by Shane Henson — September 24, 2012—CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company recently announced that it has worked with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to achieve the first LEED GOLD certification for sustainable design at the 200 West Pump and Treat groundwater treatment plant at the Hanford Site in southeast Washington state, said to be the largest environmental cleanup project in the nation. CH2M HILL is the prime contractor for the safe, environmental cleanup of contaminated groundwater in the Central Plateau of the Columbia River at the Hanford Site.
Established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program is an internationally recognized green building certification system that rates buildings on criteria such as energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction, and indoor air quality. Gold Certification is the second-highest benchmark set by the USGBC for high-performance green buildings.
The new groundwater treatment plant at the Hanford Site is setting a new standard for environmental sustainability, as evidenced by its high rating. The building’s efficient design is expected to result in an energy cost savings of more than 70 percent over the life of the facility. Electric energy savings should amount to 317,470 kilowatt hours per year, or enough energy to power nearly 28 American households, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates.
The facility is designed to treat contaminated groundwater beneath the center of the Hanford Site. Construction of the Pump and Treat system was completed in just two years—two months ahead of schedule and $41.4 million under budget, says the DOE.
The building will meet new DOE-mandated green building standards that address site sustainability, water efficiency, renewable energy, conservation of materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality, putting the concept of sustainability into practice.
