Superior Environmental Performance. 3.1.1 Tier 1: Is the Project Equivalent?
3.1.1.1 Overview The existing information on this project indicates that the environmental performance of the proposed bioreactor operations at the two sites will be at least as good, and likely better, than the performance would be expected in the absence of the project. While the addition of liquids will necessarily increase the amount of leachate passing through the waste over that which would be expected without liquids addition, the leachate will be fully controlled by maintaining less than 12 in. of head over the liner; moreover, this leachate will be re-circulated, rather than requiring off-site treatment and disposal. As described in Section 1.2, both the Maplewood and King Xxxxxx County Landfills were constructed with composite double-liner systems, which are highly efficient at preventing leakage of leachate from landfills. While implementation of the project is expected to result in an increase in the generation rate of landfill gas, including methane and nonmethane organic compounds, this gas will be collected and controlled through the use of an active gas collection and control system and flares at both sites. The parties recognize that the increased production of landfill gas may result in an increase in NOx emissions from the flares. NOx emissions will not, however, exceed the limits specified in WM’s air quality permits. Moreover, WM is committed to exploring alternative uses for the collected gas, other than flaring. These factors, discussed in detail below, show that the project taken as a whole will result in environmental impacts that will not be greater, and in fact will likely be less, than those that would be expected in the absence of the project Environmental media that could be impacted include groundwater, surface water, and air. Therefore, the Tier 1 evaluation presented in this section is focused on equivalent potential impacts to these three media, and is presented here for both the King Xxxxxx and Maplewood Landfills.
Superior Environmental Performance. The City of Xxxxxx intends to utilize the flexibility granted by the XL Project to develop a watershed protection program for Pecan Creek. The ultimate goal of an effective watershed protection program is the preservation and improvement of the habitat of the tributaries to sustain the life cycle of the indigenous aquatic organisms and the ecosystem in which they exist. The accomplishment of this goal would also result in the improvement and protection of a primary source of drinking water in the region. The initial project will focus on establishing baseline ambient conditions of Pecan Creek with monitoring designed to assess the impact of pollution control measures. The information learned in the Pecan Creek watershed can be transferred to Hickory, Xxxxxx, and Clear Creeks. These creeks are all tributaries of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River and drain into Lake Lewisville, a major water supply reservoir for the cities of Denton and Dallas as well as other customer cities. The XL project will enable the City of Xxxxxx to develop the watershed protection program years earlier than would have normally occurred. City of Xxxxxx has been monitoring Pecan Creek for ten (10) years at a site upstream from the wastewater treatment outfall. Other sites in the Pecan Creek drainage have been monitored quarterly. Parameters include ammonia, nine 99) toxic metals, fecal coliform concentration or heterotrophic plate counts and general characterization parameters. The accumulated baseline data for Pecan Creek will be supplemented with priority pollutant scans. Full priority pollutant scans (126 Section 307 (A) Toxic Pollutants) will establish baseline pollutants of concern. The list of 126 priority pollutants will be revised to reflect emphasis upon pesticides and herbicides detected with greatest frequency by USGS and other organizations participating in the National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA). Detectable concentrations of potentially toxic pollutants will be used as indicators for assessment of effectiveness of control measures. The impact of efforts to control Storm Water runoff and pollution can be assessed with elements of TNRCC Receiving Water Assessments (RWA) and Clean Rivers Program (CRP). Water quality and aesthetic indicators will be documented to assess the effectiveness of BMPs, buffer zones, and public education. The impact of public education may be reflected as a reduction in retail sales of pesticides and herbicides of concern. The effecti...
Superior Environmental Performance. For convenience the various aspects of superior environmental performance are summarized in Table 6. The benefits to Yolo County are potentially greater energy revenue from the anaerobic operation which could result from more electricity generation or other energy uses, and landfill life extension. Present landfill capacity is sufficient until the year 2040, and the County would like to see its ability to landfill waste extended farther into the future. The County is also very interested in reducing the anticipated post-closure expenses and liabilities that are presently associated with conventional landfilling.
Superior Environmental Performance. 1. History: MGE has demonstrated a history of superior environmental performance through its performance under the ECA.
