By partnering with banks, real estate developers and nonprofit groups, New York City will assist some 10,000 buildings to convert to cleaner fuel, a major step in reaching PlaNYC's goal of having the cleanest air of any major U.S. city.
New York City is accelerating its push to get cleaner fuel into the city's buildings. Alex Goldmark explains the challenge, "Just one percent of buildings in New York still burn heavy forms of heating oil, but those 10,000 polluters spew more soot than all the vehicle traffic in the whole city." This heavy and cheap oil, called Number 6, is estimated to cause 3,000 deaths each year.
To help these buildings convert to cleaner heating fuels, the city launched NYC Clean Heat, a program that provides information about technical help, financial help, and regulations. The conversion process will be expensive for each building, but the city wants to alleviate some of the financial pressure.
"The city partnered with banks, real estate developers and nonprofit groups to structure plans to fund $100 million in boiler conversions and offer other resources like technical consulting to help the process along. ‘By phasing out heavy heating oils, we are closer to achieving our PlaNYC goal for the cleanest air of any major U.S. city,' said Mayor Bloomberg as he touted a new target to reduce soot pollution by 50 percent by 2013, something he estimates will save 120 lives and preventing 300 asthma-related hospital visits."
According to Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, "Upgrading these buildings to cleaner heating fuel is the single largest step New Yorkers can take to solve local air pollution."
FULL STORY: New York City's Dirty 10,000 Get Paid To Clean Up
New York City's Most Serious Pollution Continues to Plague its Residents
Imagine living high above Manhattan but unable to open your windows because of soot-laden smoke from surrounding buildings. Toxic emissions from burning dirty heating oil continues despite a 2011 law requiring conversion to a cleaner fuel.
Nearly Half of New York City Burdened by Pollution
Communities of color make up the majority of people harmed by pollution, as well as heat and flooding, says the study, which is New York City’s first comprehensive survey of environmental injustices.
Soaking-Up New York's Filthy Water With a Sponge Park
A 2,100 square foot park on the banks of New York City's Gowanus Canal is part of a plan to catch pollutants from storm off from draining into the already polluted waterway.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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