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Green Business Policy |
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Background
The Bay Area Green Business Program is a cooperative regional effort that assists, recognizes, and promotes businesses and government agencies that volunteer to operate in a more environmentally responsible way. It was developed in 1995 by the Hazardous Waste Management Facility Allocator Committee of the Association of Bay Area Local Governments as a way to reduce hazardous waste generation and promote pollution prevention and resource conservation. The Bay Area Green Business Program is currently managed in collaboration with Bay Area counties and cities, local, regional and statewide environmental regulatory, and resource conservation agencies, and the business community. The Bay Area Green Business Program provides businesses with technical information and assistance on how to comply with environmental regulations and how to go beyond compliance to adopt environmentally sound practices in four major areas: solid waste reduction, energy efficiency, water conservation, and pollution prevention.
Certified green businesses and public agencies may display the Green Business logo on their premises and in their advertising. The Bay Area Green Business Program promotes the logo so that consumers can identify environmentally responsible businesses. The public’s growing environmental awareness represents purchasing power that can motivate businesses to become “green.” As a public agency, we owe it to our customers to maintain the highest level of service and provide the best quality product at the lowest possible rate. We also have a responsibility to the future generations regarding environmental stewardship.
The Association of Bay Area Governments coordinates the Bay Area Green Business Program which is implemented by Green Business Coordinators in six participating counties. More than 270 businesses and public agencies have been certified as a Green business. To date, only one city in the Bay Area (Palo Alto) has received the Green Business Certification applied to all of its operations.
Currently, four Dublin, nine Pleasanton, and nine San Ramon businesses are certified as “Green” by the Alameda County and Contra Costa County Green Business Certification Programs. Local government operations that have “gone green” include the following: City of Pleasanton Public Works Support Services Division, EBMUD Fleet Maintenance and Reprographics Department, East Bay Regional Park District Vehicle Maintenance Facility, San Ramon City Fleet, Contra Costa County Sanitary District Fleet, and Mountain View Sanitary District.
Since 1999, the District has helped to fund ($1,100/year) the Alameda County Green Business Program and has inspected businesses focusing on sanitary discharge compliance, water conservation, and pollution prevention.
In the summer of 2003, staff were asked to draft a Green Business Policy to present to the External Affairs Committee (EAC) meeting July 7, 2003.
Implementation of a Green Business policy contributes to goals one, three and five in the District’s Strategic Plan in the following ways:
Goal 1 Achieve competitively sustainable rates through prudent business management practices
- In December 2001, the District spent $20,629.43 to retrofit less efficient fluorescent lights with T-8 lamps and the annual energy savings is $8,382.63.
- In December 2002, the District spent $5,000 to apply film to the District Office windows to reduce solar heat gain and received a $945 PG&E rebate. The annual energy savings has yet to be determined.
- In December 2003, the District spent $2,900 to insulate the attic of the District Office. The annual energy savings has yet to be determined.
Goal 3 Serve our customers well
- Directly regarding the products (water, treated wastewater and recycled water) and services we provide
- Indirectly regarding our role as stewards of the environment
Goal 5 Develop and sustain effective partnerships
- With the relevant regulatory agencies
- With the Alameda and Contra Costa counties administering the Green Business program
- With other water/wastewater agencies who are already green and/or working towards green certification
- With the community, schools, and our customers to educate and encourage others to be green.
The Process
Staff is working with Alameda and Contra Costa counties to understand the requirements to become a green business. The four basic steps are as follows:
- Commit to the program
- Pass the Resolution
- Take the Green Business Pledge upon certification (see attachment A)
- Comply with environmental regulations…
- National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
- Waste Discharge Permit
- Water System Operation Permit
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB)
- California Department of Health Services (DHS)
- Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Certified Unified Public Agencies (CUPA)
- Implement Green Business standards/measures
- Participate in certification inspections
How green is the District?
Per the Resolution, the District is well on its way to being a green business.
Green Business Standards
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General
- Track use of resources
- Provide incentives and training for employees
- Inform customers
- Introduce other businesses
- Re-certify every three years
- Practice pollution prevention
Energy Conservation
- Audit energy use to discover ways to conserve
- Maintain HVAC regularly
- Implement at least seven measures regarding the following: lighting, HVAC, Office Equipment, Water Heating
Pollution Prevention
- Assess facilities for ways to prevent pollution
- Reduce or eliminate hazardous waste
- Prevent contamination of wastewater, storm water, air
- Implement pollution prevention measures in the following areas:
- Six good housekeeping & operating practices
- Three material, product, technology, process changes
- Three reuse/recycle hazardous material wastes that cannot be eliminated
Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling
- Assess our facilities’ solid waste streams and seek ways to reduce the amount generated
- Implement measures in the following areas:
- Reduce paper use five ways
- Reduce business waste five ways
- Recycle or reuse five materials
- Purchase three recycled or used materials/products
Costs
A cursory audit of green business measures currently being implemented at the District reveals that the District is 70% of the way to being Green. Environmental compliance, pollution prevention, energy conservation, water conservation and solid waste reduction are basic ways of doing business at the District. For example: In December 2001, the District spent $20,629.43 to retrofit less efficient lights with T-8 lamps and the annual energy savings is $8,382.63. In many areas, adopting a green business policy/plan will simply formalize standard business practices.
Brief discussions with the General Managers of Delta Diablo Sanitation District (they’re in the cost/analysis phase of becoming a green business) and Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (their vehicle shop is certified as a green business) reveal that costs incurred are not large and they are costs that would probably have been incurred regardless of being certified as a green business (e.g., replace worn equipment/materials with more energy efficient ones).
The initial reaction of Brown and Caldwell’s Chief Engineer Tracy Stigers to the District requiring contractors to be certified as Green businesses was that it would not impact the rates they charge us for professional services.
Chris Davenport of The Covello Group talked with a couple of other contractors and their consensus is they expect that requiring contractors to be certified as Green businesses will add costs to the District, costs that are difficult to quantify at this point. Davenport is concerned that this will add a new layer of administration. In addition, Davenport had a few questions: (1) What penalties would the District impose on a contractor if the contractor did not comply with the Green business requirements (if the contractor talked the talk, but didn’t walk the walk)? (2) Who at the District will monitor whether or not a contractor is actually complying with their Green business certification? (3) What are the unintended consequences of this? (For example, the closest place that recycles concrete is in Martinez).
Staff Recommendation
Achieve certification as a green business in five phases: (1) District Office; (2) Field Operations; (3) WWTP; (4) Automotive Fleet; and, (5) Maintenance Shop. (Each phase would take approximately six months to two years to implement and achievement of each phase would provide maximum promotional opportunities. Phases could be achieved in parallel; it would not be necessary to complete phase one before beginning phase two).
Form a Super Natural Work Group to coordinate, implement and document the green business policy throughout the District. Team members to include representatives from the following areas: WWTP Operations, Field Operations, Finance, the Lab, Engineering, Administrative support, Safety Officer, Training, Fleet, Maintenance, IT and Community Affairs.
Work with other wastewater treatment facilities and Alameda and Contra Costa counties to develop the checklist by which wastewater treatment plants can become certified as green businesses.
Prepared July 2003
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