Idle Reduction Programs and Gas Cap Checks at Your School! June 15 th 2012

PARTNERSHIPS … Working together to keep our air clean!

What are we going to talk about today?  What’s the problem? (Morning Session)  Why do we care about air quality?  Idle Reduction Programs  Gas Cap Check Program

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

Where do pollutants come from?  Sources of Pollutants  Point ( e.g., electric utilities, refineries, “smokestack” industries, etc.)  Area (e.g., dry cleaners, paints, solvents, etc.)  Mobile (e.g., cars, trucks, construction equipment, etc.) On-Road (Cars, trucks, buses) Non-Road (Airplanes, trains, construction equipment)  Biogenic (e.g., trees, vegetation, soils) Issues such as idling and leaking gas caps cause emission related pollution making vehicles the number one contributor to ground level ozone.

On-road vehicles 48% Off-road vehicles 17% Electric Power Plants 16% Other Point Sources 8% Area Sources 11% Light-Duty Vehicles 46% Heavy-Duty Vehicles 54% 2009 Data Air Pollution 101 Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

Why do we care?

IDLE REDUCTION PROGRAMS Reduce pollution at your school

Idle Reduction  What is idling?  Why should we have a idle reduction program at your school?  3,000 signs posted across the State. Many schools have actively reduced idling through programs.

Goals of an Idle Reduction Campaign  I. Reduce total vehicle idling time during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up of students.  II. Raise awareness about the health risks and costs of vehicle idling for students and drivers.  III. Promote behavioral changes

No Idling Schools

Steps of an Idle Reduction Campaign  I. Design the Program.  Time period, budget, etc.  II. Gather Materials.  Flyers, window stickers, stopwatches, counters, clipboards  III. Undercover data collection  IV. Media Blitz  Posters, plays, videos, newsletters, , websites  Data Collection during project  Present Data

Keys to Success  Follow all the steps of the toolkit (they are in there for a reason!)  Customize for your school.  Get support from other teachers, parent organizations, and administrative staff  Have fun and let it be a student centered project!

 No Idling Toolkit – Checklist 

Gas Cap Checks

Purpose Public awareness of how a faulty gas cap and under inflated tires contribute to poor gas mileage and emission related pollution. Public awareness of health effects related to emission pollution Provide money-saving tips related to a properly maintained vehicle Provide resources for information on emissions pollution and air quality.

Gas Cap Checks  Up to 30 gallons of gasoline can escape from a leaking gas cap.  30 gallons of fuel become 200 pounds of emissions that directly affect your local air quality.  Low tire pressure can also affect a vehicle’s fuel economy. Gas mileage can decrease 4% for every missing pound of pressure.

Gas Cap Checks

 Gas Cap Check Toolkit – Checklist 

John E. Wear, WPCOG (828) Tony Gallegos, WPCOG (828) Jonathan Navarro, DAQ Environmental Senior Specialist Milli Hayman, DAQ Environmental Specialist II CONTACT INFO RU4NCAIR CONTACT INFO RU4NCAIR 6th Annual Unifour Air Quality Conference