| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.69 |
| Liaison | Margaret Lo |
| Submission Date | Dec. 16, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Ball State University
OP-2: Outdoor Air Quality
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
James
Lowe Associate Vice President for Facilities Planning and Management Facilities Planning & Managment |
Does the institution have policies and/or guidelines in place to improve outdoor air quality and minimize air pollutant emissions from mobile sources?:
A brief description of the policies and/or guidelines to improve outdoor air quality and minimize air pollutant emissions from mobile sources:
The university maintains a policy limiting the idling of all vehicles; the empty vehicles anywhere on campus and especially occupied vehicles parked near fresh air intakes of campus buildings. This policy was issued in May 2007.
The existing campus master plan positioned parking areas to the north and south ends of campus for long-term storage of vehicles with the use of hybrid-electric and biodiesel shuttle buses running along the north-south spine of the main campus.
This provision of mass transportation eliminates vehicle flow through campus and restricts/reduces mobile emissions in the heart of the campus grounds.
Has the institution completed an inventory of significant air emissions from stationary sources on campus?:
A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:
The university completed a greenhouse gas inventory as mandated by signing of the American College University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. This inventory is updated annually for submission to ACUPCC, STARS reporting and for the recent development of materials for the Chevrolet Clean Energy Campus Campaign; in which BSU served as a pilot school for the development and implementation of methodologies by which colleges and universities can qualify their carbon reductions for transaction in the voluntary carbon market. We use the Clean Air Cool Planet (CACP) calculator as our emissions inventory tool.
Weight of the following categories of air emissions from stationary sources::
| Weight of Emissions | |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | 240 Tons |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | 1,400 Tons |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 80 Tons |
| Particulate matter (PM) | 200 Tons |
| Ozone (O3) | 0 Tons |
| Lead (Pb) | 0 Tons |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | 0 Tons |
| Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) | 0 Tons |
| Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations | 3,600 Tons |
A brief description of the institution’s initiatives to minimize air pollutant emissions from stationary sources, including efforts made during the previous three years:
We are in the process of completing installation of a District-Scale Geothermal (Closed-loop, Ground Source) Heat-Pump-Chiller Heating and Cooling System by which all 47 buildings (7,200,000 ft.²) are serviced. This installation enabled the decommissioning of four coal-fired boilers in March 2014.
The website URL where information about the institution’s outdoor air quality policies, guidelines or inventory is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Included in the newly-drafted (next generation) campus master plan for further campus development is a future expansion of bicycle routes through campus which will connect to bicycle lanes in the city streets system and the regional Greenway.
Included in the newly-drafted (next generation) campus master plan for further campus development is a future expansion of bicycle routes through campus which will connect to bicycle lanes in the city streets system and the regional Greenway.
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.