| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.79 |
| Liaison | Yumiko Jakobcic |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Grand Valley State University
OP-2: Outdoor Air Quality
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Yumiko
Jakobcic Campus Sustainability Coordinator Office of Sustainability Practices |
Does the institution have policies and/or guidelines in place to improve outdoor air quality and minimize air pollutant emissions from mobile sources on campus?:
A brief description of the policies and/or guidelines to improve outdoor air quality and minimize air pollutant emissions from mobile sources:
The University has an outside party conduct a combustion analysis every year on the equipment to ensure that the equipment is operating properly and in the most efficient manner. Boiler tubes are scrubbed every two years to allow the best heat transfer and promote a cleaner and more efficient burn. The University installed an economizer on the boiler exhaust stacks to recover heat from the boiler exhaust to preheat makeup water. Natural gas is the primary fuel and fuel oil is used for backup and burned less than two days per year. Even though the fuel oil is a #2 grade and is an ultra-low sulfur content.
Has the institution completed an inventory of significant air emissions from stationary campus sources or else verified that no such emissions are produced?:
Weight of the following categories of air emissions from stationary sources::
| Weight of Emissions | |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | 13 Tons |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | 0.10 Tons |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 10 Tons |
| Particulate matter (PM) | 0.94 Tons |
| Ozone (O3) | --- |
| Lead (Pb) | 0.00 Tons |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | 0.32 Tons |
| Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) | --- |
| Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations | 0.70 Tons |
A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:
Conducted by FTCH. A conservative estimate of potential VOC emissions for the laboratories assumed the entire portion of chemicals used is emitted as VOC. For the Calder Art Center, VOC emissions were conservatively estimated by assuming a generic VOC content of 7.36 pounds per gallon for all materials, except spray cans. VOC emissions attributable to the use of spray cans of paints, adhesives, and fixatives were estimated by assuming the entire contents of the cans were VOC. To calculate potential emissions from the small gas-fired boilers and hot water heaters, total potential gas usage was combined and emissions estimated using USEPA emission factors for SCC 1-02-006-03. Potential emissions for emergency generators were based upon a maximum of 500 operating hours per year for these emergency units.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.