David Brahm (left), assistant director of Facilities Management, supervises groundskeeper Phil Hammond as he makes repairs to the recycled water system. One of Facilities Management’s four electric carts used by the repair crew is in the background.
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While The UT Health Science Center San Antonio recently instituted a Green Initiative Task Force to examine ways to become more energy efficient, the Health Science Center has already been recognized with national, state and local awards in recent years for its efforts to adopt environmentally friendly policies and procedures.

Prestigious national award for ‘green’ initiatives
The most recent recognition is the 2008 Practice Greenhealth Environmental Leadership Circle award. This is the premier award for environmental excellence presented by Practice Greenhealth, the leading national organization for the health care sector. Only 27 institutions in the U.S. received the leadership circle award in 2008.

“The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has been a member of Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, a partner in Practice Greenhealth, for a number of years,” said Mike Charlton, Ph.D., assistant vice president for risk management and safety. “The reason we are members and participate is that we feel we can provide great patient care and an excellent clinical environment while also being responsible stewards of the environment.

First university to install mercury amalgam removal system
“In 2001 we were the first academic institution in the United States to install a mercury amalgam removal system. This won a State of Texas Environmental Excellence award in 2002,” Dr. Charlton said. “We also received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency in 2003 for removing all kinds of clinical and research equipment that contain mercury, such as thermometers and blood pressure cuffs, from our clinical areas and exchanging them for ones that do not use mercury. San Antonio has a number of special environmental factors, such as our aquifer, that call for extra care and responsibility. By being a better environmental partner, we are helping to keep San Antonio ‘green’ for the future.”

Mike Gilmer, safety manager in Environmental Health and Safety, explained, “We have programs to recycle hazardous and nonhazardous waste, improve air quality, use recycled water for landscaping and educate Health Science Center employees on how to properly dispose of waste materials.” Information about these programs is on the Environmental Health and Safety Web site.

Health Science Center ‘green’ initiatives
Below is a summary of some of the Health Science Center’s “green” initiatives:

• Water recycling — “The Health Science Center reduced domestic water consumption by an astounding 20 million gallons from January through September this year by employing recycled water for landscaping purposes," Dr. Charlton said, on the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Campus and Greehey Academic and Research Campus (GARC). The program will be extended to the Medical Arts and Research Center and South Texas Research Facility, as well as the Cancer Therapy & Research Center. “This is a significant savings of tap water at a lower water rate than we would have paid for potable water,” Gilmer added. The automatic sprinkler system, which uses purple sprinkler heads to indicate that the water is not suitable for drinking, has sensors that shut it off when one-quarter inch or more of rain is detected.
  
• More efficient boilers — In October, the boiler in the central energy plant on the Long Campus was retrofitted with a burner designed to reduce emissions. The new burner reduces nitrous oxide emissions by 67 percent. This is part of a continuing planned upgrade of boilers on Health Science Center campuses and marks the second upgrade for boiler emissions in the past five years. Future plans include heat recovery equipment on an existing boiler to increase efficiency from 81 percent to 89 percent, saving 35,696,359 cubic feet of gas per year, and replacing the boiler on the GARC with an even more energy efficient and emissions-reducing “super boiler” in 2010, Gilmer said.
  
• Office equipment recycling program — Batteries used in office equipment at the Health Science Center are recycled, including those used in research and medical instruments, laptop computers and cell phones. Employees are encouraged to recycle ink cartridges and toner in the boxes provided when they are purchased or to drop them in recycling boxes located around campus.
  
• Scrap metal recycling and reuse — Scrap metal from renovation work, including studs, ductwork, old motors and copper wire, are recycled or reused.
  
• Campus vehicles — According to law, the auto shop recycles Freon, motor oil, antifreeze, filters, batteries and tires. In addition, Facilities Management has purchased a hybrid car and the repair crew now uses four electric carts to drive to locations on the Long Campus.
  
• Cleaning products — The housekeeping staff uses seven cleaning products certified as “green” products, according to Robert Ross, assistant director of Facilities Management.
  
• Landscaping — As permanent flower beds are renovated, the landscaping staff incorporates xeriscape plants, including cactus and yucca, which need little to no irrigation, said David Brahm, assistant director of Facilities Management. The staff is using more insecticide soaps and dormant horticultural oils instead of traditional insecticides whenever possible. Tree branches are mulched for use in landscaping beds.

To submit suggestions for other “green” initiatives on campus, please contact Christine Fuhler, (210) 567-7105.