2008 Sector Performance Report - US Environmental Protection ...

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Figure 1 Fuel Use for Energy 2002 Electricity 10% Gasoline 18% Total: 1.6 quadrillion Btu Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Natural Gas 14% Diesel 58% Reduced Idling Cuts Fuel Use, Costs, and Pollution Grace Pacific Corporation, a highway contractor in Hawaii, has started a program to reduce unnecessary idling. The company first compiled an inventory of its fuel use, idling time, and air emissions. The inventory provides a baseline for tracking performance. Company officials believe they can cut overall fuel consumption by 10% on Oahu, saving approximately $80,000 in fuel costs and reducing emissions substantially. 9 period, the value of construction, measured in constant dollars, grew 22%. 10 The Construction sector could save energy under related efforts to reduce diesel emissions, increase recycling, and otherwise promote green construction. Specific opportunities include reducing idling, maintaining equipment optimally, using biodiesel, buying materials locally (reducing transportation fuel use), improving energy efficiency in company facilities, recycling C&D materials, using industrial byproducts in construction, and using coal fly ash and other supplementary cementious materials (SCM) in the manufacture of concrete. The Construction sector uses more than 100 million tons of cement annually. For every ton of coal fly ash and other SCMs used as an additive to Portland cement, there is an estimated energy savings of 5 million Btu . 11 Air Emissions Air emissions from the sector include criteria air pollutants (CAPs) and GHGs. CAPs and GHGs are generated as combustion byproducts from onsite energy production. The primary air pollutants associated with the sector are particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NO X ), which are emitted during operation of diesel equipment. Diesel engines also emit sulfur oxides (SO X ), hazardous air pollutants, and GHGs. Some construction sites generate PM as fugitive dust. The Construction sector emits GHGs directly from combustion of fossil fuels. Criteria Air Pollutants EPA has set standards for PM and NO X emissions from new nonroad diesel engines. However, the standards will not apply to the approximately two million pieces of construction equipment already in use. EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign and various state programs are encouraging voluntary measures to reduce PM and NO X emissions from existing diesel equipment. Measures include retrofitting with emissions control technologies and replacing or upgrading engines, as well as reducing idling and switching to cleaner fuels such as ultra-low sulfur diesel or biodiesel. Figure 2 Diesel Emissions Reduction Strategies Used by Construction Firms - Industry Survey Other 5% Engine replacement or repower 8% Emissions control 19% Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) or biodiesel 20% Reduced idling 27% Never used emissions reduction strategy 53% Note: Percentage is of survey respondents. Source: Associated General Contractors of America 42 Construction 2008 SECTOR PERFORMANCE REPORT
Baseline data indicate that 40 construction equipment retrofit projects eliminated 39,747 tons of NO X emissions and 7,793 tons of PM 2.5 emissions from 2003 through 2006. 12 In 2007, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) surveyed its members about clean diesel strategies. 13 As shown in Figure 2, almost half of the 234 companies that responded have employed techniques to reduce emissions. Of those, nearly half undertook those measures voluntarily rather than in response to regulatory or contractual requirements. Greenhouse Gases GHG emissions from the Construction sector result from fuel consumed by on- and off-road construction equipment. A preliminary estimate of CO 2 emissions in 2002 from the sector’s energy consumption is 114.1 million metric tons of CO 2 equivalent. 14 The generation of electricity purchased to provide power for construction equipment and offices also emits GHGs. Stormwater Discharges Stormwater runoff is one of the most significant environmental issues for the sector. 15 Runoff from construction sites may contain sediments, oil and grease, other pollutants, and trash. Paved or compacted ground increases the amount and rate of runoff because of reduced rainwater infiltration. There are currently no EPA effluent limits for construction stormwater. Since the early 1990s, however, EPA has required permits for construction activities that disturb five or more acres and discharge stormwater to surface waters. 16 In 2003, EPA reduced the threshold for permit coverage to one acre. Covered contractors must develop a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan, submit an application for permit coverage—or “Notice of Intent” (NOI) form—and install “Best Management Practices” before disturbing the land. Compliance with the requirement to obtain stormwater permits is improving. As shown in Figure 3, a nationally representative sample of state data reveals that the percentage of construction projects submitting an NOI increased by 63% from 2003 to 2006. The percentage of total construction projects in compliance, however, is unknown, because EPA has no national data on the number of projects that actually require an NOI. 17 Waste Generation and Management Constructing, renovating, and demolishing buildings, roads, bridges, and other structures generates large amounts of debris. Most of it is recoverable and some of it can be reused or recycled. Nevertheless, C&D materials such as Figure 3 Trend in NOI Submissions Based on a Sample of States Percent of Construction Projects Submitting NOIs 10% 9% 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0% Unknown > 5 Acres < 5 Acres 2003 2004 2005 2006 Note: Not all construction projects require an NOI, therefore, the percent of projects does not indicate percent in noncompliance. