Hundreds gathered at Marshall Park in Charlotte on April 20 to rally and protest the construction of a new coal-fired power plant at Cliffside.

Charlotte Region Moves to 8th in the Nation for Dirty Air

According to the American Lung Association’s 2009 State of the Air report, the Charlotte metro region ranks eighth highest among the nation’s smoggiest cities, up from last year’s thirteenth spot. Once again, the report gives Mecklenburg County a failing grade for its high levels of ozone pollution. Ozone pollution is Charlotte’s most widespread air quality problem, particularly during the warmest months, and vehicle emissions are the biggest contributor to ozone in Mecklenburg County. For the past several years, the Charlotte region has failed to meet federal ozone standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2004 and will face an even tougher time meeting the new standards strengthened in early 2008. Therefore, the region stands to lose federal highway dollars and is likely to inherit tough emissions restrictions on new industry. High ozone levels are especially harmful to children since their respiratory systems are still developing and vulnerable to the effects of dirty air. Children also spend more time outside at higher activity levels causing them to take in more air pollution. Asthma is a growing concern in Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools. In 2007, 16% of middle school and 18% of high school students reported having been told by a doctor or nurse they have asthma. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine also shows the Charlotte region as an ozone hot spot in the country. Researchers have found that people living in cities with chronically high ozone levels have a 30% higher chance of dying from respiratory illnesses. In order to reverse this trend elected officials must implement effective solutions now that will protect public health and ensure an environmentally sustainable future for NC residents and visitors.

Newsletter Issue 19 Spring 2009

A Call to Conscience: People’s Injunction to Stop Cliffside

This Earth Day, over 350 concerned residents from all over the country rallied in Charlotte to support our call to cancel construction of the Cliffside coal plant in Rutherford County. Forty-three people were arrested as they attempted to deliver “A Call to Conscience” message to Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers at the company’s headquarters. Organizers and sup-porters declared the protest a victory, saying the sacrifice made by these ordinary Tar Heels and other Americans is the kind of commitment needed to convince our leaders to act immediately to address the clear dangers coal-fired power plants have on our public health, environment and economy. Science-based consensus on the accelerating climate crisis requires that coal-burning power plants must be phased out worldwide. Rogers has publicly touted his company’s commitment to addressing climate change, even pledging in a recent speech to shut down all Duke’s coal plants by 2050. Yet, if completed, the new unit at Cliffside would produce six million tons of CO2 annually for the next 50 years. Over thirty organizations and prominent individuals endorsed the Cliffside Cli-mate Action event, including the nation’s leading climate scientist, NASA’s Dr. James Hansen. In his endorsement, Han-sen said "Stopping Cliffside is the best thing North Carolina can do to help stop global warming". CCAC thanks all supporters who volunteered their time, talents and monetary contributions to help make this event a huge success. To learn more about this event and our efforts to stop Cliffside, visit www.stopcliffside.org.

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A Home Health & Energy Audit The first step to a greener, healthier home and lower utility bills By Justin Rowell, Owner of Greenmodeling With the economy in a down turn, we are all looking for ways to cut bills. Most people mistakenly write off high and rising electricity, heating and cooling, and other utility costs as a given to the end. Fortunately, almost every home has economical improvements that can be made to reduce utility bills, as well as improve comfort, health and property value. These improvements retain and even grow in value much more easily than many other more traditional home projects as energy costs continue to increase. Most of us know about low-flow shower heads, CFLs and unplugging our cell phone chargers when not in use, but there is so much more we can do. There are often major “money drains” in your attic, crawlspace and throughout the house, that a professional auditor can help locate and improve. An energy audit will allow you to make informed decisions on a plan of action. An energy audit is also appropriate when considering the viability of solar power, solar hot water and other major green projects. The audit can help you decide whether or not these projects are really worthwhile for your property, and if so, how to get the most bang for your buck. Not all audits and auditors are created equal. Look for a local company that is willing to sit down and discuss what problems you are experiencing and also the recommendations they offer. Not every homeowner is the do-it-yourself type, so hiring a company that can implement the recommendations they offer is another important consideration. Also, look for one that takes a comprehen-sive, holistic, approach. Would you hire a dietician that just looks at carbohy-drate consumption? Many auditors focus almost entirely on energy issues. Other issues such as water, landscaping and indoor air quality are related and important as well.

What’s an Energy Audit?

