Personnel presented environmental award

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  The United States Environmental Protection Agency has recognized a Hanscom employee with an environmental award for his efforts with the base's commuter program.

Scott Sheehan, an environmental engineer with the 66th Civil Engineering Division, received an Environmental Merit Award this week during an awards ceremony at Faneuil Hall in Boston. Anna Maherakis, MIT Lincoln Laboratory's transportation coordinator, and Jodie Hollister, New England account manager for vRide, included in the HanscomRIDES nomination with Sheehan, were also recognized.

"At Hanscom Air Force Base, we take our environmental responsibilities very seriously," said Chris Simpson, chief of Environmental Engineering at Hanscom. "This award is a credit to the efforts of Scott, Anna and Jodie, who are committed to making New England a healthy place to live."

According to the EPA, the annual award recognizes outstanding environmental advocates who have made significant contributions toward preserving and protecting natural resources throughout New England.

"Scott, Anna and Jodie spent countless hours per week building and promoting the commuter program for members of the workforces of Hanscom and MIT Lincoln Laboratory," said Simpson, who nominated the trio. "Their efforts have proven to be a tremendous success. The number of vanpools operating at Hanscom and MIT Lincoln Lab has grown exponentially in the first year of the program. Recently we were contacted by the 128 Business Council for advice."

Currently more than 320 employees ride to and from Hanscom in approximately 50 vans throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

"The result of this program is that approximately 4.6 million miles per year are avoided on Massachusetts and New Hampshire roadways," said Simpson. "Additionally, the amount of gallons saved in gasoline is in excess of 200,000 per year."

Simpson also estimates that single occupancy commuter trips eliminated are in excess of 175,000. He added that the base has up to 250 fewer vehicles commuting to the installation Monday through Friday.

"Based on all that data, we estimate that greenhouse gas emissions have been cut by 4.6 million pounds per year," he said. "That's significant and something the Hanscom commuter management team is very proud of."

The Environmental Merit Awards are awarded in the categories of individual; business (including professional organizations); local, state or federal government; and environmental, community, academia or nonprofit organization. In addition, each year EPA presents lifetime achievement awards for individuals.

To learn more about the Hanscom commuter program, visit https://cs.eis.afmc.af.mil/sites/Hanscom/commuter/default.aspx or contact Robert Spelfogel at 781-225-6913 or Sheehan at 781-225-6144.