BOISE, Idaho — Members of the Idaho Army and Air National Guard in Boise are ramping up efforts to conserve energy and minimize their environmental impact, yielding accolades and significant savings.
Investment in green technology and large-scale recycling in recent years at the Gowen Field base have kept thousands of tons of paper, plastic, metal and wood out of landfills and earned the base the Air National Guard Pollution Prevention Award in 2010.
Maj. Jim Hawkes tells The Idaho Statesman that going green is a year-round effort that has involved installing more efficient lighting, repurposing munitions from live firing ranges and Dumpster diving to reveal waste patterns.
Using a sprinkler programming system that automatically adjusts to wind, temperature and rain cuts water consumption in half and saves more than $20,000 a year.
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