Clean Energy and Transportation
City of Seattle
Presented by Margaret Pageler
Seattle Councilmember and
Former Chair of Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
An Urban Environmental Management Case Study
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