An energy audit is an inspection of a property that reveals how energy is consumed and how that consump-tion can be reduced, eliminated and/or made more efficient. A thorough audit should take around two to three hours for a typical home and will pro-vide you with very valuable advice on how to lower your energy bills and improve your property’s efficiency, comfort and sustainability. It should also address indoor air quality issues and the effect of recommended work on these issues, as well as related areas such as water usage.

Walk to School = Healthier Bodies, Cleaner Air

On April 17, Cotswold Elementary students arrived to school happier, healthier and having less impact on the environment thanks to their fourth “Walk-to-School” event this school year. The Clean Air Polar Bear joined the students and led the walk to celebrate their efforts for healthier bodies and cleaner air. Walking or biking to school helps protect the region’s air quality and public health. When parents and students walk or bike to school instead of driving a car they reduce toxic vehicle emissions, an ozone-forming pollutant. Cotswold Elementary started its Walk-to-School program in 2007 with the help of Mecklenburg County Health Department’s Safe Routes to School program. The school holds five events a year, where 100-200 students walk to promote physical activity, safety and environmental stewardship. “We are so proud of our students for their commitment to improving their health and our air quality. Many students and families have even taken the initiative to walk to school on their own, on a more regular basis.” said Kyna Savedge, a Cotswold Walk-to-School program coordinator. As part of its Clear the Air for Kids! campaign, CCAC donated a set of air quality flags and “Turn Off Your Engine” educational material to the school. “Clear the Air for Kids! works with schools to reduce children’s exposure to vehicle exhaust by encouraging parents to turn off their engines while waiting to pick up students in the afternoon. Through their walk-to-school program, Cotswold has gone above and beyond by encouraging parents and students to walk or bike instead of drive” stated Kelly Picarsic, Program Director for the Clear the Air for Kids! campaign. Walkers converged in front of the school flag pole where students had the chance to “meet and greet” the Clean Air Polar Bear and an air quality flag raising was held. To kick off the 2009 Ozone Season, CCAC also held a press conference where we provided updated health reports and regional air quality information to the media.

Cotswold students meet and greet the Clean Air Polar Bear.

An infrared picture to see and measure levels thermal energy emitted from a house. The red and yellow colors indicate different levels of heat loss, with red being the highest amount.

$1.4M Sought to Retrofit NC School Buses

CCAC has partnered with school systems in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus and Union counties to clean up their bus fleets so North Carolina’s children can have a safer, healthier ride to school each day. CCAC staff submitted two separate grant applications to fund the purchase of pollution control devices to be outfitted on a total of 162 school buses and 15 refueling trucks. These collaborative grant applications are a part of our continued efforts to clean up diesel school buses in North Carolina. CCAC submitted the first application in January to the NC Department of Trans-portation for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant program. If funded, the proposed $545,000 project includes the retrofitting of 26 school buses in Union County Public Schools with diesel particulate filters (DPFs) reducing emissions by at least 85%. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools plan to retrofit 32 school buses and 15 refueling trucks with diesel multi-stage filters (DMFs), reducing emissions by 55%. Additionally the grant will replace the old dirty engines of “Gus the Bus” and two other activity school buses with new, lower emissions engines. The old engines will be taken offline and destroyed so they can no longer pollute our environment. CCAC submitted a second application to the NC Division of Air Quality’s Diesel Emissions-Economic Recovery (DEER) program in April. This $847,000 project would retrofit buses for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Union County Public Schools and Cabarrus County Schools. Diesel exhaust contains over 40 toxic pollutants identified by the EPA. We are committed to making sure school bus fleets are as clean as possible to protect the health of our children. For more information, visit www.cleanschoolbusaction.org

Cleaning Up Off-Road Construction Equipment CCAC Director to Speak about Clean Contracts to Charlotte City Council

On Tuesday, May 26th at 7pm June Blotnick, Executive Director of CCAC, will speak to Charlotte City Council members about adopting a “Clean Contracts” policy for city con-struction projects. Off-road construc-tion equipment represents a signifi-cant source of diesel pollution in Mecklenburg County. The organiza-tion also plans to approach the Mecklenburg County Board of Com-missioners in the coming months. Several states already have clean contracting policies in place and CCAC is currently working with these states to develop language for a Charlotte bill that will require diesel emissions reductions at construction sites. CCAC is also working with Representative Ruth Samuelson on a study bill to examine clean con-tracting at the state level.

CCAC Holds Workshop to Clean Up Diesel In April, CCAC co-hosted a workshop with the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments (PTCOG) in Greensboro to educate fleet managers about the importance of diesel engine retrofits and funding availabilities. Over 30 fleet managers from regional municipalities and retrofit vendors from the Southeast attended.

