- Using 1 gas mower for 1 hour is equivalent to driving 1 car 140 miles.
CLEAN AIR MATTERS
Summer 2004 Edition
In this issue:
- Gasoline industry helps agency solve compliance conundrum
- Pilot project reduces idling
- Meet our Advisory Council: Linda Waltie advises agency
- FY2004 recap and FY2005 plans
- McLerran reflects on 10 years
- Agency targets marine emissions
- Clean Air Corner - Tips for businesses
- UW health researchers receive $30 million grant
Gasoline industry helps agency solve compliance conundrum
“Wretched. And you can quote me."
That’s what Jim Nolan, Compliance Director of the Clean Air Agency, thinks about a 40 percent compliance rate with the agency’s vapor recovery rules. Only about 500 out of 1,250 stations are consistently keeping harmful gasoline vapors out of the region’s air.
The poor showing means more smog and air toxics, which affect public health. And it is especially dismaying, says Nolan, because we have a high compliance rate, 95 percent or better, in all other sectors regulated by the agency.
So he is enthusiastic about new rules adopted in March and effective Oct. 1. The rules are clearer and simpler. Just as important, the rules are based on advice and suggestions from the gasoline businesses themselves.
Consensus about the rules is the product of a unique, intense two-year effort to build partnerships with representatives from every part of the gasoline marketing industry: station owners, oil refiners, equipment manufacturers and installers, equipment service personnel and fuel deliverers.
The representatives, or stakeholders, looked at the methods used by the agency from 2000 to 2002 to improve the “wretched” level of compliance with vapor recovery rules. We first produced an Operating and Maintenance manual with daily log sheets and provided technical assistance. Then, three years in a row, we sent educational letters and advance warnings before inspecting about 500 stations. Nothing worked.
The stakeholders came up with ways to improve the record. “We appreciated the stakeholder process that the agency put together,” said Frank Holmes, manager of the Western States Petroleum Association, Northwest Region. “All affected parties worked together to find a solution that everyone could live with. The rules are now simpler. It should be clearer to the station operator what needs to be done to stay in compliance with vapor recovery rules — which will result in cleaner air.”
In August, the Clean Air Agency is sending new educational materials to station owners, including a 10-minute training video to show employees who inspect vapor-recovery equipment and a clipboard with photo illustrations, easy-to-use tables and log sheets that employees will use as they inspect equipment. The instructions and log sheets are also translated into Korean (Korean-Americans own almost one-third of the region’s gas stations).
The new rules are clear and concise, and include a table that simply and clearly describes how to inspect equipment and identifies exactly what constitutes a defect. The new requirements include the following:
- Station employees must perform inspections daily.
- The station owners must contract and pay for annual independent evaluations of their self-inspection program.
- Station owners must train every new hire within 30 days. Annual re-training is also required. Station owners must maintain training logs.
Penalties will be higher, as suggested by the stakeholders, to provide the economic incentive for the industry to comply with regulations. If compliance with our gasoline vapor recovery rules goes from 40 to 95 percent, as we expect, the amount of smog-forming compounds emitted at gas stations will drop by half. This would be equivalent to taking 149,000 cars off the region’s roads.
Pilot project reduces idling at schools by half
Idling for longer than 30 seconds actually burns more fuel than turning off and restarting your engine. Surprised? So were lots of people who took part in a pilot project for a new anti-idling campaign.
And since idling results in zero miles per gallon, you aren’t going anywhere for your fuel money. Not only that, your tailpipe exhaust is contributing to air pollution, which affects your lungs and your health.
That’s why the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is partnering with the Washington Department of Ecology, six other air quality agencies in our state and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in a new anti-idling campaign.
Pilot projects in fall 2003 succeeded in reducing idling at the three schools by an average of 56.6 seconds, or about 47 percent compared with practices at comparable non-participating schools. The pilot project schools were Betz Elementary in Cheney, Chief Umtuch Elementary in Battle Ground, and Lowell Elementary in Seattle.
Pre-campaign research revealed that the majority of respondents did not know that idling for longer than 30 seconds burns more fuel than restarting their vehicles. Most also said they idle their vehicles when dropping off or picking up children at school.
