United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
Environmental News in New England for Municipal Leaders
Winter 2008
Safe & Eco-Friendly Winter Roads in New England
Municipalities want their roads as safe
as possible in winter storms, but more
salt isn't necessarily better. Road salt
has its dark side by increasing water
contamination after spring runoff, at-
tracting animals to the roads and in-
creasing the chances of vehicular colli-
sions, plus it corrodes roads, pipes and
vehicles. With different techniques,
equipment and chemicals; roads can
actually become safer with less salt.
Road salt can reach drinking sup-
plies in two ways: runoff into storm
drains and streams can carry it off
to lakes, ponds and reservoirs and it
can infiltrate to groundwater and col-
lect within wells. Once salt reaches
groundwater it can stay there for de-
cades. Even in low levels salt in drink-
ing water can seriously affect people
with chronically high blood pressure.
INSIDE
Eco-Friendly Winter Roads
Community Challenge
Heating Upgrades
Your Wood Stove
Green Heating Tips
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Asthma site... coming soon!
When snowmelt occurs, the salt that
has accumulated throughout the winter
is carried off along with collected oil,
grease and other vehicular byproducts
into drains and streams. That oily salt
can clog storm drains and needs to be
dealt with as hazardous waste. When
it does make its way to water bodies
it can harm and kill aquatic plant and
animal life.
Kamloops, BC, Canada saw car
accidents decrease by 8% after using
low salt methods.
continued on page 2
Seventy-four Communities Joined the
Challenge to Save Energy in 2007!
In New England we see some of the
most extreme weather conditions,
from high humidity to frigid win-
ter chills, costing close to $1 bil-
lion to heat, cool and light munici-
pal facilities. EPA New England's
Community Energy Challenge set
off in full swing in 2007 to help
communities save money through
energy efficiency. Partnered with
EnergyStar, the Challenge provides
free training materials and technical
assistance to benchmark and see the
energy use and waste in your mu-
nicipal buildings. To join, each town
agrees to reduce energy use by at least
10% though many are finding that
reducing as much as 20-30% comes
with relative ease after making the
initial improvements.
Approximately 20% of New Eng-
land's population lives in the cities
and towns in the challenge. If your
town or city isn't onboard yet, make
it a resolution in 2008.
continued on page 3
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(cont.) Winter Roads
Salt & Sand Application
Right Material - Use sand only in low-speed intersections, curves and hills.
Use a chemical that is effective at current road surface temperatures, con-
sider alternatives to salt on bridges and source water areas.
Right Amount -Applying salt correctly depends on the surface temperature,
use infrared thermometers on spreading trucks.
Right Place -Use salt only where it will do the most good; shaded areas,
hills/ curves, but use alternatives when possible. Any section of road below
10° Fahrenheit won't benefit from rock salt.
Right Time - It takes significantly more salt to melt accumulated snow than to
prevent it from sticking to the roads. Apply preventively rather than reactive.
Storage
Improper municipal storage of salt and sand can cause severe environmental
damage because of concentrated runoff.
* Regularly inspect and maintain storage areas
* Locate away from source of drinking water, wetlands and floodplains
* Site on an impermeable (paved) pad with a drain that directs runoff for
treatment
* Cover storage areas with at least three sides and a roof
Studies have shown that even sand can lose its effectiveness on
roads after as few as 1 ^\ cars pass over it.
Idaho transportation officials
switched to liquid magnesium chloride
on one stretch of road and saw the num-
ber of accidents fall by 83%.
Not every case will necessarily
show this success, keep in mind though
that the safety of motorists, municipal
budgets and the environment all win
when road salt is used efficiently.
Winter road crews should take the
training programs offered in every state
by local Technology Transfer centers,
and follow the 4 R's! *
For more information:
www.epa.gov/admiweb/naturalevents/
snow-ice .html#highways
For training, contact your local
Technology Transfer (T2) center:
CT: (860) 486-5400
MA: (413) 545-2604
ME: (207) 624- 3270
NH: (603) 862-2826
RI: (401) 874-9405
VT: (802) 654-2652
Upgrade Indoor Heating Efficiency
Energy efficiency reduces municipal
energy bills and drastically improves
indoor comfort. Many common prob-
lems like moisture on window panes;
ice dams; peeling paint; and mold can
also be solved by boosting efficiency.
