For immediate release

Dan DeMiglio (415) 536-6490 or page (888) 341-2709, USPS
Mike Fanning (202) 268-3364, USPS
Valerie Welsch (817) 317-3553, Ft. Worth, TX

U.S. Postal Service honored with White House Closing the Circle Award

Ft. Worth "green" postal station first-of-its-kind in the nation

FORT WORTH, TX -- The Postal Service has been honored with a 1999 White House Closing the Circle award for its environmental post office in Ft. Worth, TX. The prestigious award, given annually to federal agencies for their contributions to a clean and safe environment, will be presented to the Postal Service, along with two other 1999 Closing the Circle awards, at a special ceremony in Washington, DC on June 1.

The Eighth Avenue Station looks a lot like any other post office from the outside and offers the usual line of products and services to its customers, but what customers don't see is what makes this station unique. This new design concept for post offices features the efficient and sustainable use of natural resources while creating a building that provides a healthy indoor environment for customers and employees. From its natural landscaping and rainwater harvesting system, to the compressed wheat straw wall construction, energy efficient heating, cooling, and lighting systems, and use of recycled content materials, this "green" post office supports and protects the environment. The use of these recycled materials and energy efficient systems fosters the use of natural resources and promotes pollution prevention.

Located at 2600 Eighth Avenue in Ft. Worth, this new environmental post office will test and compare green materials and systems to standard construction materials and systems in cost, availability, performance, and aesthetics. The Postal Service has already incorporated many green strategies into its design and construction program; however, this post office pushes the envelope. Lessons learned from this project will be adapted to future construction projects.

This post office of the future is another example of the role the Postal Service plays as a national award-winning environmental leader. "The Postal Service takes the environment as seriously as it does delivering your mail, so that makes us very proud to receive these awards," said Dennis Baca, manager, Environmental Management Policy for the Postal Service. "As a responsible public agency and major builder, we recognize the positive role we can play in promoting environmental responsibility. The Postal Service is committed to being a good environmental neighbor in all the communities it serves."