Buildings in “Green” NYC Burn Residual Fuel
Blue lanterns along the waterfront in Battery Park City Section of Manhattan create in idyllic scene, but nearby buildings continue to burn dirty residual fuels for heating. (iamge: CVerwaal via flickr.com)
In December, HeatingOil.com reported on some New York City buildings’ use of residual fuel for heating and the detrimental effect of that usage on the City’s air quality. A study by the Environmental Defense Fund found that 9,000 buildings in New York still use No.6 or No. 4 heating oil—cheap, unrefined, and repellently dirty fuels that comprise only 1 percent of the city’s fuel stock but which are nonetheless responsible for 87 percent of New York’s oil-related airborne soot. Since then, city officials have begun to introduce regulations that would phase out No.6 and No.4 oil, though such efforts have been met with resistance—even from the “greenest” corner of Manhattan: Battery Park City.
According to an article published by Downtown Express, the neighborhood of Battery Park City, which occupies Manhattan’s southernmost tip and frequently touts its groundbreaking “green guidelines,” is home to at least six buildings still burning No.6 or No.4 fuels. All of the buildings were built before the implementation of the guidelines—which have helped to make BPC one of the cleanest neighborhoods in New York—and thus have expressed no intention of converting their furnaces to accommodate cleaner- burning No.2 heating oil.
Battery Park City lies on the bank of the Hudson River, on the Western side of Lower Manhattan. (image: z.about.com)
“It would make sense for them to look at [heating oil] seriously and set an example for the rest of Lower Manhattan and the city,” said Catherine McVay Hughes, vice chairperson of Community Board 1, referring to the several dozen other buildings in Lower Manhattan that burn No.6 and No.4 fuels. However, at the moment, there is little that anyone can do to force the offending buildings to replace their old furnaces with new ones.
According to Jim Cavanaugh, president of the B.P.C. Authority, the authority cannot force buildings to switch to a cleaner-burning fuel. Moreover, Milford Management, which runs five of the six buildings in BPC that still use No.6 and No.4 fuels, has shown little willingness to spend the $100,000 it would take to replace each furnace with a newer, more efficient model. Lorraine Doyle, who manages Milford’s B.P.C. properties, said she had not looked into changing the fuel type, but guessed that it would be expensive and would require an incentive. “Certainly if it came time to replace the boilers, it would be a huge consideration as to what would be environmentally friendly and what would be most efficient,” Doyle said.
One opportunity for an incentive might come in the upcoming ground rent renewals, when many BPC buildings will face sharp increases in yearly fees to the Authority. The authority could offer to mitigate those increases if buildings add green features. Furthermore, citywide restrictions on heating oil could be coming soon. Mayor Bloomberg addressed the matter in a speech he made last month, and Isabelle Silverman, an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund, said she expects the city to release phase-out guidelines for No. 6 and No. 4 oil later this year. The Environmental Defense Fund hopes the city will pick 2020 as the deadline for all landlords to convert their buildings to cleaner heating fuel.
Despite considerable upfront costs, switching to cleaner-burning No.2 fuel has numerous benefits not only for residents, but for building owners and operators. There is much evidence to suggest that No.6 and No.4 fuels—formerly used for industrial purposes, like stoking maritime boilers and paving streets—are extremely harmful to the environment. A study released by the city’s health department shows high levels of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and other pollutants in areas where many buildings burn no. 4 and no. 6, also known as residual oils. In fact, another study, released only a week ago, suggests that switching away from No.6 and No.4 fuels could save 188 lives per year by lowering the level of pollutants in the air.
There are financial benefits as well. No.6 and No.4 fuels are less refined than No.2 heating oil, and thus much harder on furnaces and boilers. This means more maintenance and a greater need to replace boilers as they wear out; thus, investing in a newer boiler that burns No.2 fuel might very well pay off in the long run.
