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HomeMy WebLinkAboutADAMS, LAURArn n O z I- _ • CD < �./ cn —• O 1 O � 1 ' tD 1 I 1 I I 1 I � I 1 1 1 ' OI 1 1 I 1 1 1 I I O I I 1 ■ ■ I 1 1 I I 1 1 - 1 I O I 1 I OI I �f 1 O i I I Tue,Oct 15,2019 Newsweek HEALTH GAS STATION TOXIC FUME EMISSIONS ARE 10 TIMES HIGHER THAN THOUGHT, STUDY FINDS BY ABBEY INTERRANTE ON 10/7/18 AT 8:00 AM EDT HEALTH OXlCEN SSiONS Emissions from gas stations may be much higher than previously thought. Researchers at Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, and Arid Technologies wanted to know if vent pipe emissions of benzene from storage tanks at gas stations are really at the levels that people think they are. Published September 24 in the journal Science of the Total Environment, the study found that the daily evaporative losses could be 7 gallons a day. "There are several unique aspects of our study which have not been considered before," Markus Hilpert, an associate professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University and first author on the paper, told Newsweek. He said this is the first study published in peer- reviewed literature that's measured vent pipe emissions at gas stations at these rates. At two large U.S. gas stations—one in the Midwest and one in the Northwest—Hilpert and his team measured emissions from the vent pipes for three weeks. They attached gas flow meters to the venting pipes and reported daily evaporative losses. At the Midwest station, they lost 7 gallons a day and at the Northwest location 3 gallons daily. These estimates are about 1.4 pounds and 1.7 pounds per 1,000 gallons dispensed at the pump. The California Air Pollution Control Officers Association currently estimates that 0.11 pounds per 1,000 gallons are released. The California Air Resources Board, which sets the precedent for many state environmental groups, according to Hilpert, determined its state regulations from those CAPCOA estimates. In California, there is a setback regulation of 300 feet from large gas stations. Since the results of this study showed that emissions were 10 times higher than those estimates, Hilpert said it's likely that people are being exposed to harmful levels of benzene even when they're more than 300 feet away. https://www.newsweek.com/gas-station-toxic-fume-emission-h igh-1153637 CSC BS NEWS Cities ban new drive-thrus to fight climate change BY KATE GIBSON OCTOBER 14, 2019 / 3:48 PM / MONEYWATCH Drive-thru windows at fast-food restaurants, banks and other businesses have long represented the convenience for which American businesses are renowned. But the ease of idling in a vehicle while waiting for your order is now associated with another development: climate change. As a result, some communities across the U.S. are banning drive-thrus, citing the additional carbon emissions that are released. Minneapolis this summer banned construction of new drive- thrus, while officials in Long Beach, California, have imposed a six-month ban on new drive- thrus while they study the issue. Similar ordinances restricting or prohibiting fast-food windows have also been adopted in communities including Creve Coeur, Missouri; Fair Haven, New Jersey; and Orchard Park, New York. Minneapolis cited air pollution from idling vehicles as a major factor for the ban on drive-thrus, along with litter, noise and the potential of vehicles blocking sidewalks, which can increase the risk of a pedestrian accident. The order is part of the city's long-term plan, called Minneapolis 2040, which includes a goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050. Orchard Park, New York, a town of roughly 30,000 people just south of Buffalo, last month banned new drive-thrus in one part of town, citing traffic concerns. That reportedly prompted threats of a lawsuit by a local businessman who was interested in building a Tim Horton's restaurant in the area. Some cities also want to change how drive-thrus are used. Portland, Oregon, last year began requiring businesses with drive-thru windows to serve customers who arrive on foot or bicycle if other entrances are closed or inaccessible. Most of the bans are intended to curtail emissions, cut down on litter and make it easier to walk around business areas, while some towns are motivated by a desire to improve the aesthetics of a community. At other times, such bans have been touted as a means of fighting obesity by discouraging fast-food consumption. There's conflicting research on whether banning drive-thru windows improves health, however. In an analysis published last year of drive-thru bans in 27 Canadian cities, researchers noted "health promotion and chronic disease prevention" as among the public health benefits. Yet research published in the journal "Social Science &Medicine" found obesity rates climbed following a 2008 regulation banning opening or expanding stand-alone fast-food restaurants and drive-thru windows in south Los Angeles. First published on October 14, 2019/3:48 PM © 2019 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. Irvine joins a handful of Orange County cities creating climate action plans The plan will outline how the city can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and measure the success of steps it's already taking By ALICIA ROBINSON I arobinson@scng.com I The Orange County Register PUBLISHED: August 3, 2019 at 8:51 am I UPDATED: August 3, 2019 at 9:19 am Rather than waiting for broad national changes that aren't likely to come soon, Irvine will join a handful of Orange County cities with their own plans for reducing harm to the environment. The city is in the beginning stages of creating a climate action plan, which will outline how it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and measure the success of steps it's already taking to produce less waste and be more energy efficient. The City Council decided in July to move forward with researching current emissions, setting new lower targets and exploring strategies to reach them. A draft plan would come back to the council for approval. Councilwoman Farrah Khan, who asked for a council discussion of the issue, said she sees a climate action plan as building on steps Irvine is already taking: the city has worked to eliminate its use of chemicals such as synthetic weed and pest killers, it has added electric vehicles to the city fleet, and officials have sought to reduce the city's water consumption. "I think Irvine residents are interested in making sure our city is doing whatever we can to make sure their health and wellness is taken into account," Khan said, adding that rather than a government mandate,the plan will be "more of a guideline and goals that we'd like to achieve." Most Orange County cities don't have climate action plans in place,but Fullerton, Aliso Viejo and Laguna Beach are among those that do, according to the website of grassroots group Orange County for Climate Action. That's in contrast to San Diego County, where most cities have or are creating a plan, said Robin Ganahl, an organizer with the San Diego-based Climate Action Campaign who has encouraged Irvine's efforts. Statewide, California is seeking to dial back greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels and then significantly below them over the next 20 years,but cities can decide how they want to get there, Ganahl said. Strategies can include encouraging people to bike or use public transit instead of driving, planting more trees to absorb carbon dioxide and phasing out the use of natural gas (its delivery pipelines can leak methane), she said. Irvine doesn't face the same climate risks as coastal cities, where sea level rise is expected to swallow beaches and swamp homes. But about a third of the city is designated as open space, and much of that is wildlands, where fires are a danger not only to plants and animals,but to the region's air quality. Reducing wildfire risks is a high priority for Irvine Councilwoman Melissa Fox, who said there are more steps the city can take to reduce the chances of fires igniting. She would also like to pursue "community choice energy," a program that would allow the city to make its own power purchase deals instead of relying on Southern California Edison. Irvine could look into a variety of alternative power sources. Moving to reduce harm to the environment can lead to future savings,Fox said. Irvine already saves about$160,000 a year from more efficient LED traffic lights, and seven community centers generate some of their own power from solar panels. Khan said she's not discouraged by news reports suggesting we may be past the point of slowing or reversing climate change. Everyone can get involved, even in small ways such as trying not to waste food, she said. "I always feel that no matter where we are, we can always strive to do a little bit better."