- Using 1 gas mower for 1 hour is equivalent to driving 1 car 140 miles.
CLEAN AIR MATTERS
Fall 2002 Edition
In this issue:
- Winter forecast: Firing up wood-burning education
- New transit, school partners fuel growth of Diesel Solutions program
- Commentary: What? My chimney smoke is green?
- Fort Lewis gives new meaning to "Army green" with innovative environmental program
- Scientists link fine particles with lung cancer, heart disease
Winter forecast: Firing up wood-burning education
Pollution from fine particles is associated with more health effects than any other air pollutant. And in wintertime, burning wood indoors causes two thirds of harmful fine-particle pollution. When winter inversions clamp a lid on our airshed, pollution levels can exceed federal health standards.
The Clean Air Agency has taken a three-pronged approach to addressing indoor wood burning:
- Developing new tools to help us predict when pollution will rise so much that we need to issue a burn ban to protect public health (see What is a burn ban? on Page 3).
- Developing new programs to encourage people to switch from old uncertified wood stoves and uncertified fireplace inserts to cleaner burning devices.
- Using surveys to evaluate the success of wood-burning education and outreach programs.
Two new e-tools mean better forecasts
Two recently developed tools — a computerized graphing program and a meteorological model — help us track current air-quality, interpret pollution trends and prepare increasingly accurate air-quality forecasts.
One graph is worth a thousand numbers
Launched last March, the first tool is a graphing program developed by Ken Knowle, agency computer systems analyst. The graphs show changes in air quality almost as it is happening at a number of moni-toring stations simultaneously.
Before, if our air-quality meteorologists wanted to look at real-time data, they had to look at daily computer printouts packed with numbers on each pollutant for each monitoring station. Now, the meteorologists can look at one picture — each one “worth a thousand numbers” — to determine real-time air-quality levels.
The graphs are also worth a thousand words — for example, their easy-to-read format shows how burning wood in winter affects residential neighborhoods, especially in the evenings. They give us much more information than 24-hour averages, which mask the more harmful peaks
Model increases accuracy of forecasts
The second tool is a new computerized meteorological model that produces more accurate indications of our regional weather patterns than was possible several years ago. The model is tailored to reflect the influence of the Olympics, Cascades, Puget Sound and other topographic features.
A regional consortium of agencies paid for the model’s development.
The University of Washington and National Weather Service provided most
technical support. The Clean Air Agency provided leadership, the stimulus
to design new user-friendly products and financial resources. 
New indoor-burning programs “under construction”
This fall, we are designing new indoor-burning projects based on recommendations from two advisory groups. In 1999, we completed a stakeholder process focusing on fine-particle pollution (scientists call it PM2.5). In addition to making a number of recommendations on ways to reduce pollution from other sources of fine particles, the participants recommended we take certain steps to reduce wood-burning.
This year, we convened a task force to advise us on the best ways to implement those steps, because some affected groups and agencies were not represented in the stakeholder process. On that task force were representatives from the residential construction industry, hearth products businesses, real estate, environmental interests, city and county planners, fire officials, public health advocates and others.
Task force recommends four programs
The task force’s final report, with detailed plans, likely will be presented to our Board of Directors in October. The report covers four program areas:
- A registration program for uncertified wood-burning devices.
- Disclosure and education when homes are sold. Sellers would be required to disclose the presence of uncertified wood stoves and fireplace inserts. Home inspectors and realtors would be educated about health concerns and regulations regarding uncertified devices. Home inspectors would be taught how to identify uncertified devices.
- Work with cities and counties to encourage gas-burning devices instead of wood-burning devices in new residential developments if natural gas is available.
- Financial incentives to encourage homeowners to replace uncertified wood stoves and fireplace inserts with low-polluting devices.
We expect to launch several of those programs this fall and others in 2003, after we adopt new regulations and obtain authorization from the state Legislature for disclosure of uncertified devices.
Survey shows fewer people are burning wood, more using gas or propane
We contracted with Gilmore Research to analyze wood-burning activities. Their survey shows that fewer people are burning wood and more are using low-polluting devices. In addition, more people are willing to curtail indoor wood burning. While only 43 percent of people said they have voluntarily restricted indoor burning because of impaired air quality, 90 percent said they would be willing to do so.
We’ll use the next survey to evaluate the success of the four new programs.
Online resources
Air Quality Now and Air Quality Forecast
Indoor burning, burn bans, certified wood stoves
Puget Sound Air Quality Survey, April 2002
New transit, school partners fuel growth of Diesel Solutions program
Diesel Solutions, our award-winning voluntary program to make diesel vehicles in this region up to 90 percent cleaner, is steadily growing. Three transit agencies and several school districts have joined the program, current partners are expanding their use of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel and retrofit devices, and fuel prices are dropping. The fuel and retrofit devices significantly reduce fine-particle, hydrocarbon and toxic emissions from diesel engines.
New partners join program
Three transit agencies have become partners in Diesel Solutions: Community Transit, Kitsap Transit and Sound Transit.
