U.S. Postal Service Employee Wins EPA Award

EPA Honors Significant Contributions Toward Protecting and Enhancing the Environment

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — U.S. Postal Service Environmental Specialist Patrick Langsjoen was among 40 recipients of the 2009 Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 Environmental Achievement Award. The ceremony, honoring Langsjoen and his fellow awardees, took place today in downtown San Francisco.

“I am both professionally and personally honored to be receiving a 2009 EPA Region 9 Environmental Achievement Award,” Langsjoen said.

Langsjoen was recognized for his exceptional work and commitment to protecting the environment. Among his many achievements, and perhaps his most notable, was his proactive leadership role in transitioning the 31,000 Postal delivery vehicles in the Pacific Area to the use of lead-free wheel weights. This effort alone reduced workplace occupational lead exposure by over five tons, and eliminated a quarter ton of lead from entering the environment each year. Langsjoen’s lead-free wheel weight initiative served as the catalyst to transition the entire USPS delivery fleet of 215,000 vehicles to lead-free wheel weights, which when fully implemented, will eliminate as much as 37 tons of lead from entering the environment.

“It is a great pleasure and honor that we can recognize the innovative and important environmental work achieved by this year’s impressive group of organizations and individuals, and the example they set for all of us to follow,” said Laura Yoshii, the U.S. EPA's acting administrator for the Pacific Southwest region. “This year's winners and nominees have made superb efforts to protect and preserve our air, water and land, and increased awareness of the environmental challenges we all face.”

Each year, the EPA celebrates and recognizes outstanding environmental advocates who have made a significant contribution toward enhancing and protecting the quality of the environment. Langsjoen was selected from among 200 nominees from businesses, government officials, tribes, media, environmental organizations and community activists.

In addition to the lead-free wheel weight initiative, Langsjoen was recognized for his proactive and innovative efforts in reducing the environmental footprint of the U.S. Postal Service. Based out of San Francisco, he provides environmental support to field units on a breadth of multi-media compliance issues, including recycling, environmental compliance and storm water runoff quality. Langsjoen was also instrumental in implementing a number of sustainability initiatives including establishing the San Francisco Vehicle Maintenance Facility as a “Clean and Green” site.