BURBANK AIRS WAYS TO CLEAN UP SOOT.Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer BURBANK - In an effort to clean up Burbank's sooty soot·y adj. soot·i·er, soot·i·est 1. Covered with or as if with soot. 2. Blackish or dusky in color. 3. Of or producing soot. air, the City Council tonight will consider setting strict rules for construction equipment used on municipal projects. The proposed ordinance would require all diesel-fueled construction equipment over 50 horsepower horsepower, unit of power in the English system of units. It is equal to 33,000 foot-pounds per minute or 550 foot-pounds per second or approximately 746 watts. - from forklifts to earthmovers - to meet more stringent emissions standards than are currently enforced by various air quality control agencies. Burbank recently ranked sixth on a list of the nation's top 10 cities with the worst soot soot, black or dull brown deposit of fine powder resulting from incomplete combustion of fuel of high carbon content, e.g., coal, wood, and oil. It consists chiefly of amorphous carbon and tarry substances that cause it to adhere to surfaces. , with diesel exhaust the main culprit, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a study released by the South Coast Air Quality Management District The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), formed in 1976, is the air pollution agency responsible mainly for regulating stationary sources of air pollution for most of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside County, and all of Orange county. . "We don't want to be the sixth-sootiest city in the nation," said Burbank Councilman Todd Campbell, who floated the idea in October. Campbell is also the director of public policy for Seal Beach-based Clean Energy, which provides natural gas for transportation. "It's something that's needed given all the development throughout the region." Under the plan, each of the city's 26 construction vehicles would be replaced with cleaner-burning equipment by 2019, said Bob Van Hazelen, the city's assistant general manager of fleets and buildings. The ordinance also would apply to private companies that contract with the city for work, officials said. The city's policy would come in addition to a push by the California Air Resources Board California Air Resources Board (CARB) is the "clean air agency" of the state of California in the United States. Established originally in 1967, it is a part of the California Environmental Protection Agency, an organization which reports directly to the California to reduce emissions from construction equipment statewide. The draft of that proposed rule will be available for public review in October and is scheduled for board consideration in December. Under that proposal, construction fleets statewide would have to retrofit ret·ro·fit v. ret·ro·fit·ted or ret·ro·fit, ret·ro·fit·ting, ret·ro·fits v.tr. 1. To provide (a jet, automobile, computer, or factory, for example) with parts, devices, or equipment not in or replace equipment that violates the new standards. The city has not yet estimated the cost of complying with its own ordinance. However, officials say it would cost about $468,000 to comply with the proposed state rules, including equipment replacements and engine upgrades - costs they hope to offset through grants. jason.kandel@dailynews.com (818) 546-3306 IF YOU GO The Burbank City Council meets at 6:30 tonight at City Hall, 275 E. Olive. Ave. CAPTION(S): box Box: IF YOU GO (see text) |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion