Construction Equipment Pollution

 

 

There are over two million pieces of construction and mining equipment in the United States, which consume over 6 billion gallons of diesel fuel per year (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2005). The main environmental concern surrounding the use of construction and mining equipment is emissions of air pollutants that impact climate change and air quality. 

On Longboat Key, not only air pollution, but unnecessary noise pollution are concerns.

Including lawn maintenance fuel consumption, America burns 9 billion gallons of gas/diesel per year for construction and lawn care.

A recent study from Stanford University highlights the upstream cost of burning fossil fuels that include drilling/transporting to a refinery/refining/transporting to a gas station or depot/and finally being burned in an internal combustion engine. The study estimates the combined greenhouse gas footprint is 20 pounds of pollutants per gallon. I don't even want to do the math.

Most all residential, and most commercial, construction equipment can be powered by far more efficient local power company or battery energy.

Using electric powered, rather that gas powered, small equipment such as gas generators and compressors, is less costly to operate, costs less to purchase, lasts longer and does not pollute or make loud noises.

There is no reason that local governments cannot initiate rapid transition to eco-friendly lawn and construction equipment. 

We do not have nearly as many pieces of home construction equipment as lawn maintenance equipment at any one time. However, unlike the periodic use of lawn care equipment, gas powered generators and compressors run continuously for eight or nine hours a day. For those living near a construction site, the unnecessary noise seriously degrades their quality of life.

Electric power is available at every property on the island. There is no defendable reason for not using non-polluting, low noise electric equipment at every building site.

If we are unwilling to do anything, how can we expect any change for the better?