Seal Leaks & Ducts
Healthy indoor air quality does require
some fresh air and professionals can
assess a building need with diagnostic
tools that measure its actual air leakage.
If sealed too tightly, a fresh air ventila-
tion system may be necessary. After any
sealing project, also make sure combus-
tion appliances are venting properly.
Ducts distribute conditioned air for
heating and cooling in a forced-air sys-
tem. Even a typical house however, can
lose as much as 20 % of that air by leaks
and poorly sealed duct connections.
Multiply that in a larger facility, and
there is some serious energy loss and
unnecessarily high energy bills.
Add Insulation
Insulation keeps rooms both warm and
cool in each season so long as it's cor-
rectly installed. Insulation performance
is measured by "R-value" its ability
to resist heat flow. Different R-values
are recommended for different loca-
tions and installation works best when
air is not moving through or around it
so seal air leaks before installing insu-
lation for optimal performance.
Sealing and adding insulation
are the most cost-effective ways to
maintain heat and improve indoor
comfort. EnergyStar estimates that
both steps can save up to 20% on
heating and cooling costs (or up to
10% on total annual energy bills).
www.energystar.gov
Replacing Windows
Replacing windows is expensive to
perform solely for energy savings, but
if they already need replacement due
to age, maintenance or for aesthetic
reasons make the most of the switch
and consider ENERGY STAR certified
windows. ENERGY STAR windows,
doors, and skylights are twice as effi-
cient as the average windows manufac-
tured just 10 years ago.
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=
remodeling .hm_improvement_windows
2
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(cont.) Energy Challenge
Community Energy Challenge
74 Participating Communities
To Participate:
Make it a municipal priority to improve
energy efficiency by at least 1 0% to save
budgets and conserve our natural resources.
Return a signed Community Energy
Challenge form to EPA New England.
With the help of EPA and EnergyStar,
assessbenchmarkand rethink the
energy performance of all your munici-
pal buildings, schools and/ or wastewater
and drinking water facilities in your com-
munity.
Promote energy efficiency and sustain-
ability to citizens, companies and orga-
nizations within your community.
25
50 Miles
fi/apTracta ID 33 C
Jcnuay 9, 200S
Visitwww.epa.gov/regionl/eco/energy/energy-challenge.html to take the challenge! «5*
1 Burlington CT
2 Canton CT
3 Hamden CT
4 Harwinton CT
5 Ridgefield CT
6 Stamford CT
7 West Hartford CT
8 Billerica AAA
9 Boston AAA
10 Brockton AAA
11 Cambridge AAA
12 CohassetAAA
13 Dartmouth AAA
14 Dedham AAA
15 Boston AAA
1 6 Hanson AAA
17 Haverhill AAA
18 Ipswich AAA
19 Lancaster AAA
20 Lowell AAA
21 Mansfield AAA
22 Medford AAA
23 Mel rose AAA
24 Milton AAA
25 Needham AAA
26 New Bedford AAA
27 Northampton AAA
28 Plymouth AAA
29 QuincyAAA
30 Salem AAA
31 Somerville AAA
32 Springfield AAA
33 Wales AAA
34 Waltham AAA
35 Warwick AAA
36 Woburn AAA
37 Berwick ME
38 Denmark ME
39 Falmouth ME
40 Benton ME
41 Kingfield ME
42 KitteryME
43 Madison ME
44 Mechanic Falls ME
45 Stockton Springs ME
46 Alstead NH
47 Barrington NH
48 Bedford NH
49 Brookline NH
50 Chester NH
51 ColebrookNH
52 Dover NH
53 Enfield NH
54 Fitzwilliam NH
55 Hanover NH
56 Hillsborough NH
57 Hopkinton NH
58 Hudson NH
59 Lincoln NH
60 Manchester NH
61 Nashua NH
62 Peterborough NH
63 Rochester NH
64 Rollinsford NH
65 Sanbornton NH
66 Shelburne NH
67 Somersworth NH
68 Tuftonboro NH
69 North Providence Rl
70 Warwick Rl
71 Brattleboro VT
72 Putney VT
73 Richmond VT
74 South Burlington VT
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Questions about Your Community:
Residential Wood Combustion
This winter as we huddle indoors
from the cold, be sure to educate
your community about the hazards of
a greater reliance on the wood stove
for heat. Research indicates that in-
door and outdoor wood-burning ap-
pliances and fireplaces may emit large
quantities of unhealthy air pollutants.
