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OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsand
LandManagementPractices
U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency
OfficeofSolidWasteandEmergencyResponse
September2009
LegalNote
Thisdocumentcontainsinformationdesignedtobeusefulandhelpfultogovernments,thepublic,andtheregulated
community.Thisdocumentdoesnotimposelegallybindingrequirements,nordoesitconferlegalrights,imposelegal
obligations,orimplementanystatutoryorregulatoryprovisions.Thisdocumentdoesnotrestrict,expandorotherwise
changeEPA'sauthoritytoaddressgreenhousegasemissionsunderexistingstatutes.Thisdocumentdoesnotchangeor
substituteforanystatutoryorregulatoryprovisions.ThisdocumentpresentstechnicalinformationbasedonEPA’scurrent
understandingofthelinkbetweenglobalclimatechangeandmaterialsandlandusemanagementprograms.Finally,thisis
alivingdocumentandmayberevisedperiodicallywithoutpublicnotice.
TheEPAwelcomespubliccommentsonthisdocumentatanytimeandwillconsiderthosecomments
inanyfuturerevisionsofthisdocument.
TableofContents
ExecutiveSummary 1
Introduction 1
UnderstandingU.S.GHGEmissions 2
LookingForward 5
Section1Introduction 6
Section2 UnderstandingU.S.GHGEmissions 10
Sector‐BasedViewofU.S.GHGEmissions 10
Systems‐BasedViewofU.S.GHGEmissions 11
MaterialsManagement 12
LandManagement 13
Other 16
Summary 18
Section3 PotentialGHGReductionsThroughMaterialsandLandManagement 19
ReducingGHGEmissionsthroughMaterialsManagementPractices 19
PotentialGHGEmissionsReductionsfromMaterialsManagement 22
ReducingorAvoidingGHGEmissionsthroughLandManagementPractices 23
PotentialGHGEmissionsReducedorAvoidedfromLandManagement 26
Section4LookingForward 28
AppendixA
TechnicalSupportforOpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterials
andLandManagementPractices A‐1
OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagementPractices September2009
ExecutiveSummary
TheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChangehasdeterminedthat“warmingoftheclimatesystem
isunequivocal,asisnowevidentfromobservationsofincreasesinglobalaverageairandocean
temperatures,widespreadmeltingofsnowandiceandrisingglobalaveragesealevel.”
1
TheU.S.
EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)hasproposedthatclimatechangeisprimarilytheresultof
greenhousegas(GHG)emissions,itseffectswillworsenovertimeintheabsenceofregulatoryaction,
andtheoverallrateandmagnitudeofhuman‐inducedclimatechangewilllikelyincrease,suchthat
riskstopublichealthandwelfarewilllikewisegrowovertimesothatfuturegenerationswillbe
especiallyvulnerable;theirvulnerabilitywillincludepotentiallycatastrophicharms.
2
Torespondtotheriskassociatedwithclimatechange,thisdocumentdescribesthelinkbetween
climatechangeandthematerialsandlandmanagementprogramscarriedoutbyEPA’sOfficeofSolid
WasteandEmergencyResponse(OSWER),anditsfederal,regional,state,tribal,community,andother
publicandprivatepartners.Thepurposeofthisdocumentistwo‐fold.First,inordertoincrease
understandingofthelinkbetweenmaterialsandlandmanagementandGHGemissions,thisdocument
presentsanestimateoftheportionofU.S.GHGemissionsassociatedwithmaterialsandland
managementpractices.Second,itpresentsasetofmaterialsandlandmanagementscenarios—
referredtoastotaltechnicalpotentialscenarios—asafirststeptoidentifyingareasofopportunityfor
EPAanditspartnerstoreduceGHGemissionsthroughmaterialsandlandmanagement.
