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EPA cuts its own energy use

Oct 08 ,Space & Earth science


In response to the President Bush's directive to federal agencies to conserve energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is turning down its thermostat.

The EPA is taking immediate actions to conserve natural gas, electricity, gasoline and diesel fuel in all its Washington buildings, said EPA head Stephen L. Johnson.

Actions that EPA is taking include: adjusting the temperatures in EPA buildings to an average of 68 degrees F; removing unnecessary light bulbs in some hallways; turning off the historic fountains in the courtyard areas; and limiting courtyard lighting at night and turning it off during the day.

"Day in and day out, we at EPA are protecting our nation's shared environment and conserving our country's precious resources," Johnson said in a statement Friday. "By taking actions, both big and small, to reduce our facilities' energy usage, we are responding to the president's call to conserve and promoting the common-sense efforts we can all make as individuals to reduce our energy demand."

Copyright 2005 by United Press International

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