How to Read
Our Annual Report
2000 Highlights
Letter from
the Postmaster General/CEO
2000 Year
in Review
Delivering
the Future
The Governors
of the Postal Service
Audit Committee
Financial
Section
How to Read
Our Financial Statements
Quick
Find index
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2000 Annual Report
- page 50 of 70
Environmental Matters
Our environmental policy focuses on protecting the environment,
the health and safety of our employees, and the communities in which
we work. For us, concern with the environment is built into everything
we do from the moment we think about doing it. Thus, environmental
issues are an integral part of our planning from the beginning of
any project to its completion. We believe that we can contribute
to our bottom line by reducing pollution and operating costs.
We installed the world's largest commercial fuel cell system in
Anchorage, Alaska. While generating one gigawatt of power, this
system operates virtually pollution free, saving more than 200,000
pounds of air pollution and 5,500 tons of carbon dioxide from entering
the atmosphere each year of operation.
We are purchasing 21,275 flexible fuel vehicles that operate on
ethanol, unleaded gasoline or a combination of both. We also ordered
500 electric vehicles with an option for an additional 5,500.
We developed a benign pressure-sensitive adhesive that, by Presidential
Order, will be used throughout the Federal government. Previously,
adhesives made paper unsuitable for recycling, but with our water-based
adhesive the paper can be recycled. We use 15% of all paper adhesive,
and federal and state governments use 25%. Once these agencies use
this new adhesive, up to 40% of all adhesive paper that is now unfit
for recycling can be recycled.
We built the first straw bale post office in Corrales, New Mexico.
We combined the old-fashioned technique of using bales of straw
as insulation between support beams combined with the latest energy-conservation
systems and recycled materials. The result is a resource-efficient
building that fits the environment of New Mexico while saving on
heating and cooling costs.
Since 1996, we have received a number of awards
for our efforts, including over 50 regional, state and local
awards from environmental regulators, 8 Hammer awards from
Vice President Gore's National Performance Review and 27
White House Closing the Circle awards. But the real credit
for our successful environmental programs must go to our employees
who are integrating environmental leadership into their daily
activities. Awards are nice, but the best reward is implementing
a successful environmental program that pays dividends for
all of us and the communities in which we work and live.
We are involved in various litigation and have unresolved
claims pending related to environmental matters. We believe
that we have made adequate provision in our accounts for the
amounts that may become due under these claims. We are of
the opinion that such liability is not likely to be of significant
importance in relation to our accounts.
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The world's largest fuel cell system
generates 1 gigawatt of power
virtually pollution-free.
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