Introduction
OSWERanditspartnersimplementenvironmentalprogramsthatarebroadlycategorizedintothree
areas:materialsmanagementthroughresourceconservationandrecovery;landmanagementthrough
preventionofcontaminantreleasesandcleanupandreuseofcontaminatedsites;andemergency
responseandpreparedness.Thesethreeprogramareasallhavedirectimpactsoncommunitiesacross
theUnitedStates.Materialsmanagementreferstohowwemanagematerialresourcesastheyflow
throughtheeconomy,fromextractionorharvestofmaterialsandfood(e.g.,mining,forestry,and
agriculture),productionandtransportofgoods,provisionofservices,reuseofmaterials,and,if
necessary,disposal.EPApromotesmaterialsmanagementapproachesthatservehumanneedsby
usingandreusingresourcesproductivelyandsustainablythroughouttheirlifecycles,minimizingboth
theamountofmaterialsinvolvedandtheassociatedenvironmentalimpacts.Landmanagementrefers
tohowwemanageanduselandtoprovideopenspaceandhabitat,food,naturalresources,and
placesforpeopletolive,work,andrecreate.EPApromotesintegratedlandmanagementstrategies
thatuselandasproductivelyandsustainablyaspossiblebypreventingandminimizingtheoccurrence
ofcontaminationandcleaningup,reusing,andrestoringcontaminatedlandforbeneficialreuse.EPA’s
emergencyresponseandpreparednessprogramswillhaveakeyroleinadaptingtotheenvironmental
changesspurredbyclimatechange.
Howwemanageourmaterialsandland—twoofOSWER’sthreecoreprogramareas—hasasignificant
impactonU.S.GHGemissionsandsinks.Strategiesforreducingemissionsthroughmaterialsandland
managementalsohavesubstantialenvironmentalandeconomicco‐benefitsforcommunities.
1
IntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange.FourthAssessmentReport(AR4).p.30.Availableat:http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment‐
report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf
2
ProposedEndangermentandCauseorContributeFindingsforGreenhouseGasesUnderSection202(a)oftheCleanAirAct.ProposedRule.74Fed.
Reg.18886‐18910.April24,2009.
1
OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagementPractices September2009
Additionally,unlikemanyGHGmitigationoptions,materialsandlandmanagementareheavily
influencedbystatesandcommunities.Workingwithitspartners,EPAcanleverageitsmaterialsand
landmanagementprogramstoachievemeasurableGHGreductionswhileyieldingmultiple
environmental,humanhealth,andeconomicbenefitsforcommunitiesandthenation.Thisdocument
promotestherecognitionthatmaterialsandlandmanagementprograms,whilecomplementingother
EPAprogramgoals,canalsoproducesignificantclimatechangemitigationbenefits.
UnderstandingU.S.GHGEmissions
TheUnitedStatesannuallyreportsitsGHGemissionsintheInventoryofU.S.GreenhouseGas
EmissionsandSinks(“theInventory”).
3
Thisreportquantifiesthecountry’sprimaryanthropogenic
sourcesandsinksofGHGemissionsbasedoncomprehensiveanddetailedmethodologiesconsistent
withinternationalguidancethatenablespartiestotheUnitedNationsFrameworkConventionon
ClimateChange(UNFCCC)tocomparetherelativecontributionofdifferentemissionsourcesandGHGs
toclimatechange.TheinformationintheInventoryisoftensummarizedbyapportioningemissionsto
economicsectors.Thissector‐basedviewofdataintheInventoryisimportantforframingarangeof
GHGemissionsmitigationstrategies,includingend‐of‐pipestrategiesforreducingemissionsand
technologysubstitutionswithinasector.