Superior Environmental Performance. MSD proposes to better manage its pretreatment program through a holistic watershed approach, leading to improved pollutant loading trends in the watershed. MSD will develop a specific strategy to achieve SEP which includes additional monitoring and pollutant source identification, pollution prevention outreach, education and technical assistance, and reinvestment of cost-savings in watershed based improvements. Specifically, MSD will establish a baseline for pollutant loadings using existing pollutant data and data collected during the first phase of the project. MSD is not requesting regulatory flexibility until an agreed upon baseline has been developed. Once the baseline is established, MSD will develop loading projections and reductions, performance measures, and redevelop its pretreatment program. EPA will work with MSD to develop and articulate more specifically the environmental benefits associated with the flexibility considered in MSD’s proposal (e.g., pollution prevention measures, and other environmental improvements). The final phase of the project will be the new pretreatment program implementation and evaluation. MSD’s strategy for SEP will provide the basis for: • a premise for prioritizing resources according to environmental benefits; • a more holistic understanding of the environmental stressors on the watershed; • opportunities for expanded and meaningful pollution prevention; • potential opportunities to partner with industry to focus on water quality improvements; • permanent flow monitoring in the sewer collection system which will enhance planning and operations; and • stream sampling information which MSD can use to determine WWTP impact to the stream.
Superior Environmental Performance. 1. As part of Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx’x application for a Tier 2 Contract, Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx has demonstrated a history of superior environmental performance. This demonstration is attached as Appendix 1.
2. In addition, Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx commits to sustain the environmental gains that have been made to date, and to implementing the measures described in Appendix 2 that are designed to produce superior environmental performance.
Superior Environmental Performance. Through Phase 1 and Phase 2 of this project, MSD has already begun to better manage its pretreatment program through a holistic watershed approach. It is expected that this approach will, lead to improved pollutant loading trends in the watershed. MSD has developed a specific strategy to achieve SEP which includes additional monitoring and pollutant source identification, pollution prevention outreach, education and technical assistance, and reinvestment of cost-savings in watershed based improvements. Specifically, MSD has established a baseline for pollutant loadings using existing pollutant data and data collected during the first phase of the project. Using this information, MSD has developed loading projections, performance measures, and an initial proposal to redevelop its pretreatment program. MSD believes that reductions in pollutant loadings to the watershed will occur with enhanced sewershed and watershed management, environmental targeting of resources, and pollution control.
Superior Environmental Performance. While the company has not yet directly measured environmental impacts, if consumers respond to the increased per mile cost of driving resulting from converting automotive insurance from a fixed to variable cost the same way they do to the increased per mile cost of driving resulting from fuel price increases, a significant reduction in driving would be expected. Initial cost figures appear to show that significant savings are accruing, and that drivers are paying close attention to their driving patterns and the information supplied to them by the company, in order to minimize their insurance costs. Drivers in urban areas appear to accrue the greatest savings, as they see the largest reductions in theft premiums and tend to have short commutes. The focus of this XL Project is an analytical study, which will determine the extent to which the Progressive Program has an effect on the environment. EPA, in partnership with USDOT and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, is developing a study methodology to determine if indeed the anecdotal evidence is accurate, and drivers are driving less as a result of their participation in the program. EPA’s interest in the program derives from the possibility that insurance pricing plans like Autograph might alter driving habits, as well as distinguish existing differences in habits, as drivers learn how their driving habits affect their costs. Recognizing that some factors which contribute to increased crash risk, such as total driving and driving during congested traffic periods, can also affect air quality, EPA is interested in whether people who sign up for a voluntary program like Autograph will reduce their total driving or their driving during congested periods. A brief description of factors to be monitored in the study is included in the “monitoring, reporting, and evaluation” section of this document. Reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is essential to promoting many of EPA’s environmental objectives. Despite years of progress in improving vehicle technology to reduce automotive emissions, cars and light trucks continue to be major contributors to a host of national environmental challenges, in part due to large and continuous increases in VMT. For example, according to EPA’s Indicators of the Environmental Impacts of Transportation report (October 1999), U.S. travel is responsible for a substantial portion of U.S. ozone precursor emissions (31% of volatile organic compounds and 36% of nitrogen oxides) 61...