Those and other research results guided development of a program to motivate parents and others to turn off their engines at schools. The program provided the three pilot schools with toolkits containing instructions, anti-idling signs, pledge forms and incentives such as key chains or pizza parties.
The program partners will use a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to expand the project. The grant will pay for redesigning the toolkit, testing in six additional schools, and packaging and marketing the toolkit.
Ultimately, the partners would like to expand the program to other locations such as drive-through restaurants, ferry waiting lines and truck-loading docks.
Meet our Advisory Council
Linda Waltie: “It was the way we grew up”
This is fourth in a series featuring members of our agency’s Advisory Council. Linda Waltie represents Kitsap County Public-at-Large.
The world-famous Oregon Bottle Bill. Litter bags along the streets. And beaches without fences or “no trespassing” signs after Governor Tom McCall signed the Beach Bill in 1971, ensuring all beaches and tidelands would remain publicly accessible forever.
Linda Waltie said that “as a child growing up in Oregon, I had access to Mt. Hood, the Columbia Gorge, the Oregon Coast. All these ‘cool’ things were free. They belonged to me, and I felt responsible to take care of them, to ‘leave no trace’ of my visit. I felt like I was part of a movement. People helped each other out and protected the environment. It was the way we grew up.”
The day after she graduated from the University of Oregon in psychology in 1981, she moved to Seattle. “I though I had found heaven. I loved Mt. Rainier.”
For eight years, Waltie worked as a Market Development Analyst and Program Statistician Analyst for the Northwest Education Loan Association, which administers the federal student loan program in Washington and Idaho. After that, she focused on political campaigns and initiative efforts.
Waltie moved to Kitsap County and then “switched gears” in the year 2000. “I wanted to get back to what was important to me. So I became a Washington State University Master Gardener and WSU Master Composter.”
She puts her knowledge to work in numerous ways. At the Raab Park Youth Garden in Poulsbo, she teaches compost classes with a focus on alternatives to outdoor burning, maintains the compost demonstration site, and helps teach gardening, art and science classes for 50 to 100 youth on Mondays in the summer.
She is a founding board member of the Kitsap Community Garden Foundation, which promotes organic gardening and community through gardening. “Also, you can find me at the Kingston Farmers Market on many weekends staffing the WSU Master Gardener booth.”
“It’s a privilege to have a seat at the table [of the Advisory Council]. It’s an amazing group. I think the members work so hard because their voices are being heard and they are helping the agency clean up the air.”
Waltie is pleased that the Clean Air Agency has put marine emissions on its agenda. Dirty smoke from cruise ships, barges, ships and ferries obscures views and affects people’s health.
“At Point No Point beach near my home, hundreds of visitors keep the beach clean, just like in Oregon when I was a child. I would also like those visitors and everyone in the region to have clean air to breathe and clear views of the Olympics, Cascades, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker and the Sound.”
FY2004 recap and FY2005 plans
Our job is to ensure that people in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties have clean air to breathe. We do this by encouraging individuals to take action voluntarily and by enforcing federal, state and local air quality laws.
Note: The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.
Accomplishments
Began implementing Washington State Clean School Bus Program...
...by equipping diesel buses with exhaust treatment devices in a number of school districts in the region. Hundreds of additional retrofit kits are on order.
Expanded Diesel Solutions...
...by partnering with Washington State Ferries, which began using cleaner fuels, and solid waste truck fleets, which installed exhaust control equipment.
Completed comprehensive review of our registration program.
In June, the Board of Directors adopted new rules that added some categories of businesses and eliminated other categories. The Board also revised fees.
Convened Climate Protection Advisory Committee...
...in January 2004. The 25-member group has begun developing a regional goal for reduction of greenhouse gases and recommending strategies for reaching that goal. Four technical subcommittees are supporting the group.
Implemented anti-idling projects...
...in partnership with the City of Seattle, Port of Seattle and Department of Ecology, to reduce diesel and gasoline exhaust and greenhouse gases.
Continued partnerships with gasoline refiners and suppliers...
...to keep providing low-evaporation gasoline in summer to reduce ozone; Puget Sound Clean Cities Coalition (a public-private consortium) to promote clean fuels and vehicles; Commuter Challenge to promote alternatives to single-occupancy driving; and Northwest Natural Yard Days to promote non-polluting yard equipment.
