Knoxville Postal Vehicle Maintenance employees are shown with Postmaster General Sustainability Award.

KNOXVILLE, TN — Employees at the Knoxville Postal Vehicle Maintenance Facility (VMF) are recipients of the Postmaster General Sustainability Excellence Award for adapting work practices to protect waterways in the Knoxville area. At a recent presentation ceremony, members of the winning team were on hand to receive their award in the category: Environmental Compliance and Conservation.

The award-winning project motto, “Habitat for Local Humanity”, reflected the facility’s strict adherence to postal sustainability policies which resulted in achieving a perfect score on its 2018 Environmental Compliance Review. This is particularly important as vehicle maintenance functions involve managing multiple waste streams and storm water runoff. Working together for a cleaner environment didn’t end there. Lighting at the facility was updated with LED bulbs and fixtures, replacing old mercury vapor systems. This eliminated the waste stream associated with disposal of the old bulbs containing mercury. Additionally, energy use on the work floor was cut in half and in the administrative areas it was cut by two thirds.

The Vehicle Maintenance team members are proud of the positive impact the Postal Service has in communities across the nation. It is their hope they can lead by example by doing the right thing for the environment in Knoxville, and beyond.

Team members included:

• VMF Manager Robert L. Bullard
• Lead Technician Kai C. Devenney
• Storekeeper Nicholas W. Russell
• Manager, Fleet Operations Robert V. Turkovich (retired)
• VMF Supervisor Kevin Lowe
• Lead Technician Robert A. Basil

The Tennessee District serves ZIP Codes 370-374, 376-385 in Tennessee and 307 in northern Georgia.

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The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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