Superior Environmental Performance. There are a number of environmental benefits contemplated by this project. Some of the environmental benefits involve direct reductions of air emissions by replacing high-emission vehicles with low-emission vehicles. For example, this project will reduce emissions of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and toxics (mainly VOCs). Even if the vehicles were run on gasoline, ALL pollutants would be reduced significantly (see Appendix A for estimates). Other benefits are more difficult to measure--for example, building the infrastructure for alternative fuel vehicles. The environmental benefits of the project are summarized as follows: ▪ Introduction of approximately 810 FFVs within the Denver metropolitan area. ▪ A significant decrease in USPS’s contribution to mobile source emissions within the Denver metropolitan area. The model year 2000 vehicle engines are inherently cleaner burning and more fuel-efficient than the older model year vehicle engines they would replace. For example, each of the vehicles to be scrapped emits 250 pounds per year more carbon monoxide than each of the replacement FFVs. The net emissions reduction over a 20-year life cycle is estimated to be 432 tons of carbon monoxide, 24 tons of hydrocarbons, and 10 tons of nitrogen oxides. ▪ Expedited removal of 000 0000-0000 model year delivery vehicles from the Denver/Boulder non-attainment area. Vehicles will be removed from service and sold as scrap. USPS estimates that the vehicles to be scrapped under this project travel over 1.6 million vehicle miles per year in the Denver area. ▪ Reduction in evaporative emissions of hazardous chemical constituents (e.g., benzene) associated with unleaded fuel dispensing. ▪ Increased market demand for E-85 fuel, both through the USPS’s addition of the approximately 810 vehicles and the publicity that the project will provide regarding alternative fuel vehicles. These two factors will provide economic incentive to encourage retail fuel providers to convert existing gasoline storage tanks to E-85 storage tanks. As the commercial availability of E-85 increases, the purchase of dedicated alternative fuel vehicles, including FFVs and those that meet LEV or cleaner emissions standards, by vehicle fleets and private individuals will increase, thereby reducing mobile source emissions further. ▪ Creation of a model USPS alternative fuel vehicle metropolitan area that could be expanded to other areas. ▪ The ethanol ...
Superior Environmental Performance. Since SEP is one of the most scrutinized components of an XLC project, it is important that this Project clearly demonstrate environmental results. Similar to identifying the Project’s baseline and equivalency, the Project team members will be working together as part of Phase I implementation to identify the best approaches to measure the Project’s SEP. Clermont intends to develop and apply locally developed water quality standards based on local environmental conditions and goals, while still recognizing Statewide water quality standards. This multi-phased Project is expected to achieve SEP through greater local responsibility and management of point and nonpoint sources. Further, this Project is comprehensive in scope and will include development issues closely tied to water quality such as land use, development procedures, open space and farmland preservation, and economic development. Most important, the County is being proactive--investing in watershed management controls not currently regulated by NPDES permits much sooner than would otherwise be required under a waste load allocation and TMDL developed by OEPA. Consequently, this innovative Project should result in environmental benefits sooner than would be realized under current and anticipated regulations. Potential environmental benefits of this Project include: ! Enhanced ecological benefits due to stream corridor management; ! Better growth management; ! Improved habitat protection; ! Improvement of water quality and biological conditions in sensitive waterways; ! Enhanced wildlife protection; ! Wetlands protection and restoration; ! Conservation easements; ! Flow augmentation; ! Riparian habitat improvements; ! Protection of drinking water supply for County; and ! Transferability to other communities and governmental organizations. There might also be additional environmental benefits from the County’s comprehensive set of watershed modeling tools. This model, calibrated to available data in the EFLMR, evaluates watershed loading, tributary loading, and river transport processing under long term conditions. The model, driven by precipitation data, predicts conditions under both wet and dry weather conditions on an hourly basis. Another additional environmental benefit is the working relationship the County has with the P&G Stream Research Facility located on the EFLMR in Clermont. Currently, Clermont and P&G are cooperating on a project to establish a statistical approach connecting biology ...
