CLEAN AIR,
TRANSPORTATION,
AND THE POWER OF
PA RTNERSHIPS
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o
THE
R O A
T O
Voluntary programs and public-private partnerships are playing an increasingly important role
in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) efforts to curb pollution from cars, trucks,
buses, and other vehicles. Working together, EPA and its partners are voluntarily building on the
tremendous air quality gains the transportation sector has achieved during the past 30 years.
Cars, trucks, buses, and other mobile sources
burn fuel and emit pollutants that contribute
to smog, respiratory illnesses, and climate
change. Partners in EPA's voluntary programs
are helping to reduce harmful emissions,
improve fuel efficiency, and ensure a cleaner
environment for all Americans.
Although vehicle emission standards and regulatory controls have been critical to EPA's past
success and continue to be important today, its voluntary transportation programs target creative,
non-regulatory opportunities. These programs encourage innovation and new ideas and rely on a
strong environmental commitment to cleaner air and a better environment for future generations.
EPA's voluntary air quality and transportation initiatives are effectively reducing vehicle
emissions and improving public health through a wide range of activities, including:
Environmentally friendly transportation options for commuters
Retrofits for existing diesel truck, bus, locomotive, and off-road engines
Cleaner and more energy efficient ground freight and trucking fleet operations
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c
N
R
A I R
Idling reductions
Cleaner school buses
Businesses, state and local government agencies, industry organizations, environmental
groups, public health advocates, and communities are among the organizations EPA is
partnering with in these activities. Together we are making effective and important
contributions to public health, reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gases, and making a
cleaner environment for all Americans.
This pamphlet highlights four voluntary programs led by EPA's Office of Transportation and
Air Quality: 1) Best Workplaces for CommutersSM, 2) Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program,
3) SmartWaySM Transport, and 4) Clean School Bus USA.
MORE INFORMATION ON THESE PROGRAMS IS AVAILABLE
ON EPA's WEB SITE AT < WWW.EPA.GOV/OTAQ/VOLUNTARY. HTM >.
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Best Workplaces for Commuters1
Since 1970, the number of miles driven by the public has nearly tripled from more than
1 trillion miles, to approximately 2.8 trillion miles in 2002. In many large metropolitan areas
where these increases have been among the highest, new growth, long commutes, and busy
schedules compound to create crowded roads, poor air quality, and stress in the workplace.
To help tackle these problems, EPA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
created Best Workplaces for CommutersSM. Employers that are active Best Workplaces for
CommutersSM offer their employees outstanding commuting options that can help ease local
traffic congestion, clean the air, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while reducing employee
stress and helping employees save on fuel costs. Meanwhile, these benefits also help attract and
retain the best employees.
A typical worker who switches from driving alone
to using commuter benefits for mass transit can
save more than $1,000 a year in transportation
costs, such as gas and wear and tear, and can
avoid driving 5,000 miles a year.
EPA estimates that Best Workplaces for CommutersSM employers and employees are reducing the
number of miles driven by 3 to 6 million miles per day; saving between 35 and 70 million gallons
of gasoline per year; and preventing the annual release of 300,000 to 600,000 metric tons of CO2
[.08 to .16 MMTCE (million metric tons of carbon equivalent)].
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Employers contributing to
these achievements are meeting
a National Standard of Excellence in
commuter benefits and are publicly
recognized by EPA and DOT as Best
Workplaces for CommutersSM. These benefits include options such as transit
passes, vanpool vouchers, telecommuting programs, lockers and showers for
bicyclists, and compressed work week schedules. Best Workplaces for
CommutersSM receive free training, networking opportunities, and Web-
based tools to help them promote and evaluate the effectiveness of their
commuter benefits programs.
Now in its third year, more than 2,000 companies representing more
than 900,000 employees nationwide have become a Best Workplaces for
CommutersSM. Best Workplaces for CommutersSM represent a broad range of
business sectors and sizes, including small companies with fewer than five
workers and Fortune 1000 companies that employ more than 40,000
workers. Transportation management agencies and transportation service
providers play an important role by promoting this program in communities
throughout the country.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT
OR .
If half of all U.S.
employees worked
for employers
offering commuter
benefits at the
National Standard of
I Excellence level as
encouraged by the
Best Workplaces
for CommutersSM
program, up to 44
million metric tons
[12 MMTCE]of
carbon dioxide
from cars would be
eliminated annually.
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Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program
Through EPA's
Voluntary Diesel
Retrofit Program,
fleet owners and
operators have
committed to
retrofit more than
150,000 diesel-
powered trucks,
buses, and non-road
equipment. As a
result, more than
200,000 tons of
pollution, including
emissions of
particulate matter,
nitrogen oxides,
carbon monoxide,
and hydrocarbons
will be prevented.
