Table Of ContentPublished by the
Environmental Management Unit
Logan Office Center
A quarterly environmental newsletter
Issue No. 22, Quarter III - 2005
Massport Joins WasteWise Airport Edge Buffers In Process
As part of a renewed recycling initiative Massport Massport has made a significant financial
has joined the voluntary commitment to enhance the public edges of Logan
Environmental Protection Agency Airport with architectural and landscape
(EPA) partnership program. improvements. The buffers include locations along
WasteWise is the country’s first the perimeter boundary of the airport.
national voluntary solid
The first of the buffer projects, Bayswater
waste reduction
Embankment, was completed in 2001. The project
program.
included landscape beautification and streetscape
Massport has installed several recycling bins for improvements along Bayswater Street. Two
mixed paper and newspapers in the newly opened additional buffer projects, the Navy Fuel Pier Buffer
Terminal A at Logan Airport. Additional and the Southwest Service Area Buffer, are
receptacles for plastic, aluminum and glass will be currently in process.
installed soon. Additionally, the recycling effort
The Navy Fuel Pier design has been completed and
will be brought to the other terminals at the Airport
bid should be going out for construction this fall.
and to the Logan Office Center.
Construction of the buffer will commence in the
As a WasteWise member, Massport gains access to spring of 2006. When completed, this buffer will
the experiences of the over 1,100 organizations that have landscaped areas along the water in East
are part of the program. The requirement under the Boston.
program is to establish three new waste prevention Continued on page 2
activities, expand or improve current recycling
Hazy Days
efforts and purchase additional products with
recycling content. Massport has been gathering
Regional haze occurs when fine particles scatter in
information about recycling programs around the
the atmosphere and alter the light, limiting the
country through WasteWise forums. The
distance that people can see. Unlike smog (ground-
experiences of other organizations are invaluable
level ozone), which is primarily a summertime
when determining successful strategies for
problem, regional haze can occur all year round. It
implementation.
can persist over a wide geographic area and reduce
visibility many months out of the year.
Global Warming Impacts
In Massachusetts regional haze
Hurricanes is monitored by real time
cameras from the Blue
Hill Observatory in
A recent report showed that storms with the power
Milton and shoreline
of Hurricane Katrina are becoming more common,
north of Boston.
in part because of global warming. The number of
From these vantage
category 4 and 5 hurricanes rose to an average of 18 points, under ideal
per year since 1990. The report does not show an conditions the Boston
city skyline is visible. The
increase in the number of storms, just the intensity
image is updated every 15 minutes and can be
of storms. The increased intensity coincides with a
viewed online at:
nearly 1 degree Fahrenheit increase in the surfaces
of tropical seas. • www.mass.gov/de/bwp/daqc/haze.htm
Excerpted from the New York Times.com September 16, 2005 • www.hazecam.net
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Edge Buffers continued from page 1
FOR YOUR
INFORMATION
The Southwest Service Area buffer project will
include landscape improvements along Maverick
Gas Saving Ideas
Street in East Boston along with the installation of
new concrete sidewalk and granite curbing to
Drive with a Light Foot - aggressive driving can
complete the pedestrian walking path. Additionally
lower mileage of 33%, equivalent to about $1.00
a new ornamental fence will be installed behind the
per gallon
sidewalk.
Observe the Speed Limit – the best mileage is at
These projects are designed in consultation with the
about 55 mph, mileage decreases rapidly above 60
neighbors and others through an open community
mph
process.
ENFORCEMENT ACTION
Remove Junk from Your Car – empty the trunk and
IN THE NEWS
the backseat, an extra 100 lbs could reduce your
mileage by 2%
Clean Harbors comes to an agreement with the
Justice Department and the Environmental
Avoid Excessive Idling – turn off the ignition if you
Protection Agency (EPA) on the enhanced
will be stopped for more than 1 minute
calculation and reporting of benzene emissions.
The agreement with Clean Harbors is part of EPA’s Get a Tune Up – a poorly tuned car can use up to
efforts to improve compliance with benzene 25% more gas
regulations among hazardous waste treatment,
storage and disposal facilities. Benzene is a Keep your Tires Properly Inflated – under inflated
hazardous air pollutant and known carcinogen. tires can lower mileage 0.4% for every psi drop
The agreement requires Clean Harbors to verify the
Drive Less – carpool, combine trips, eat at home,
actual benzene quantities in shipments received
shop on the internet, and take public transportation
from its customers. Benzene estimations, using the
median in a range of benzene concentrations
Buy a Fuel Efficient Car – consider fuel economy in
reported by customers, is now prohibited.
your decision making process
To meet this obligation, Clean Harbors will revise
its nationwide “Waste Material Profile Sheet” to Buy Gas during the Coolest Time of the Day – early
require all customers covered by the benzene waste am or late pm is the best; gas pumps measure
regulation to properly evaluate and certify the volumes of gasoline, not fuel density
amount of benzene in their waste shipments.
Excerpted from EPS webpage 9/13/2005
Avoid Filling Gas Tank to the Top – never fill a gas
tank past the first “click” of the fuel nozzle
EnviroQuestion
How long does it take for a glass bottle to break down in a Close Your Windows – open windows cause air
landfill? drag, reducing mileage by 10%
Answer in the next issue.
Limit Air Conditioning Use – only use the air
Quarter IV Question: What is ozone made up of?
conditioning when you need it, the air conditioner
Answer: Ozone (O ) is made up of three oxygen atoms and is
3 increases gas consumption by 20%
formed through chemical reactions between natural and man-
made emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and
nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight. Excerpted from the Environmental Resource Center Environmental Tip of the
Week 8/22/2005
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