Tobetterunderstandanddescribetheconnectionsbetweenmaterialsandlandmanagementand
climatechange,thisreportpresentsasystems‐basedviewofU.S.GHGemissions,whereeachsystem
representsandcomprisesallthepartsoftheeconomyworkingtofulfillaparticularneed.Forexample,
theprovisionoffoodsystemincludesallemissionsfromtheelectricpower,transportation,industrial,
andagriculturalsectorsassociatedwithgrowing,processing,transporting,anddisposingoffood.The
systemsviewishelpfulforframingopportunitiestoreduceGHGemissionsthroughprevention‐
orientedmitigationstrategiesthatactacrossanentiresystem.Thesystemsareselectedtoillustrate
theGHGemissionsassociatedwithmaterialsandlandmanagement,asshowninFigureES‐1.Appendix
Aprovidesthemethodologyusedforthisanalysis,includingkeyassumptionsandreferencesfor
sourcedata.
Combined,materialsmanagementisassociatedwithanestimated42%oftotalU.S.GHGemissions
andlandmanagementisassociatedwithanestimated16%oftotalU.S.GHGemissions.Basedona
preliminaryestimateprovidedinthisreport,GHGemissionsfromgreenfielddevelopmentare
equivalenttoapproximatelyanadditional4%oftotalU.S.emissions.
4
Theland‐basedcarbonsink
reportedintheInventoryofU.S.GreenhouseGasEmissionsandSinkshasbeenincludedinthisfigure
tohelpconveytheeffectlandmanagementhasonU.S.emissionsandsinks.Theland‐basedcarbon
sinkisequivalentto13%of2006U.S.GHGemissions.
5
FigureES‐1showstherelativemagnitudeoftheemissionsassociatedwithmaterialsandland
management.ByallocatingtheemissionsreportedintheInventoryofU.S.GreenhouseGasEmissions
3
U.S.EPA.2008.InventoryofU.S.GreenhouseGasEmissionsandSinks:1990‐2006.Availableat:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usgginv_archive.html.ThisreportreliesontheInventorydatapublishedin2008;amorerecent
version,InventoryofU.S.GreenhouseGasEmissionsandSinks:1990‐2007,waspublishedin2009andcanbefoundat
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryr eport.html.
4
EmissionsfromgreenfielddevelopmentarenotcalculatedintheU.S.Inventory,butthisestimatemayoverlapwithexistinglandsinkvalue.
5
U.S.EPA.2008.InventoryofU.S.GreenhouseGasEmissionsandSinks:1990‐2006.p.ES‐14.Availableat:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usgginv_archive.html
2
OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagementPractices September2009
andSinksbysystem,theimpactofdecisionsrelatedtomaterialsandlandmanagementonthe
country’stotalGHGemissionsandsinksisevident.
Figure ES-1
Systems-Based View of U.S. GHG Emissions (2006)
This figure presents the U.S. GHG emissions data reported in the Inventory of U.S. GreenhouseGasEmissionsand Sinks, allocated to
systems, and by materialsandland management, as described in Appendix A. Emissions from U.S. territories are not included in this figure.
Entire circle: Gross U.S. Emissions
Inner portion of circle: Net U.S. Emissions
* The Land Sink, represented by the outer ring, offset the equivalent of 13% of total U.S. anthropogenic emissions in 2006. It is graphically represented here
as a semi-transparent ring that erases a portion of emissions from all other slices shown in the pie chart. The entire pie chart represents total U.S.
emissions in 2006; once the offset provided by the Land Sink is applied, the inner portion of the pie chart represents net U.S. emissions.
** Greenfield development represents emissions from land clearing (equivalent to roughly 4% of U.S. emissions in 2006); this calculation is not included in
the Inventory of U.S. GreenhouseGasEmissionsand Sinks, and is therefore depicted outside of the pie chart. It may include some overlap with the
existing land sink value.
PotentialGHGReductionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagement
SignificantGHGemissionreductionshavebeenachievedtodateintheUnitedStatesbyEPA,states,
localgovernments,andstakeholdersthroughnumerousmaterialsandlandmanagement‐related
activities.
6
Selectedexamplesinclude:
• In2006,U.S.municipalsolidwaste(MSW)recyclingresultedintheavoidanceofnearly183
millionmetrictonsofcarbondioxideequivalent(MMTCO
2
E)inGHGemissions.