The black soot and fine particulate matter
that spew from the exhaust pipes of many
trucks, buses, and other heavy-duty diesel
vehicles remain one of the most visible
forms of air pollution. Although stringent
new standards to control emissions from
diesel-powered engines will become effective
starting in 2007, these new standards will not
apply to existing trucks and busesmany of
which will operate for another 25 years or more.
The goal of the Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program is
to clean the particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, air toxics, and other
unhealthy emissions present in the diesel exhaust of trucks that otherwise
would be unaffected by EPA's upcoming standards. Participants in the
program are taking early action to reduce diesel emissions and are making
important contributions to public health and the environment.
Fine particulate matter and other emissions present in diesel exhaust are
known to pose serious public health concerns. Fine particles cause health
problems by passing through the nose and throat and becoming lodged in
the lungs, resulting in lung damage and even premature death. They can
also aggravate respiratory conditions, such as asthma and bronchitis. EPA
believes diesel exhaust is likely to be a human carcinogen.
Participants in EPA's Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program are achieving
several important environmental and public health benefits, including:
Prevention of premature deaths.
Fewer hospital and emergency room admissions among individuals with
heart and lung disease.
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Fewer absences from school and work due to aggravated asthma and other heart and lung diseases.
Improved visibility and less haze in urban and rural areas.
Participants in the program are publicly recognized by EPA for their efforts and receive ongoing
technical assistance to reach their goals. Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program participants reduce
emissions by retrofitting diesel engines with pollution controls; implementing anti-idling programs;
and using clean-fuel alternatives, such as ultra-low sulfur diesel and compressed natural gas.
Owners and operators of heavy-duty truck fleets, diesel and retrofit technology manufacturers,
state transportation and air quality agencies, and fuel refiners are among the many businesses and
organizations active in EPA's Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program. EPA provides technical assistance,
Heavy-duty diesel trucks account for more than
one-third of all particulate matter emissions
generated by the transportation sector. Emission
control and retrofit technologies that can provide
immediate air quality and health benefits when
applied to existing diesels are available now.
offers small grant opportunities, and is always looking for new partners and opportunities. New
projects will enable us to achieve even greater emissions reductions and to succeed in producing
more critically important public health and environmental benefits.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT .
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SmartWaySM Transport
Most of the goods, products, and commodities
manufactured and consumed in the United States are
delivered by truck or rail, otherwise known as ground freight.
Ground freight is an integral part of the U.S. economy.
Ground freight also is a significant source of emissions that causes air pollution and contributes
to climate change. Ground freight is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for
approximately 18 percent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from all transportation sources.
SmartWa-f*1 Transport partners include companies that haul freight (carriers), retailers and
manufacturers of goods that require shipping (shippers), and EPA. The goal of the program is to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve greater fuel efficiency in the transportation sector. Other
important benefits include reductions in nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and other air pollutants,
especially in densely populated urban areas where exposure to these pollutants is of greatest concern.
Through this voluntary partnership, EPA expects
to eliminate 33 to 66 million metric tons of CO2
emissions [9 to 18 MMTCE] and up to 200,000
short tons of NOx emissions per year by 2012.
This represents a savings of up to 150 million
barrels of oil a year and is equivalent to removing
the CO2 emissions of up to 12 million cars.
Carriers become SmartWaySM Transport partners once they agree to measure their current
transportation-related environmental performance and commit to making future improvements.
For example, future improvements could include the use of technologies that reduce long-duration
truck engine idling. Strategies that reduce wasteful idling are one of the key components of the
SmartWaySM Transport program.
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EPA's SmartWaySM Transport partners also can use a
variety of other strategies and technologies to meet their
goals. These include improved aerodynamics, improved
logistics management, automatic tire inflation systems,
wide-base tires, driver training, low-viscosity lubricants,
reduced highway speed, and lightweight vehicle
components.
Shippers become SmartWaySM Transport partners by
committing to ship a minimum percentage of their
goods with SmartWaySM Transport carriers. Shippers also
agree to reduce CO2 emissions generated by operations
under their control.
The SmartWaySM Transport eligibility requirements are
designed to encourage coordination between shippers
and carriers. Shippers and carriers also will work with
EPA to market and promote the program.
SmartWaySM Transport partners are working to
promote new, clean, and energy-efficient technologies
for the ground freight industry. Companies participating
in SmartWaySM Transport have an opportunity to make
important contributions to our nation's efforts to secure
greater energy independence, protect public health, and
safeguard the environment for future generations.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT
.
=
SmartWaySM Transport participation
provides tangible benefits for
companies, including:
Fuel savings.
Long-term cost savings.
Business-to-business preference for
SmartWaySM Transport partners.
"Green" image: SmartWaySM
Transport preference appeals
to environmentally conscious
customers.
Improved business climate due
to reduced dependence on
foreign oil and increased
American energy security.
Technical and infrastructure
support from EPA.
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Clean School Bus USA
Clean School Bus USA partners will
reduce emissions of particulate
matter by 35,000 tons and save up
to $5 billion in reduced health care
costs, preventing at least:
50,000 incidents of lower
respiratory symptoms in
healthy children.
