Environmental Fun Facts Regulatory Update In the United States, more than 25 million acres of Diesel Sulfur Content Slashed turfgrass provide environmental benefits, such as: • Under a 2004 EPA clean-air regulation, refineries (cid:142) 625 square feet of turf provides enough oxygen must reduce current sulfur content in diesel used for one person for one day in locomotives, marine vessels and land-based (cid:142) On an average block of eight houses, front lawns nonroad engines from 3,000 ppm to 500 ppm. have the cooling effect of 70 tons of air • As of June 2006, 80 percent of highway diesel conditioning must be ultra low sulfur, which is 15 or fewer (cid:142) Turf absorbs gaseous pollutants such as carbon ppm. Nonroad engine diesel will be required to dioxide, converting them to oxygen meet the same ultra low sulfur standard by 2010. Locomotive and marine fuel must meet these (cid:142) Turf traps an estimated 12 million tons of dust and levels by 2012. dirt released annually into the atmosphere Go to http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel for more (cid:142) Turf prevents soil erosion, filters contaminants information from rainwater and reduces runoff Permitting Process Improved Massachusetts Governor Duval Patrick announced initiatives to streamline the environmental permitting process. The goal of the new approach is to speed up decision making in the regulatory process so the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) can concentrate on more pressing environmental concerns. The three proposed initiatives are: 1) Reduction of Permit Timelines: Proposed http://www.carbonfootprint.com regulations will reduce timelines for the majority of its permit categories by 20 percent. The DEP has also EnviroQuestion committed to issuing 90 percent of all permits in 180- days or less. Question: What is your carbon footprint? 2) Specific Permit Categories Targeted for Answer in the next issue. Streamlining: The categories have historically had delays in decisions that exceeded the 180-day goal. Quarter I Question: Daylight Savings Time began 3 These include: air quality permits; Chapter 91 weeks earlier this year as required by the Energy licenses for land-based development; and groundwater Policy Act of 2005. How much energy will this discharge permits for wastewater. save each day? 3) Streamlining the Adjudicatory Appeals Process: Answer: 1 percent Reform of wetlands appeals will allow for more timely action on vital projects. 1 Did You Know? FOR YOUR Current national recycling efforts reduce greenhouse gas INFORMATION emissions by 49.9 million metric tons of carbon equivalent. This is the same as the annual greenhouse What Can You Do gas emissions from 39.6 million passenger cars. About Climate Change? The burning of fossil fuels IN THE NEWS releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere and Pepsi Fined contributes to climate change. Reductions in these emissions The Massachusetts Department can be made by improving your of Environmental Protection car’s fuel efficiency. (MADEP) has entered into a Consent Order and fined the Buy smart – before buying a car, Pepsi Bottling Group in Taunton NEWS continued check the Environmental for Hazardous Waste violations. Protection Agency’s (EPA) During an inspection by the The penalties arose from an Green Vehicle Guide and the MADEP it was determined that incident in November 2005, jointly-run EPA/DOE Fuel the facility was registered as a when employees of MIT Economy Guide. Very Small Quantity Generator discovered a disconnected of waste oil but should have been transformer on MIT property Drive smart – many factors registered as a Small Quantity affect the fuel economy of our and transported the transformer Generator and no emergency car. To improve fuel economy, over public roads, the second numbers were posted near the go easy on the brakes and the gas time to the Prospect Iron and storage area. pedal. Reduce idling time and Steel/Anestis Metal site. unload unnecessary items from MIT, Somerville Metals While unloading the your car to reduce weight. Processor Face Penalties transformer at the Somerville Tune your ride – a well- facility, the transformer was The Massachusetts Institute of maintained car is more fuel- damaged and began leaking oil. Technology (MIT) in efficient, produces less The driver then took the Cambridge and a metals greenhouse gas emissions and is transformer to a nearby processing facility in more reliable. Keep you car well shopping mall. Somerville have been penalized tuned and use the recommended a total of $73,423 by the grade of motor oil. After notifying MADEP of the MADEP for violations release, MIT's environmental Check your tires – check your connected to the handling, staff and a cleanup contractor tire pressure regularly. Under- transport and attempted disposal remediated the estimated 20- inflation increases tire wear, of an old transformer that gallon release and ultimately reduces fuel economy by up to 3 contained oil. determined that the oil did not percent and leads to higher Continued next column contain PCBs. greenhouse gas emissions. For more on what you can do on the road, at home or in the office Published by Environmental Management Unit go to http://www.epa.gov/wycd Logan Office Center One Harborside Drive East Boston, MA 02128 (617) 568-3525 Issue 29, Quarter II - 2007 2