7
• In2006,waste‐to‐energyrecoverysystemscombustedMSWandresultedintheavoidanceof17
MMTCO
2
EinGHGemissions.
8
• In2005,EPA’sWasteWisepartnersreportedsourcereductionandrecyclingactivitiesthat
resultedintheavoidanceof27MMTCO
2
EinGHGemissions.
9
6
ThefollowingtoolswereusedtocalculatetheselectedexamplesofGHGemissionsreductions,inadditiontothedatasourcesreferencedforeach
examplebelow:U.S.EPA.March2009.GreenhouseGasEquivalenciesCalculator;U.S.EPA.September2008.WAsteReductionModel(WARM);and
Fogt,Robert.2008.OnlineConversionToolforEnergy.
7
U.S.EPA,OfficeofSolidWasteandEmergencyResponse.November2007.MunicipalSolidWasteGeneration, Recycling,andDisposalintheUnited
States:FactsandFiguresfor 2006,p.1‐8.
8
Ibid.
9
U.S.EPA.October2006.WasteWise2006AnnualReport .p.1.Availableat:http://www.epa.gov/waste/partnerships/wastewise/pubs/report06.pdf
3
OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagementPractices September2009
TohelpillustratethepotentialforGHGreductionandavoidanceopportunitiesfrommaterialsandland
managementpractices,thisanalysisincludesseveral“totaltechnicalpotential”scenarios.BoxES‐1
summarizesthesescenariosandAppendixAdescribestheanalyticalmethodology,assumptions,and
datasourcesusedtocalculatethepotentialimpactsforthesehypotheticalchangesinmaterialsand
landmanagementpractices.
ThetermtotaltechnicalpotentialreferstotheestimatedGHGemissionreductionthatcouldoccurif
thescenariospresentedareachieved,settingasideeconomic,institutional,ortechnological
limitations.Suchscenarios,whichareacommonfirststepinclimatepolicyanalysis,allowforthe
examinationoftheGHGreductionpotentialofvariousmitigationstrategiescontainedinthose
scenarios.Thesetotaltechnicalpotentialscenariosareusefulforscopingtheorder‐of‐magnitude
impactofanactivityandidentifyingareasofpromiseformoredetailedanalysisandpotentialactivity.
TheyalsoillustratehowchangesinbehaviorcanleaddirectlytosignificantreductionsofGHG
emissionsonanationalscale.
Thetotaltechnicalpotentialscenariospresentedhererepresentearlyanalysisbasedonexistingand
availabledata.Asmoreanalysisiscompleted,totaltechnicalpotentialscenarioscanbegeneratedfora
greaternumberofmaterialsandlandmanagementapproaches.
Box ES-1: Summary of Total Technical Potential Scenarios
Source Reduction
Estimated GHG
Emission Benefit*
Reduce packaging use by:
50% 40—105
MMTCO
2
E/yr
25% 20—50
MMTCO
2
E/yr
Reduce use of non-packaging paper products by:
10
50% 20—70
MMTCO
2
E/yr
25% 10—35
MMTCO
2
E/yr
Extend the life of personal computers by:
50% 25
MMTCO
2
E/yr
25% 15
MMTCO
2
E/yr
Reuse/Recycling
Increase recycling of construction and demolition debris to:
100% 150
MMTCO
2
E/yr
50% 75
MMTCO
2
E/yr
25% 40
MMTCO
2
E/yr
Increase national municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling and composting rate from 2006 rate (32.5%) to:
100% 300
MMTCO
2
E/yr
50% 70—80
MMTCO
2
E/yr
Increase composting of food scraps from 2006 rate (2%) to:
100% 20
MMTCO
2
E/yr
50% 10
MMTCO
2
E/yr
25% 5
MMTCO
2
E/yr
Energy Recovery / Disposal
Combust percentage of currently landfilled MSW:
100% 70—120
MMTCO
2
E/yr
50% 35—60
MMTCO
2
E/yr
25% 20—30
MMTCO
2
E/yr
Combust MSW remaining if national recycling rate is increased to 50%:
65—110
MMTCO
2
E/yr
Capture percentage of currently emitted methane at U.S. landfills for electricity generation:
100% 150
MMTCO
2
E/yr
50% 70
MMTCO
2
E/yr
25% 35
MMTCO
2
E/yr
10
Non‐packagingpaperproductsincludemagazinesandthirdclassmail,newspaper,officepaper,phonebooks,andtextbooks.
