Bringing County Government to the People
County Trumps City in Cutting Diesel Pollution

Cook County is the first county in the Midwest to adopt a Green Construction Ordinance. The ordinance will require all Cook County contractors working on public construction contracts, budgeted at $2 million or more, to use ultra clean diesel fuel and pollution controls that remove up to 90 percent of exhaust soot from their diesel vehicles and equipment.

The ordinance was introduced by Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado, whose district has long-standing air quality concerns.

"Not only does the Green Construction Ordinance clean our air, it also reduces the rising costs to Cook County’s public health system. Cook County is known as the nation’s asthma epicenter, with over 439,000 people (mostly Latino and African American) suffering from the disease.  The EPA has linked diesel emissions to asthma attacks and every year the people of Cook County spend almost $600 million on asthma related healthcare costs," said Maldonado.

Contractors and subcontractors who do business with Cook County will need to make a few changes in their operations, starting immediately. Under the new law just enacted, operators of diesel-powered construction equipment must use ultra-low sulfur fuel, and over time, all equipment used on Cook County jobs must be retrofitted with exhaust filters that remove particulate matter from equipment exhaust. State and federal funding is available to pay for the cost of retrofits.

"The time has come for Cook County to recognize that dirty air is dangerous to public health and the time has come to put public health before profits. Despite intense pressure from the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association and other construction industry lobbyists seeking to weaken the ordinance, I was able to reach a compromise on the timeframe for compliance that protects small minority and women owned businesses while standing firm on the crucial points of public health and clean air," said Maldonado.

The County Board voted unanimously to require Prime Contractors to retrofit their equipment by 2014 and Subcontractors by 2016, thereby reducing diesel emissions in Cook County by over 90%.

"Cook County is one of the few local governments in the country to adopt a green construction policy," remarked Emily Stuart, Organizer, for Citizen Action/Illinois. "We applaud the Cook County Commissioners in choosing to spend the public's money wisely in order to protect our health and environment," added Stuart.
 
"Reducing diesel pollution from construction vehicles and equipment is an effective strategy in improving the County's air quality, which currently violates federal health standards for fine particulate matter," said Brian Urbaszewski, Director of Environmental Health Programs at RHAMC.  "We are excited to see the Commissioners take action to clear the air in the County," added Urbaszewski.

Reducing diesel pollution will protect the public's health. Diesel exhaust is known to cause numerous health problems, including lung cancer, asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, and premature death.  In the Chicago Metropolitan area alone, it is estimated that diesel soot causes 755 deaths, 1,021 heart attacks, 476 cases of chronic bronchitis, and 17,017 asthma attacks each year.
 
Reducing diesel pollution is also an effective strategy in mitigating global warming.  Black carbon from diesel exhaust, pound for pound, is 500 times more potent than carbon dioxide.