Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 75.64
Liaison Yolanda Cieters
Submission Date March 2, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Seattle University
OP-2: Outdoor Air Quality

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Phillip Thompson
Director
CEJS
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the policies and/or guidelines to improve outdoor air quality and minimize air pollutant emissions from mobile sources:

Seattle University has committed to achieving the following goal for Operations in the institution's "Climate Action Plan 2010-2035":
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 12% by 2020 and 51% by 2035 from our buildings, solid waste, university-owned vehicles, business and athletics air travel, and commuters to campus.

See Strategy 3.2 p.30 of the Climate Action Plan: “Improve Efficiency of Campus Vehicles and Equipment”:
University vehicles and mobile equipment contribute to Scope 1 emissions. In FY 2009, total emissions from operating vehicles and equipment equaled 125 metric tons of carbon, or 0.01% of total campus emissions. These emissions are due to the fuel type, vehicle type and use habits, which all affect efficiency. Until 2001, all university vehicles and equipment had been powered by fossil fuels. Beginning in 2001, the university began purchasing electric and hybrid vehicles, which generally produce fewer emissions than fossil fuel alone. Since then, electric and hybrid vehicles are in Seattle University’s fleet. Bikes were also purchased to replace vehicles for use by Public Safety for patrolling campus. Diesel and gasoline power the remaining trucks, vans, flatbeds and dump trucks, executive and staff cars. Propane and diesel power equipment such as forklifts, generators and bobcats. (Biodiesel, although used in the past, is no longer used due to bad batches that damaged some equipment and vehicles.) Currently, decisions about vehicle type and use are made by department. Strategies departments use to manage emissions include:
--Limiting the number of executive and staff vehicles
--Replacing vehicles with more efficient models when leases expire
--Optimizing trips and loads
and
--Undertaking routine and planned maintenance.

These strategies, if optimized, help ensure vehicles and equipment is running efficiently so emissions are minimized.

The future goal for vehicle and equipment emissions is a 3% per year reduction to 2020, or a total of 30%. If achieved, 35 metric tons will be reduced by 2020.


Has the institution completed an inventory of significant air emissions from stationary campus sources or else verified that no such emissions are produced?:
Yes

Weight of the following categories of air emissions from stationary sources::
Weight of Emissions
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 0 Tons
Sulfur oxides (SOx) 0 Tons
Carbon monoxide (CO) 0 Tons
Particulate matter (PM) 0 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 0 Tons

A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:

We have confirmed that we have no significant stationary sources for air emissions on campus.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.