Partnered with private sector on indoor burning projects.
Worked on the new “Burn Smart, Burn Clean” campaign with the Northwest Hearth Patio and Barbecue Association, Duraflame and Bartell Drugs. Partnered with Puget Sound Energy on an outreach effort encouraging people to convert to natural gas fireplaces.
Partnered with American Lung Association of Washington...
...on their State of the Air in Washington 2004 report.
Completed initiative...
...to revise rules and training to improve gas station compliance with vapor-recovery requirements, which helps keep ozone (smog) in check (see Page 1).
Plans
Reduce diesel exhaust
Diesel soot is a significant source of fine-particle pollution and air toxics.
FY05 plans:
- Implement the second year of the State Clean School Bus program by continuing to contract with vendors to retrofit school buses.
- Expand the Diesel Solutions program by adding more voluntary public and private partners who will retrofit diesel exhaust systems and use ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel
Reduce smoke from fireplaces and uncertified wood stoves
Wood smoke is a significant source of fine-particle pollution and air toxics.
FY05 plans:
- Again ask lawmakers to modify the burn-ban trigger by basing it on fine-particle levels (PM2.5) instead of coarse particles (PM10), to better protect public health.
- Again ask lawmakers to support wood-smoke education by requiring disclosure of uncertified wood stoves and fireplaces at the time homes are sold.
- Launch a pilot project in Darrington focused on public education, air monitoring and other programs.
Reduce smoke from outdoor fires
Smoke from burning yard and land-clearing waste causes half of summertime fine-particle pollution.
FY05 plans:
- Convene land-clearing burning stakeholder groups in each of our four counties to provide guidance as we consider possible expansions of the areas where land-clearing fires are prohibited.
Reduce ozone precursors
This region remains close to violating federal health standards for ozone (smog) each summer.
FY05 plans:
- Educate gasoline station owners and operators about new gasoline vapor-recovery rules for gas pumps and tanks (see story on Page 1).
Reduce greenhouse gases
Greenhouse gas emissions lead to global climate change.
FY05 plans:
- Conclude the Climate Protection Advisory Committee, a 25-member stakeholders group, in December 2004, and begin designing a regional greenhouse-gas reduction program, based on the committee’s recommendations.
Plan for better air quality
County and city policies about land use and transportation indirectly affect air quality.
FY05 plans:
- Update the Board of Directors’ policies on land use and transportation as they relate to air quality.
- Partner with local planning agencies and the Puget Sound Regional Council to encourage more effective integration of those policies into updates of land use, transportation and growth management plans.
Expand public education programs
Individual actions contribute significantly to air pollution.
FY05 plans:
- Develop a long-term communications strategy focused on encouraging long-term changes in public behavior, such as driving less, driving low-polluting cars, using electric mowers and recycling yard debris instead of burning it.
Agency recognizes executive director’s 10 years of dedication to cleaner air
In July, Dennis McLerran celebrated his 10-year anniversary as executive director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. Here are excerpts from a recent interview, where the focus was more on the agency’s accomplishments than his successes. “I can’t separate my accomplishments from the agency’s accomplishments, because I benefit from what everyone else does,” he said.
“What I am most proud about is that the Clean Air Agency has a high level of credibility as the air quality experts for the region. We are able to develop partnerships with other governments, businesses and environmental agencies because they believe the agency delivers significant public health and air quality benefits to our community. They believe we will work with them in a positive way.”
Unlike some environmental agencies, the agency has been willing to give up regulations and programs that are no longer necessary — such as oxygenated fuel in winter. “When we are successful, we move on and focus on work that still needs to be done. I think it’s made a difference in the agency’s credibility.”
McLerran is also pleased about the agency’s financial status. “The agency and the Board of Directors have made prudent financial moves that have kept us financially sound and stable. In addition, we continue to get grants from federal, state and local agencies because we deliver highly effective results and focus on the most important environmental work.”
One thing McLerran says he brought to the agency was his years of experience in local government and his good relationships with key decision makers and their staffs. “I broadened the agency’s work with stakeholders. As we developed our air quality maintenance plans, clean air strategies, and legislative proposals, we brought our customers — businesses, our governmental partners and environmental partners like the American Lung Association of Washington — to the table together. We have been very successful at arriving at consensus-based solutions.”
