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An Urban Environmental Management Case Study. Clean Energy and Transportation. City of Seattle Presented by Margaret Pageler Seattle Councilmember and Former Chair of Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. Seattle’s Commitment.
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An Urban Environmental Management Case Study Clean Energy and Transportation City of Seattle Presented by Margaret Pageler Seattle Councilmember and Former Chair of Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
Seattle’s Commitment • Environmental Management Office established in 1999. Role enhanced and office renamed as Office of Sustainability and Environment in 2000. • Earth Day Resolution for clean energy adopted in 2000. • Kyoto goals adopted in 2001. • Ongoing partnership with Puget Sound Clean Air Agency for greenhouse gas reductions and air quality improvements.
Seattle’s Environmental Management System • Policy: Conduct operations in an environmentally & sustainable manner • Regulatory compliance • Reduced use of resources & generation of waste • Lead by example • Environmental Aspects • Water and energy use – buildings and facilities • Air quality – fleet emissions • Waste generation – green, solid and hazardous • Water quality – both water supply system & stormwater management • Land management – watersheds, parks, rights of way, etc.
City programs target key environmental aspects • Energy and water conservation in City facilities • LED traffic signals • Water filtration/recirculation at Zoo’s Penguin Pool • Annual cost savings ~ $575,000; simple payback < 6 years • Use of most toxic & persistent pesticides in City parks eliminated • City owned electric utility • Hydro systems operate with “fish first” policy • Zero net GHG emissions • From 1977 through 1999, conservation programs saved over 5.7 million MWh
And most of these programs deliver multiple environmental and economic benefits • The City’s Natural Lawn program promoted mulching mowers: • Waste reduction: mulching lawn clippings reduces green waste • Water conservation, soil & water quality: mulched clippings improves lawn health – less water and fertilizer use • Air quality and energy savings: clean electric mowers replace polluting 2 cycle gasoline mowers • New market opportunities for local businesses
A focus on the City’s Fleet of more than 3000 cars and trucks • Aspects analysis showed major environmental impacts of City’s fleet: GHGs, toxics, particulates • Consistent with regional impacts: Cars and trucks responsible for nearly 60% of region’s GHG emissions as well as summer smog, particulates and toxics • City initiated Green Fleet program to improve air quality and reduce GHG emissions • Seattle joined regional program – Diesel Solutions – to tackle toxics and particulates
What’s The Problem? • Significant air quality issues: • PM 2.5 • Air toxics • Ozone • Visibility • Climate change
Air toxics and fine particles create significant health risks • National Air Toxics Assessment and local air monitoring in Seattle show 700 in a million cancer risk while Clean Air Act goal is 1 in a million • 70 t0 80% of cancer risk from ambient air is due to diesel exhaust • Fine particle pollution generates asthma attacks, lost work days, early deaths and other health problems • Fine particle pollution also degrades visibility of the mountains and contributes to smog formation
What is being done? Solutions that reduce pollutants and GHG emissions and improve quality of life • Land use policies: reducing sprawl and increasing density • Transportation choices to reduce congestion and single-occupancy vehicles: improved bus service, light rail (?), HOV lanes • Transportation alternatives: improved bike lanes and pedestrian safe and friendly sidewalks; Segways • Cleaner fuels and vehicles: clean diesel, hybrids & CNG • Technology improvements: low RVP gasoline, diesel retrofits • The human factor – less driving!
Puget Sound Diesel Solutions • A voluntary program focused on cleaner diesel and retrofitting trucks and buses with advanced emission control devices • Ultra low sulfur diesel plus retrofits cut toxic emissions by 50% to 90% • A partnership with many local governments and businesses such as Boeing • Partnerships: • Accelerate market transformation • Improve cost effectiveness • Reduced risk for early adopters
CRTTM Particulate Filter Unique Patented Johnson Matthey System Advanced Emission Control System for Heavy Duty Diesel Truck
School Bus Retrofit Program • School kids are exposed to up to 15 times the ambient levels of PM 2.5 when they ride a bus • Seattle School District is working on a fuels and retrofit program for this fall • We are working on funding options with Congress & the State Legislature
For more information about Seattle’s clean energy and transportation programs http:\cityofseattle.net\environment