- Community Transit has begun using ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel at one of its two bus bases and will be converting the second base to the fuel next year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Detroit Diesel are funding retrofits of about 20 buses. Community Transit plans to retrofit its entire fleet over the next several years and purchase new buses equipped with advanced particle filters.
- Kitsap Transit has new buses with particle filters on order and began using ultra-low-sulfur diesel in its entire fleet last month. In addition, we are giving the agency a $100,000 grant for retrofits of existing buses.
- Sound Transit is retrofitting a group of 10 buses with particle filters with the assistance of EPA and Detroit Diesel, using funding we arranged. Next year, Sound Transit plans to use ultra-low-sulfur diesel and to retrofit 90 express buses with particle filters.
Partnerships with school bus fleets grow
We have been working with several partners to make school buses cleaner through Diesel Solutions with EPA grant funding.
- The Everett School District and its contractor, Durham School Services, have equipped 15 school buses with oxidation catalysts and five with particle filters and are using ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel.
- The Puyallup Tribe and the Federal General Services Administration will be retrofitting the Chief Leschi School fleet with oxidation catalysts later this year, with assistance from an EPA grant we worked to obtain. The 28 buses will use ultra-low-sulfur diesel.
We are actively seeking additional school fleet partners and expect to receive as much as $1 million more in EPA funding for this effort. The Seattle School District is interested in using ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel and doing a bus retrofit program if additional funding can be obtained. We are also organizing an effort to seek funding from the state Legislature for a statewide school bus cleanup program.
Port’s trucks using ultra-low-sulfur fuel
Haul trucks working at the Port of Seattle’s third runway project have been using ultra-low-sulfur diesel since summer. Recently, heavy construction equipment involved in airport terminal construction for the Port also began using ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel.
King County using more fuel, retrofitting transit buses
- The King County Council in August approved an expansion of Metro’s efforts to reduce diesel soot. King County Metro has begun using ultra-low-sulfur diesel at all bases (previously, Metro was using it at the East Base only). It will also be retrofitting 400 buses with particle traps.
- King County Solid Waste plans to begin using ultra-low-sulfur diesel for its heavy-duty equipment next year, including bulldozers, compactors, graders, scrapers and tractor-trailers.
Diesel fuel prices drop
The price of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel has dropped for several of our partners. When Diesel Solutions began, the extra cost for refining and transporting the fuel from Ferndale was about 15 cents per gallon. Recently, costs have dropped. Fuel delivered to the Seattle area under the state contract is now 10 cents per gallon higher than conventional diesel.
Also, Phillips Petroleum has expressed a willingness to run test batches of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel in the Olympic Pipeline. If the tests are successful, the fuel would be available in Renton. Users would not have to send delivery trucks to Ferndale for fuel, and delivery costs would drop several more cents.
Seattle sharing its experience with other fleet operators
The City of Seattle is making great progress in equipping its diesel fleets with retrofit devices. The city switched to ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel over a year ago and has been aggressively working to have a cleaner diesel fleet. It recently contracted to have oxidation catalysts and particle filters installed on several hundred city trucks.
The City has also hosted visits from other fleet operators interested in seeing the retrofit devices in operation and learning from city mechanics and fleet managers how the equipment is working.
Commentary: What? My chimney smoke is green?
With cool fall and winter days approaching, you may be looking forward to a cozy fire in your wood stove or fireplace. When you get that first fire going, go outside and check the color of your chimney smoke. Is it light gray, dark gray, pale or dense? If it's any of these, look closer. You should be seeing green because smoke is unburned fuel — fuel that you paid for with your hard-earned dollars or your time. That's your money going up the chimney.
And that smoke represents more than just wasted fuel; it's also harmful to those breathing it. The tiny particles that make up smoke can be inhaled deep into our lungs and are coated with cancer-causing agents. Some people are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of breathing wood smoke. These include babies and children whose lungs are still developing, people over 50, asthmatics, and people with heart disease or other respiratory diseases.
Do you know for sure that none of your neighbors will be adversely affected by your wood smoke? Do you know for sure that there are no babies, asthmatic children, or people with emphysema downwind?
The easiest way to deal with this smoke issue is to not create it.
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, think about converting it to gas (natural gas or propane). Or at least switch to manufactured logs. These logs burn with much less smoke than firewood.
If you have a wood stove or are thinking about purchasing one, consider a gas stove for cleanliness (no need to haul wood, bugs and spiders into and through the house), convenience (some even come with remotes) and no smoke.
And if you do burn firewood, you can lower emissions by burning only clean, dry wood in a small hot fire, making sure the fire has plenty of air.
Enjoy the approaching change of seasons. And if you plan on a fire for your hearth, make it as clean as possible for the health of your family, your neighbors and your pocketbook.
Fort Lewis gives new meaning to "Army green" with innovative environmental program
An unusual mix of sustainability theorists and military personnel has resulted in one of the first programs at a U.S. Army installation to focus on environmental sustainability. Fort Lewis in Tacoma launched its Installation Sustainability Program in February 2002.