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Colorado Stormwater Excellence Program An experiment in construction stormwater “selfpolicing” is generating impressive results in Colorado. Participating companies commit to certain standards for managing stormwater. State-approved inspectors hired by the companies train construction crews and inspect every site monthly. They report findings to the companies, offer guidance on fixing problems, and return to confirm correction. Companies gain confidence that they are achieving compliance. Nearly 800 inspections were conducted during a 2006 pilot project; average improvements for all sites ranged from 60% to 90%. 18 concrete, asphalt, wood, drywall, and asphalt shingles are a large component of the waste in the nation’s landfills. EPA made a preliminary estimate that 164 million tons of building-related C&D debris were generated in 2003, up from an estimated 136 million tons in 1996. 19 Approximately 40% of this material was recycled, and the remainder disposed. 20 A preliminary estimate of road surface-related C&D debris generation was 167 million tons in 2003, of which 88% was recycled. 21 EPA is in the process 2008 SECTOR PERFORMANCE REPORT Construction 43
Page 1 and 2: 2008 Sector Performance rePort
Page 3: table of Contents i Preface 1 Execu
Page 6 and 7: Key to our work is collaboration wi
Page 8 and 9: Energy Use The eight sectors for wh
Page 10 and 11: Sector Data Side by Side The follow
Page 12 and 13: TRI Air Emissions Across Sectors 19
Page 14 and 15: TRI Waste Management Across Sectors
Page 16 and 17: This report relies upon a variety o
Page 18 and 19: TABLE 3 Economic Activity Data for
Page 20 and 21: Presentation of TRI Air Emissions D
Page 22 and 23: Presentation 500,000,000 of TRI Was
Page 24 and 25: Cement Manufacturing 1 AT A GLANCE
Page 26 and 27: equires 32% more energy per ton of
Page 28 and 29: Summing the Toxicity Scores for all
Page 30 and 31: l t , r t i t i Figure 3 Cement Kil
Page 32 and 33: ChemiCal manufaCturing 1 AT A GLANC
Page 34 and 35: Chemical facilities purchase electr
Page 36 and 37: conservatively assumes that chemica
Page 38 and 39: Balanced Water Use at BASF Supply U
Page 40 and 41: Waste Management Reported to TRI In
Page 42 and 43: Colleges & universities 1 AT A GLAN
Page 44 and 45: Criteria Air Pollutants Most CAP em
Page 46 and 47: Construction 1 AT A GLANCE 1996-200
Page 50 and 51: Figure 4 Trends in Construction and
Page 52 and 53: Food & Beverage Manufacturing 1 AT
Page 54 and 55: Figure 2 Air Emissions Reported to
Page 56 and 57: associations, or government agencie
Page 58 and 59: disposed or released to air or wate
Page 60 and 61: Forest Products 1 AT A GLANCE 1996-
Page 62 and 63: 2002 the manufacture of wood produc
Page 64 and 65: emission controls to the pulping, p
Page 66 and 67: Water discharges became a major foc
Page 68 and 69: Iron & Steel 1 AT A GLANCE 1996-200
Page 70 and 71: ton of steel shipped improved over
Page 72 and 73: existing, high-toxicity weighting f
Page 74 and 75: water that has been reused. Typical
Page 76 and 77: Metal Casting 1 AT A GLANCE 1996-20
Page 78 and 79: using a cupola furnace can dehumidi
Page 80 and 81: Table 1 presents the top TRI-report
Page 82 and 83: Waste Management Reported to TRI hi
Page 84 and 85: Oil & Gas AT A GLANCE 1996-2005 1,2
Page 86 and 87: equipment helps recover the gas. In
Page 88 and 89: The most widely used EOR technique
Page 90 and 91: Petroleum refining Latest Environme
Page 92 and 93: Figure 2 Al TRI HA s Air Emissions
Page 94 and 95: energy technologies, and improving
Page 96 and 97: Paint & Coatings 1 AT A GLANCE 1996
Page 98 and 99:
Figure 1 Air Emissions Reported to
Page 100 and 101:
Owned Treatment Works, but may also
Page 102 and 103:
Ports 1 AT A GLANCE 2005: 360 publi
Page 104 and 105:
Increasing Use of Solar Power The P
Page 106 and 107:
developing retrofit and replacement
Page 108 and 109:
“invasive” if they are capable
Page 110 and 111:
shipbuilding & ship repair 1 AT A G
Page 112 and 113:
of marine coatings. CAPs and GHGs a
Page 114 and 115:
Table 1 Top TRI Air Emissions 2005
Page 116 and 117:
Shipyards’ stormwater runoff is t
Page 118 and 119:
data Sources, Methodologies, and CO
Page 120 and 121:
Facilities described above must rep
Page 122 and 123:
Data Processing RSEI calculates tox
Page 124 and 125:
• Section 6.2: Transfers to other
Page 126 and 127:
Cement Manufacturing 1. Facilities:
Page 128 and 129:
12. Charles Heizenroth, EPA, person
Page 130 and 131:
Forest Products 1. Facilities: Cens
Page 132 and 133:
40. Includes direct discharges to w
Page 134 and 135:
Public Data Release (PDR) (includes
Page 136:
Advancing Port Sustainability, Janu
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