Ginger Booker with PTCOG, gave an informative presentation on “Air Quality in the Triad”. Phil Rossi, CCAC’s Program Director for the NC Clean Diesel Campaign (NCCDC) gave presentations on the state-wide campaign and retro-fit options for cleaning up diesel-powered vehicles. Chelsea Conover, from NC Solar/Clean Fuels Advanced Technology Program, shared regional success stories. CCAC’s Executive Director, June Blotnick informed the audience of possible funding opportunities for retrofitting fleets. Dave Harris, Regional En-ergy Sustainability Administrator for PTCOG, closed the workshop describing their Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant application which proposes retrofitting fleets in eight counties. The Greensboro workshop was CCAC’s second workshop on cleaning up diesel in the past six months. These educational workshops are positive steps in continuing to reduce mobile source emissions in North Carolina. Special thanks to the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments and NC Mobile CARE for helping to make the Greensboro workshop a successful event.

Did you knowL refueling trucks may idle for up to four hours at a time in one single day?

Show Your Support!

If you live in the Charlotte area

and would like to show your sup-

port by attending the City Council

meeting on May 26, please RSVP

to phil@clean-air-coalition.org

What is Clean Contracting?

Requirements you might find in a Clean Contracts policy include:

Use Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) - Using ULSD reduces en-gine wear, deposits, and oil degrada-tion. Onsite fueling is simplified when both highway vehicles and off-road equipment use the same fuel.

Retrofit Diesel Engines - Installing EPA verified pollution control tech-nologies to reduce emissions.

Implement Idle Reduction Policy or Technology - Implementing an idle reduction policy to minimize the amount of time a construction vehicle idles and\or using idle reduction technologies such as auxiliary power units.

A Special Thank You to Carrier Corporation

CCAC extends a warm and heartfelt thank you to the Carrier

Corporation for their continued support of our efforts to restore clean

and healthy air to the Central Carolinas. In April Carrier donated

$5,000 for our ongoing clean energy campaign to avert the impact of

climate change in North Carolina.

Editors: June Blotnick, Executive Director and Kelly Picarsic, Program Director for Clear the Air for Kids! | 704-342-9161 | director@clean-air-coalition.org

Donate for Cleaner Air

Your tax-deductible gift to the Carolinas Clean Air Coalition plays a key role in our successes this year. Please consider making a donation for cleaner air today by visiting us on the web at www.nccleanair.org. You can also make a check payable to Carolinas Clean Air Coalition and send it to our office at: 1801 N. Tryon Street, Suite 326, Charlotte, NC 28206. Thank you for your support!

CCAC Recognized for Clearing the Air! In April, Carolinas Clean Air Coalition proudly accepted the 2009 Mobile CARE award presented by the NC Solar Center’s NC Mobile CARE program. This award was given in recognition of the organization’s outstanding leadership and achievements in raising awareness of air pollution and advocating for policy change and individual action to reduce emissions. CCAC accomplishes its goal through three major campaigns:

• NC Clean Diesel: promoting the use of pollution control devices on old diesel engines and assisting schools and organizations in applying for grants to fund such retrofits.

• Clean Energy: using education and advo-cacy to promote the use of energy effi-ciency and renewable energy to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

• Clear the Air for Kids!: working with school systems to raise air quality awareness and reduce children’s exposure to harmful vehicle exhaust.

CCAC was also a proud finalist for the Non-Profit Organization award category of the Charlotte Business Journal's 2009 Green Awards.

Air Connections

By Hank Thiel, Elkin, NC Air quality will play an increasing role in the choices of where people live and businesses locate. Although I could not have imagined it when my wife and I located to Charlotte in 1998, three years ago, we made the very difficult decision to relocate due to air quality concerns. The experi-ence of having a child who devel-oped asthma while growing up in Charlotte persuaded us to research and become more aware of the causes. As our child's asthma condition wors-ened, and our knowledge of the envi-ronmental triggers increased, air quality became a top priority for the choice in where to raise our family. While realizing that with our reloca-tion a number of environmental fac-tors changed, my wife and I certainly credit cleaner air for its contribution to our child's dramatic improvement. Hopefully, through the efforts of or-ganizations like Carolinas Clean Air Coalition the general public, elected officials, and other decision makers will begin to consider and account for the true costs of air pollution on our quality of life, health care and eco-nomic sustainability. Hank is Senior Vice President, Quality and Productivity Executive, Bank of America.

Sign up to receive your air quality forecast by email at: www.enviroflash.info