McLerran gives credit for his successes and the successes of the agency to the staff, the Board, the Advisory Council and the people of the Northwest. “The Board trusts us, feels invested in the work we do and has given us necessary resources. The Advisory Council has given us good focus-group type of input and kept us on track. We have high-quality, dedicated staff who really care about the agency’s mission and the environment. People in the Pacific Northwest really care about the environment and support the work we do. All that makes my job easy.”
About Dennis McLerran
Dennis McLerran is an attorney and former chair of the Land Use and Environmental Law Section of the Washington State Bar Association. He directed the City of Seattle’s environmental and permitting agency, served as the first full-time City Attorney for the City of Port Townsend and has practiced environmental and land use law in the public and private sectors. He joined the air quality agency in June 1994.
Agency charting course to scuttling marine pollution
Ships, boats and port operations are significant contributors to air pollution in this region. That’s why the Clean Air Agency’s newest Diesel Solutions projects are focusing on marine diesel emissions.
Already, our efforts to build partnerships are having a positive impact on air quality: Washington State Ferries is using cleaner fuel and using a grant we obtained to test another clean fuel. In addition, at least in part because of our leadership and initiative, West Coast ports and air quality agencies have begun to discuss how to coordinate pollution-reduction policies and programs.
“This agency is tackling marine diesel emissions for two reasons. One, diesel exhaust contains fine particles and toxic compounds that cause health problems and obscure views. Two, we want to get out in front on an issue of high public concern elsewhere in the country. We want to keep our ports competitive and economically vibrant so they avoid problems other ports are facing.” said Dennis McLarren, the Clean Air Agency's executive director. He cited two examples: public opposition to expansion in Houston and a lawsuit in Los Angeles related to diesel exhaust mitigation.
Ferries using cleaner fuels
Washington State Ferries has partnered with us for the past year on clean fuel projects (see the Fall 2003 issue of Clean Air Matters). On May 21, it announced it is switching the entire ferry fleet from high-sulfur to low-sulfur diesel fuel, using a grant we obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to test ultra-low-sulfur diesel on a ferry operating in the pristine San Juan Islands, and testing a mixture of 80 percent low-sulfur diesel and 20 percent biodiesel on another ferry run, using funds from Seattle City Light’s Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Fund.
West Coast initiatives
Over the last year, the Clean Air Agency has been a catalyst in bringing ports and air agencies on the West Coast of Canada and the U.S. together to work jointly on improving emissions from marine operations.
Coordinated approaches are necessary because marine operations are highly competitive. It is difficult for just one port to change rules or increase anti-pollution requirements, because their cargo customers might move operations to a lower-cost port.
Research
We don’t know which marine equipment and vessels are contributing the most pollution. To remedy the lack of information, the Board of Directors has committed money to partner with the ports of Tacoma, Seattle and Everett and some maritime and fuel interests in the region to improve air emission inventories for port-related tivities. That information will help us target our programs on the right resources.
Clean Air Corner - Tips for businesses
Protect the air, your employees and your pocketbook by using fewer or non-toxic solvents.
Acetone or even water might be an alternative to xylene, toluene or ethylbenzene, which are defined by the U.S. EPA as Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs). HAPs are harmful to your employees and the air we all breathe. Plus, they can trigger expensive recordkeeping requirements.
Here are two ways to learn more:
1) Ask your paint supplier for paints and solvents that contain little or no VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and zero HAPs. Many air-friendly products are now available.
2) Contact Dennis Johnson, Toxics Reduction Manager at the state Department of Ecology at (425) 649-7040 or djoh461@ecy.wa.gov. He and his staff provide advice and non-enforcement site visits to help you increase worker safety, reduce compliance and liability costs, and save money from reduced chemical use. Visit http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/reducewaste.html for more information.
UW health researchers receive $30 million grant
University of Washington researchers will direct a 10-year, $30 million study to explore the connection between air pollution and the No. 1 cause of death in the United States: cardiovascular disease. The study will track about 8,700 people in nine communities across the country. The research will be funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More information is available in a July 29, 2004 release at www.uwnews.org
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.