Facilities/Construction
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The three biggest landlords in the federal government don't know how much federal agencies are actually using their own property. The Government Accountability Office reports one thinks almost all of its warehouses are in use, when in reality some of them are sitting empty and forgotten. David Wise is Director of Physical Infrastructure Issues at the GAO. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he shared the latest results in the ongoing effort to rightsize the federal real property portfolio.
November 17, 2014 -
Green investments to federal buildings are showing double-digit energy savings, according to the General Services Administration. They're looking at the effects of some energy upgrades. Ruth Cox is a senior sustainability official, and Walter Tersch is a program analyst at the General Services Administration. On In Depth with Francis Rose, they broke down the success of the green updates.
November 12, 2014 -
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has said he wants to increase security at federal buildings. But the FPS, the agency responsible for doing so, may not be up to the task. GAO's Mark Goldstein said the FPS has a number of long-standing problems to solve before it can adequately protect anyone.
November 05, 2014 -
The government wants to go green and it's soliciting employee suggestions to help do it. It's a top-to-bottom effort though, as federal agencies also released their annual sustainability plans and the President announced a new GreenGov Symposium.
November 04, 2014 -
After a gunman opened fire at Canada's National War Memorial and Parliament, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said he wants to beef up security at federal buildings. But as Mark Goldstein, GAO's director of physical infrastructure issues, explained on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin, more security means a greater workload for the Federal Protective Service. Reports from the Government Accountability Office show the small agency isn't always prepared for new threats.
November 04, 2014 -
WASHINGTON (AP) — Security will be increased at various federal government buildings in Washington and other major American cities, the Homeland Security Department announced Tuesday in what it described as a “precautionary step.” The move…
October 29, 2014 -
By the end of next year, the Army will install advanced electric meters at most of its large buildings, giving the service much more detailed data on how it uses energy than it's ever seen before.
October 23, 2014 -
Thieves would like GSA's new open-floor design, the inspector general finds.
October 20, 2014 -
Phase two of the Department of Homeland Security's $4.5 billion renovation project at St. Elizabeths is moving forward. The General Services Administration on Tuesday awarded two construction companies with a contract that will help consolidate the agency's office space.
October 01, 2014 -
When the General Services Administration wanted to move about 60 Broadcasting Board of Governors employees from a building close by to one several blocks away, the BBG seized the opportunity. The agency countered with a plan to renovate the offices on the fourth floor of the Wilbur J. Cohen Building. Phase one of the new open-office plan is almost complete and is changing the interior look of the 76-year-old building. André Mendes is director of Global Operations at BBG. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss how he settled into his new office.
September 29, 2014 -
The Army needs big solutions if it wants to generate as much energy as it consumes by 2020. It's using the Fort Carson Army base in Colorado Springs as a testing ground for the Net-Zero Energy Initiative. The General Services Administration identifies four ideas that could help Fort Carson reach big energy breakthroughs. It's also partnering with the Army and Energy Department to measure Fort Carson's progress so far. Ken Sandler is the sustainability and green building advisor within the Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings at GSA. He told In Depth with Francis Rose what Fort Carson has done so far.
September 24, 2014 -
House Homeland Security Committee lawmakers and GAO highlighted funding shortfalls and a need to update plans. Meanwhile, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs majority issued a report detailing why its research shows Congress should make the DHS headquarters consolidation project a priority.
September 22, 2014 -
Lawmaker asks National Security Director James Clapper to take action against the tax- delinquents and inform them that their potentially harmful financial behaviors put the nation's security at risk.
August 27, 2014 -
If the General Services Administration wants to swap its underutilized assets for private sector properties, it needs to provide more detailed information to potential responders, says a new Government Accountability Office report.
August 26, 2014 -
Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, says shrinking forces won't be enough to match sequestration-level budgets.
August 19, 2014