100,000 incidents of upper
respiratory symptoms in
asthmatic children.
5,000 asthma symptoms in
asthmatic children.
1,000 asthma-related emergency
department visits by children.
9,000 incidents of acute
bronchitis in children.
The goal of Clean School Bus USA is to reduce both
children's exposure to diesel exhaust and the amount of air
pollution created by diesel school buses. In this program,
EPA and its partners are working to create
policies and practices that will eliminate
unnecessary school bus idling, encourage
the installation of effective emission
control technologies, and support the
replacement of older, high-emitting
buses in the fleet.
NO
ENGINE
IDLING
More than 24 million children
ride safely to school every day on
444,000 school buses, traveling more
than 4 billion miles each year. Knowing
that school buses provide the safest and most
widely used way for children to get to school, EPA and its
partners want to help by making school buses cleaner.
Through Clean School Bus USA, school districts, diesel
engine and emission control manufacturers, oil refiners,
corporate leaders committed to environmental excellence,
and many others are working with EPA to leverage
resources, develop tax incentives, and offer other kinds of
technical assistance and support. The Clean School Bus
USA program is using a three-pronged approach that will
achieve the following goals:
Eliminate all unnecessary school bus idling as soon
as possible.
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Retrofit all 1991 to 2002 school bus models by 2010.
Replace 100 percent of all school buses manufactured
before 1990 with new clean-technology buses.
These are ambitious goals. Congress included $5 million in EPA's
2003 budget to establish a cost-shared grant program to assist school districts in upgrading their
bus fleets. More than $20 million will be available for retrofitting public diesel fleets, including
school bus fleets, through recent supplemental environmental projects. Supplemental
environmental projects are negotiated when EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice settle
enforcement actions. Funds that are made available in future settlements may also be applied for
retrofitting school buses.
School buses idle, on average, more than an hour per day,
using up to 1 7 million gallons of diesel fuel annually. By
developing simple anti-idling guidelines, school districts can
achieve significant savings in fuel costs and help keep the air
in their communities clean.
At present, more than 100 educators, school transportation officials, health experts,
environmentalists, pollution control manufacturers, engine manufacturers, refiners, and corporate
leaders have expressed an interest in becoming partners in EPA's Clean School Bus USA
initiative. Currently, about 20 school bus retrofit projects are underway nationally, and more then
120 school districts have expressed an interest in participating in a retrofit project.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO .
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Voluntary Partnerships . . .
Making a Difference
T
Partners in EPA's voluntary
transportation and air quality
programs are environmental stewards
setting an example for others to
follow. Their commitment strengthens
the environmental performance of
vehicles and helps to ensure the most efficient
use of our nation's transportation system. The outcome
is cleaner air, reduced greenhouse gases, and a better
environment for all Americans.
EPA extends an open invitation to all organizations.
If your organization is interested in learning more
about our voluntary programs, please visit
< WWW. EPA.GOV/OTAQ/VOLUNTARY. HTM > .
Together we can make
America's environment
healthier and cleaner.
Office of Transportation
and Air Quality
U.S. EPA
Mail Code xxxx
1200 PennsyIvaniaAve., NW
Washington, DC 20460
EPAxxx-x-03-xxx
July 2003
@ Printed on paper that coi
least 50 percent postcon
ese are just some of the
rganizations that are
aking a Difference...
AMY'S KITCHEN APPLE COMPUTER
BAL HARBOUR VILLAGE BAYER
CORPORATION CANON U.S.A.
CH2M HILL DUKE ENERGY D&B
EDDIE BAUER EMORY UNIVERSOY
FIRST NATIONAL LENDING, LLC Cmr OF
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO GEICO DIRECT
GEORGIA POWER/SOUTHERN COMPANY
HlLLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA HYPERION
SOLUTIONS IBM INDIAN NATIONS COUNCIL
OF GOVERNMENTS J.D. EDWARDS JUNIPER
NETWORKS KAISER PERMANENTE KPFF
CONSULTING ENGINEERS Cmr OF LAFAYETTE,
CALIFORNIA LOCKHEED MARTIN SPACE
SYSTEMS COMPANY MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NORTHWEST
AIRLINES ORACLE OVERLAKE HOSPITAL
MEDICAL CENTER PFIZER, INC. PIXAR
ANIMATION STUDIOS Q.E.D. CONSULTING, LLC
RAYTHEON MISSILE SYSTEMS REI, INC.
SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSFTY SOUTH COAST
AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
THERMOPLASTIC FABRICATION TIME WARNER
CABLE UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE
ASSOCIATION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
VERIZON VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
WORLD TRADE CENTER BOSTON/SEAPORT
HOTEL YAHOO! INC. YOLO TRANSPORTATION
MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION XENOPORT, INC.
ZYMOGENETICS, INC.
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