NASA honored more than 40 people with “Blue Marble” awards for environmental quality and energy and water management at NASA’s Langley Research Center.

The agency’s chief of strategic infrastructure presented the awards during a ceremony at Langley May 8.

Thirteen people on the Langley Sustainable Demolition Team received the 2012 NASA Environmental Quality Group Award. The team was formed to plan the demolition or “deconstruction” of several older facilities at Langley using environmentally friendly methods, including the recycling of materials. Twenty-nine employees on the Langley New Town Phase I Design-Building Team received the 2012 NASA Excellence in Energy and Water Management Group Award. That team was created to plan construction of a new building at Langley, which was completed in 2011 and features numerous conservation technologies and practices.

Officials from NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., participating in the award ceremony included Olga Dominguez, assistant administrator for strategic infrastructure, and James Leatherwood, director of environmental management.

“One of the things about a Blue Marble Award is that it’s hard to get one,” Dominguez said. “That Langley gets two is a testament to the work that you are doing. It’s wonderful to see how Langley, over the past 5-6 years has kind of blossomed.”

James Leatherwood, Director, Environmental Management Division (on group awards): “This shows that this place works as a team.”

Go here for image, nasa.gov article: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_bluemarble.html

For more information about Langley go to http://www.nasa.gov/langley