4
OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagementPractices September2009
5
Box ES-1: Summary of Total Technical Potential Scenarios
Land Revitalization
Estimated GHG
Emission Benefit*
Shift 60% of expected new development to compact development patterns:
11
79
MMTCO
2
E/yr
Reuse percentage of qualifying EPA-tracked contaminated land for utility-scale solar:
12
100% 2,200
MMTCO
2
E/yr
50% 1,100
MMTCO
2
E/yr
25% 540
MMTCO
2
E/yr
100% 40
MMTCO
2
E/yr Reuse percentage of qualifying EPA-tracked contaminated land for community and utility-scale
wind:
13
50% 20
MMTCO
2
E/yr
25% 10
MMTCO
2
E/yr
100% 0.4
MMTCO
2
E/yr
50% 0.2
MMTCO
2
E/yr
Reduce electricity use for the most energy-intensive treatment technolo
g
ies at National Priorities List
sites by:
25% 0.1
MMTCO
2
E/yr
Reforest percentage of qualifying former mine lands for carbon sequestration:
100% 4
MMTCO
2
E/yr
50% 2
MMTCO
2
E/yr
25% 1
MMTCO
2
E/yr
* Most of the total technical potential scenarios presented in this table have been rounded to one significant figure. See following Appendix A for more
detail on these estimates.
LookingForward
ThereisastronglinkbetweenU.S.GHGemissionsandthemanagementofmaterialsandland.EPA,
alongwithitspartners,canhelpaddressthechallengesofglobalclimatechangethroughmaterialsand
landmanagementprograms.Aswedevelopprogramsandpolicieswithourpartners,moredetailed
studiesthataccountforboththelimitationsandopportunitiesofeconomic,technical,andpolicy
aspectsofthescenariosintroducedinthispaperwillbeneeded.
11
Expectedannualbenefitthrough2030.
12
The100%scenariorepresents141timestheprojectedincreaseinsolarpowerbetween2008and2030.SeeAppendixformoredetail.
13
The100%scenariorepresents75%ofprojectedincreaseinwindpowerbetween2008and2030.SeeAppendixformoredetail.
OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagementPractices September2009
SECTION1
INTRODUCTION
Climatechangeisaseriousglobalchallenge.Atmosphericgreenhousegas(GHG)concentrationshave
increasedsignificantlyfrompre‐industriallevelsasaresultofhumanactivities.Warmingoftheclimate
systemisunequivocal,asisnowevidentfromobservationsofincreasesinglobalaverageairandocean
temperatures,widespreadmeltingofsnowandice,andrisingglobalaveragesealevel.
14
Furthermore,
theU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)hasproposedthatclimatechangeisprimarilythe
resultofGHGemissions,itseffectswillworsenovertimeintheabsenceofregulatoryactionandthe
overallrateandmagnitudeofhuman‐inducedclimatechangewilllikelyincrease,suchthatrisksto
publichealthandwelfarewilllikewisegrowovertimesothatfuturegenerationswillbeespecially
vulnerable;theirvulnerabilitywillincludepotentiallycatastrophicharms.
15
Agrowingbodyofliteraturediscussespotentialimpactsofclimatechangeandthemeanstoadaptto
thesechanges.Itispredictedthat“evenwhereregionsonthewholemaybeabletosuccessfullyadapt
toalimitedclimatechange,specificindividualsandcommunitiescouldstillbedisplacedandharmed
byclimatechange.”
