County details range of 'green' practices it hopes to implement

By Erica Meltzer

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Promising to "lead by doing," Pima County is developing a plan to make county operations greener and more sustainable.

The plan is the result of a resolution the Pima County Board of Supervisors passed last year calling on the county to use greener, more energy-efficient technology wherever possible.

Forty-six employees worked for six months to come up with specific steps county departments could take to improve sustainability in seven areas.

A draft version of that plan was accepted by the Board of Supervisors last week and will be made available on the county Web site — www.pima.gov — on Friday. The county is looking for public comment on the plan before a final version is adopted, most likely in August.

The plan lays out 115 steps county departments will take to meet specific goals, such as reducing waste sent to county landfills, using more alternative energy and cutting water use.

What the plan doesn't do, in a year when county departments are operating under 5 percent budget cuts, is attach dollar figures to the moves.

While county officials say the plan will save money in the long run, they acknowledge some of the measures will have significant upfront costs. County departments will review the plan during the summer and highlight which measures will require additional spending.

Here are some of the ideas in the draft plan:

Alternative-Fuel Vehicles

Pima County already:

• Owns or has ordered 73 hybrid or E85 vehicles.

• Educates employees on fuel conservation.

Pima County plans to:

• Establish E85 refueling infrastructure.

• Develop an anti-idling policy.

• Buy more hybrid and E85 vehicles.

• Evaluate the feasibility of switching to biodiesel.

Green Building

Pima County already:

• Uses energy-efficient building designs and green building materials.

• Administers its own green building rating system.

Pima County plans to:

• Design all new buildings and expansions of more than 5,000 square feet to meet LEED silver standards. (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.) The first two buildings to meet the standards — the Jackson Employment Center in South Tucson and the Catalina Community Center — are slated to open in 2009.

• Sponsor a "Living Building Challenge" competition to create a building with net-zero energy and water consumption.

Renewable Energy and Conservation

Pima County already:

• Captures and uses methane gas from the sewage-treatment plants.

• Uses a centralized energy management system for heating and cooling to ensure the system is as efficient as possible.

Pima County plans to:

• Create energy conservation programs for county employees and county facilities.

• Increase use of renewable energy to 15 percent by 2025, including solar panels and captured methane from landfills.

Green purchasing

Pima County already:

• Uses a custom Web site to encourage employees to buy office supplies made from recycled materials or materials that meet Green Seal or Energy Star standards.

• Requires janitorial companies to use environmentally preferable cleaning products.

• Promotes the use of digital technology to reduce use of paper and landfill waste.

Pima County plans to:

• Give a preference to companies whose proposals and bids include sustainable practices.

• Train workers responsible for procurement in developing green specifications.

• Identify technologies that will reduce paper waste or travel miles.

Land Conservation and Management

Pima County already:

• Owns more than 150,000 acres for conservation and continues to buy land in accordance with county bond programs.

• Uses special design standards for roads in environmentally sensitive areas.

• Applies conservation policies to rezonings.

Pima County plans to:

• Train more department heads and project managers in conservation, cultural-resources preservation and riparian-habitat protection.

• Ensure county building projects consider impacts at the feasibility stage, when land is being identified for purchase.

• Find additional funding sources for conservation.

Waste Reduction

Pima County already:

• Recycles paper, newspaper and cardboard at Downtown facilities.

• Manages a surplus-property program that in three years has given 6,000 parcels to other agencies and community groups.

Pima County plans to:

• Expand recycling to all county facilities and add recycling containers at county properties used by the public.

• Require all vendors, lessees and special-events organizers on county property to show how they will recycle, compost or reuse waste.

• Create a "community exchange center" to provide for recycling and reuse at the entrance to each county landfill.

Water Conservation and Management

Pima County already:

• Updates old fixtures for more water conservation.

• Uses reclaimed water to irrigate nine parks, 20 miles of trails along the Rillito River Park and medians on parts of Wetmore Road, Ajo Way and River Road.

• Has replaced non-functional grass with drought-tolerant plants on drip irrigation.

Pima County plans to:

• Track water consumption to spot leaks early and identify heavy water users; also conduct water audits of county buildings and landscaping.

• Develop regional design standards for gray water and reclaimed water and develop sewer design standards that account for lower water flows.

• Change flood-control design standards to improve water harvesting and buffers for riparian zones.

• Investigate the use of artificial turf at county parks.

• Install water harvesting on county buildings.

• Study the feasibility of using gray water inside county buildings.

• Monitor groundwater conditions at Cienega Creek, the San Pedro River, Sabino Creek and in the Arivaca area and secure water rights associated with these ecosystems.

• Extend reclaimed water system to Rincon Creek and Cienega Creek.

● Contact reporter Erica Meltzer at 807-7790 or at emeltzer@azstarnet.com.

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