Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.39
Liaison Shane Stennes
Submission Date Dec. 15, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
OP-2: Outdoor Air Quality

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 August Horner
Sustainability Student Asst
Office of Sustainability
"---" 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?:
Yes

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

The Parking and Transportation Service (PTS) Department at the University supports alternatives to the single occupant vehicle and promotes programs to encourage the University community to walk, bike, carpool or take the bus.


Has the institution completed an inventory of significant air emissions from stationary sources on campus?:
Yes

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

The University of Minnesota is required to submit an annual air emission inventory to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency by April 1st of each year. The inventory year is from December through November of the previous year. The University is also required to submit a greenhouse gas emission inventory to EPA each year, although the GHG inventory is for the previous calendar year.


Weight of the following categories of air emissions from stationary sources::
Weight of Emissions
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 169.30 Tons
Sulfur oxides (SOx) 8.30 Tons
Carbon monoxide (CO) 108.60 Tons
Particulate matter (PM) 4.60 Tons
Ozone (O3) 7.40 Tons
Lead (Pb) 0.02 Tons
Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) 7 Tons
Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) 0 Tons
Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations 170,000 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:

Within the past year, the University has obtained environmental approvals for:

 Construction of a 22-MW natural gas-fired combined heat & power plant. The capacity will become the baseload unit, providing steam and electricity to the Minneapolis Campus. The CHP Plant is considered “Best Available Control Technology” for greenhouse gases and, as a result, will drastically reduce the University’s GHG footprint (considering purchased electricity GHG emissions). The system will also have state-of-the-art pollution control systems for nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide.

 The retirement of two existing coal-fired boilers.

 The designation of several small coal-fired boilers as “limited use” under federal regulations. These units will be limited to no more than 10 percent of annual capacity.

The University recognizes that conservation and energy efficiency play an important role in minimizing air emissions through a sustainability program called, “It All Adds Up” (see http://italladdsup.umn.edu/energy/index.php ). Continuing programs include energy design assistance and building recommissioning that help minimize air pollution generated caused by space heat, air conditioning and lighting demand.


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:
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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.