that can document the success of their sustainability program by providing evidence of: 1) a culture of environmental sustainability; 2) recent accomplishments related to reducing their environmental footprint; and 3) a commitment to future sustainability-oriented actions. 

"Winners in this category will be those that have made sustainability an integral part of their organizational culture through leadership, innovation and continual improvement. The sustainability award form provides applicants multiple ways to document that their organization is operating in a sustainable manner,” said a statement on judging criteria from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. 

Heather Wood, the VPA’s director of environmental affairs, developed the program working with port operations people, regional environmental organizations, port stakeholders and government agencies. She says the program’s greatest benefit has been a "cultural shift” that has made environment and safety key factors in operational decisions at the marine terminals.  

The VPA’s sustainability program has been more than a decade in the making. Its container terminals are certified under the standards set forth in the ISO 14001 environmental certification process. Many programs are voluntary and provide incentives to partners and service providers to improve sustainability of their operations. 

Measurable results include: 

• An annual sustained 30 percent reduction in air emissions. 
• An annual sustained 40 percent reduction in water quality impacts from marine terminal operations. 
• The creation, restoration and preservation of 50 combined acres of forested riparian buffer, tidal and non-tidal wetlands, open space, shallow water habitat and oyster reefs, with an additional 170 acres planned over the next decade. 
• Recent energy conservation measures that have resulted in a 40 percent decline in utility costs from port security operations and HVAC and lighting improvements at Norfolk International Terminals. 

The Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards recognize the significant contributions of environmental and conservation leaders in three categories: environmental projects, environmental programs and land conservation. They are given to businesses and industrial facilities, not-for-profit organizations and government agencies. 

The awards were presented April 10 during an evening ceremony at the Environment Virginia Symposium hosted by the Virginia Military Institute. 

American Association of Port Authorities
Asociación Americana de Autoridades Portuarias
1201 Maryland Ave SW, Suite 860, Washington, D.C. 20024
E: info@aapa-ports.org
W: www.aapa-ports.org