One of the largest entities to receive a comprehensive Air Operating Permit from the Clean Air Agency, Fort Lewis is using its environmental program to move the 86,176-acre Army post to a point where environmental problems are solved before they are created.
Second post to produce plan
In 2001, the U.S. Armed Forces Command directed installations to develop sustainability programs. Fort Lewis is the second Army post to produce a plan under this directive (Fort Bragg in North Carolina was the first).
“Our intention is to fulfill our major mission of training soldiers without jeopardizing the ability of our neighbors and surrounding communities to have a productive future as well,” said Col. Richard Conte, Fort Lewis director of public works. “Rather than being reactive to compliance and regulation issues, we want to be proactive.”
25-year goals developed at workshop
The Fort Lewis Installation Sustainability Program has 25-year goals in five areas: air, energy, water, training lands and materials (for example, recycling and reusing materials to achieve zero net waste).
The goals were developed last February at a three-day workshop facilitated by Alan AtKisson (sic), a sustainability theorist and planner, and attended by representatives from a number of Fort Lewis directorates, McChord Air Force Base, the National Guard, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Washington State, Pierce County, Clean Cities Coalition and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. The attendees developed 25-year goals and later established five-year (2002-2007) and Fiscal Year 2003 objectives for each goal.
“In the area of air quality, Fort Lewis is going way beyond what Clean Air Agency regulations require and way beyond the traditional emission sources such as boilers, paint booths and gas stations,” said Jim Nolan, Clean Air Agency compliance director. “Fort Lewis personnel are designing and implementing projects to reduce emissions from all operations at the installation and to sustain operations well into the future. It’s an impressive, innovative effort.”
Installation takes on three challenging air-quality goals for 2025
The Fort Lewis installation has three air-quality sustainability goals for 2025:
- Goal 1: Reduce traffic congestion and air emissions by 85 percent.
- Goal 2: Reduce air pollution from training without a reduction in training activity.
- Goal 3: Reduce stationary-source air emissions by 85 percent.
Goal 1
This goal has resulted in some immediate successes. “We are well on our way to meeting several Goal 1 objectives for 2007,” said Sherri Whiteman, air program manager for the Fort Lewis Public Works Environmental Office. “We now have eight neighborhood electric vehicles and six more on order. We will have an alternative fueling station in place by 2007 for use by both our personnel and the surrounding community. And we are ordering alternatively fueled vehicles from GSA as we replace our fleet.”
The neighborhood electric vehicles travel up to 25 miles per hour and produce zero emissions. Though they aren’t legal elsewhere in the state yet, they are legal on Fort Lewis’ roads. “We’re like a city, with lots of buildings and many people traveling from one building to another. Since short trips and frequent cold starts cause more pollution than long trips, those electric vehicles will have a positive impact,” said Whiteman.
Goal 2
Figuring out how to reduce air pollution during training exercises is the most challenging goal. The two largest pollutants are fog oil for producing smoke for military training purposes and dust from driving tanks and other tactical vehicles on dirt roads. The major challenges are determining how to measure the emissions and locating environmentally friendly products.
Goal 3
The five-year objectives for reducing stationary-source emissions are to use low-solvent specialty paint for tactical vehicles and metal and plastic parts; use biodiesel for backup generators and boilers; and evaluate environmental and financial lifecycle costs when designing new projects. Right now, Fort Lewis Public Works staff are testing the low-solvent specialty paint and testing biodiesel in some backup generators and boilers.
Future
AtKisson defines sustainability as “creating a world where nature thrives, economies prosper, societies work, and everyone has the chance to live a long and fulfilling life.”
Col. Conte said he and his staff would like to participate in regional planning efforts addressing those sustainability goals. In the meantime, the Fort Lewis Installation Sustainability Program is a significant “Army green” step in that direction.
Scientists link fine particles with lung cancer, heart disease
Recent studies have added to our knowledge about the health impacts of air pollution. Here are two examples.
Diesel exhaust poses lung cancer risks
A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study published in September says that diesel exhaust is likely to pose a lung cancer risk to humans and to damage lungs in other ways. The study also said that evidence is emerging that diesel exhaust makes existing allergies and asthma symptoms worse.
Finnish study links fine-particle pollution with heart disease
Air pollution worsens heart disease by cutting off circulation to the heart, Finnish researchers reported July 29 in a study that helps explain why polluted environments aggravate not only asthma but heart conditions. The researchers looked specifically at fine-particle pollution coming from factory smokestacks and the tailpipes of some diesel-powered buses and trucks.
Heart disease patients were about three times more likely to have decreased blood flow to the heart while exercising after being exposed to such pollution, as compared with when they exercised after breathing in cleaner air.
Environmental News Network article summarizing the study [external link]
About the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
The mission of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is to ensure that people in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties have clean, healthy air to breathe. Our job is to provide air quality management services on behalf of cities and counties for their citizens. We do this by adopting and enforcing air quality regulations, sponsoring voluntary initiatives to improve air quality, and educating people and businesses about clean-air choices. To learn more about our work, visit us at www.pscleanair.org.