Wood releases hundreds of chemical
compounds when burned; including:
nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide,
organic gases, and fine particles, also
called PM or particulate matter. Even
limited exposure to wood smoke can
be harmful, particularly to the health
of children, the elderly and those with
chronic conditions. Fine particles are
about 30 times smaller than a human
hair and can aggravate heart or respi-
ratory problems regardless of age.
What regulations are in place?
In both urban and rural neighbor-
hoods, wood burning is a significant
contributor to air pollution. EPA has
taken steps to reduce this air pollu-
tion source.
Properly installed EPA-certified
wood or pellet stoves produce less
particle pollution than older stoves,
and work as a good supplement to an
oil or gas furnace. Wood stoves man-
ufactured since 1988 must be EPA
certified which means they produce
the same heat with 1/3 less wood
than older stoves, and emit 50% to
60% less pollution. EPA-certified
stoves carry a special label and hang
tag making them easier to identify.
A catalytic combustor can be in-
stalled on an existing stove, (just like
on a car exhaust system). These help
stoves burn cleaner and as a result,
chimneys and stove pipes require
less cleaning and the chances of a
chimney fire are greatly reduced.
Indoor 'free-standing' wood
stoves and fireplace inserts sold af-
ter July 1, 1992, must meet stricter
emission limits for both catalytic and
non-catalytic stoves. However, these
requirements do not cover indoor
masonry fireplaces and although EPA
discourages their use, EPA regula-
tions do not prohibit the use of stoves
manufactured before 1992.
In general, states and munici-
palities have lead roles in regulating
wood-burning. Some municipal gov-
ernments have developed regulations
or voluntary programs to address the
problem that most stoves are still
not EPA-certified and in some cases,
have prohibited the use of wood-
stoves during certain air-quality con-
ditions.
Until recently, EPA and New
England states have mainly focused
on indoor wood stoves, but now at-
tention is also on outdoor wood fired
hydronic heaters (OWHHs), also
called outdoor wood boilers, which
have become popular in recent years.
These boilers typically consist of a
firebox that heats water to supply a
nearby building with heat, hot water
or both. Although the concept may
be appealing, these boilers common-
ly produce excessive smoke and
pollution, negatively impact-
ing nearby residences.
EPA recently developed
a voluntary two-part
strategy to reduce
harmful emissions
from OWHHs. This
strategy includes
(1) a Memorandum
of Understanding
between EPA and
manufacturers to
produce cleaner
units, and (2) a
model rule (developed in partner-
ship with The Clean Air Associa-
tion of the Northeast States (NES-
CAUM)) that can be used by states,
tribes and communities considering
regulating OWHHs. In April 2007,
Vermont became the first New Eng-
land state to enact a regulation for
OWHHs, and Maine recently enact-
ed a similar regulation.
Check this winter within your mu-
nicipality and state to see what regu-
lations are in place for wood smoke
and indoor air quality.
For more information visit these EPA
websites:
More information about wood stoves,
fireplaces and the health effects of
wood smoke exposure is available
at: www.epa.gov/woodstoves
For a list of cleaner burning outdoor
wood-fired hydronic heaters:
www.epa.gov/owhh/models.htm
For a list of EPA-certified wood
stoves and fireplace inserts see:
www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/
publications/monitoring/caa/wood-
stoves/certifiedwood.pdf
4
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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: What Your Community
Needs to Know
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a familiar
villain resulting from vehicle exhaust.
Outdoors, the highest levels of CO typi-
cally occur during the colder months
when 'inversion conditions' are present
and air pollution becomes trapped near
the ground beneath a layer of warm air.
In New England, cars, trucks, buses,
marine engines and construction equip-
ment account for 80 to 90 % of carbon
monoxide emissions, but it's important
to note that fuel combustion in residen-
tial housing, businesses, industry and
utilities accounts for the other 10 to 20%.
Hundreds of people of all ages die
from carbon monoxide poisoning an-
nually. As we huddle indoors and crank
up the heat it becomes a greater threat.
Fortunately, it can be easily avoided by
proper maintenance of heating appliances
and by awareness of the exposure signs.
