A simple question came out of South Burlington’s public listening sessions on reducing the use of fossil fuel: Is there a reason why the fire engines from the Holmes Road station travel all the way to the Patchen Road Public Works station to refill their tanks? The simple answer was “no.” After several phone calls and some paperwork, fire engines at that station can now refuel at any of three stations on Shelburne Road, and three other stations in the area when on a mutual aid call.
The benefits were much bigger than originally thought. Over the course of a year, 1200 gallons of diesel fuel are saved, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 12 metric tons of CO2. The change also frees up 1000 employee hours for more important work, keeps the engine in the area it is designed to serve, and reduces wear and tear on the equipment.
This was just one of many issues discussed to reduce the City’s use of fossil fuel. Most are not as easy to address, but all are being pursued in an effort to meet the targets set out in the City’s Climate Action Plan. Are there steps you can take to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions?.jpeg)
October 23, 2023