Carbon monoxide is product of the
combustion that occurs in furnaces,
wood stoves and gas ranges. In proper
working condition, they produce very
little CO, but malfunctioning or poor-
ly maintained appliances can produce
fatal levels.
Carbon monoxide exposure reduces
the blood's ability to carry oxygen to the
body's organs. The chemical is odorless
and the symptoms of carbon monoxide
poisoning are difficult to notice only be-
cause they are similar to the flu, but with-
MAKE SURE APPLIANCES FUNCTION CORRECTLY:
Install professionally, by manufacturers instructions and building codes
Annually inspect / service heating systems
Regularly examine vents and chimneys for leaks, rust and stains
Know the signs of a malfunctioning heating device: decreasing hot water
supply, inability to heat the house, soot, and unfamiliar or burning smells
Install CO detectors that meet the 'UL 2034' requirements
PREVENTING CO POISONING MEANS NEVER:
Burn charcoal indoors
Use propane space heaters in confined areas
Attempt to fix combustion appliances without a professional
Use a gas oven for heating
Vent gas-fired dryers into living spaces
Leave cars running inside a garage
Use un-vented fuel-burning appliances in a closed room
For more on carbon monoxide and other indoor air quality facts:
www.epa.gov/iaq/co .html
out the fever: (dizziness, fatigue, head-
aches, nausea and irregular breathing).
Cardiovascular Threats
Even low levels of CO are serious
for those who suffer from heart dis-
ease, clogged arteries, or congestive
heart failure. A single exposure to CO
can cause chest pain and reduce that
person's ability to exercise, repeated
exposures may contribute to other car-
diovascular effects.
Central Nervous System
Even healthy people exposed to high
levels of CO can develop vision
problems, a reduced ability to work
or learn and difficulty performing
complex tasks.
Usually, carbon monoxide is vent-
ed outside homes by chimneys or ex-
haust vents before posing a problem.
However, poorly designed or main-
tained exhaust systems can keep this
poisonous gas indoors.
New Asthma Web Site
During the winter months EPA New
England will be developing a new re-
gional asthma web site that will feature
county data for all New England states
on the following: current adult asthma
rates; lifetime adult asthma rates; cur-
rent adult smoking rates; adult asthma
emergency room visit rates; and adult
asthma hospitalization. The site will
also have a map of which towns are us-
ing EPA's Tools for School Kit, as well
as links to funding, best practices, and
resources. Stay tuned!
Asthma is the leading
chronic illness of
children in the United
States and the leading
cause of school
absenteeism due to
chronic illness.
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Green and Healthy Heating Tips
A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT
is ideal for individuals and
families who are away from
home during set periods of
time, like work or school.
Through proper use you can
save about $1 50 a vear
'
Consider pollution effects and health risks
when choosing a heating source
Upgrade to EPA-certified woodstoves or
other clean-burning technology
Dry, well-seasoned wood burns cleaner
Always provide adequate ventilation and
exhaust for a combustion source
Have your heating system inspected with
particular attention to the vents and chim-
neys every year
Properly weatherize to reduce heating needs
and bills by improving the insulation and
seals around windows, doors, and pipes.
Install a programmable thermostat
Seal heating and cooling ducts and pipes
Consider the more than 50 types of prod-
ucts and appliances that are EnergyStar
certified for their efficiency
Smoldering fires give off much more pol-
lution than small, hotter fires
NEVER burn garbage, plastic, plywood
or pressure-treated wood, when burned,
they release chemicals that can be in-
haled and potentially become hazardous
to your health
EPA New England Local
Government Office
EPA New England
1 Congress Street
Suite 1 1 00
Boston, MA 02114-2023
phone (617) 918-1021
fax (617) 918-0021
Editor
Jeanethe Falvey
falvey.jeanethe@epa.gov
EPA Contributors
Eugene Benoit, Lucy Edmondson,
Shubhada Kambli, Alison Simcox,
Paul Wintrob
www.epa.gov/regionl
EPA-901-R-07-005
Winter 2008
printed on 100% recycled paper, with a minimum of 50% post-consumer waste, using vegetable based inks
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
1 Congress Street
Suite 1100
Boston, MA 02114
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
An Equal Opportunity Employer
In Your Backyard: For answers to many environmental questions regarding your New England community visit:
[ www.epa.gov/regionl/communities
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