16
Ofparticularconcernarethosecommunitiesthathavestrongtiesand
associationswithspecificareasandresourcesthatareexposedandsensitivetoclimatechange(e.g.,
throughsea‐levelrise,increaseddrought,extremeheat),deriveashareoftheirincomefromclimate
sensitiveactivitiessuchasagricultureorfishing,andlackfinancialandothermeanstoadapt.
17
Arctic
communities,forexample,arealreadyadaptingtoclimatechange,butbothinternalandexternal
stressorschallengetheiradaptivecapacity.
18
TheU.S.federalgovernmenthasimplementedprogramstoslowthegrowthofGHGemissions,
strengthenscience,technologyandinstitutions,andenhanceinternationalcooperation.Sincethe
early1990s,thefederalgovernmenthaspromotedvoluntaryandincentive‐basedprogramstoreduce
emissionsandestablishedprogramstoadvanceclimatetechnologyandscience.Theseprogramsfocus
onenergyefficiency,renewableenergy,methaneandothernon‐carbondioxidegases,agricultural
practices,andimplementationoftechnologiestoachieveGHGreductions.InApril2009theEPA
Administratorproposedtofindthatgreenhousegasesintheatmospheremayreasonablybe
anticipatedtoendangerpublichealthandwelfarewithinthemeaningofSection202(a)oftheClean
AirAct.TheAdministratorfurtherproposedtofindthatthecombinedemissionsofCO
2
,CH
4
,N
2
O,and
HFCsfromnewmotorvehiclesandnewmotorvehicleenginescontributetotheatmospheric
concentrationsofthesekeygreenhousegasesandhencetothethreatofclimatechange.
19
EPAhas
alsoproposedtorequireGHGemissionsreportingbylargeemittersandannouncedplanstopropose
14
IntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange.FourthAssessmentReport(AR4).pp.30,74,189.Availableat:http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment‐
report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf
15
ProposedEndangermentandCauseorContributeFindingsforGreenhouseGasesUnderSection202(a)oftheCleanAirAct.ProposedRule.74Fed.
Reg.18886‐18910.April24,2009.
16
Easterling,William,Hurd,Brian,andSmith,Joel.2004.CopingwithGlobalClimateChange:TheRoleofAdaptationintheUnitedStates.PewCenter
onGlobalClimateChange.
17
Ibid.
18
IntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange.2007.SummaryforPolicymakersinClimateChange2007:Impacts,AdaptationandVulnerability.p.15.
CambridgeUniversityPress,Cambridge,UnitedKingdomandNewYork,NY,USA.
19
ProposedEndangermentandCauseorContributeFindingsforGreenhouseGasesUnderSection202(a)oftheCleanAirAct.ProposedRule.74Fed.
Reg.18886‐18910.April24,2009.
6
OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagementPractices September2009
GHGemissionsstandardsforallnewcarsandlight‐dutytrucks(modelyears2012‐2016)soldinthe
UnitedStates.
20
Throughitsmaterialsmanagementandlandcleanupprograms,EPA’sOfficeofSolidWasteand
EmergencyResponse(OSWER)isanimportantpartnerinaddressingclimatechangeandreducingU.S.
GHGemissionsandhasacommunity‐levelperspectiveontheresponsetoclimatechange.
OSWERanditsregional,state,tribal,community,andotherpublicandprivatepartnersimplement
environmentalprogramsthatareauthorizedbyanumberoffederalstatuteswitharangeofobjectives
tosupportcommunitiesandprotecthumanhealthandtheenvironment.Theseprogramscanbe
broadlycategorizedintothreeareas:
• Materialsmanagement,throughresourceconservationandrecovery,wasteprevention,and
safewastedisposal;
• Landmanagementthroughactivitiesthatpreventpollutantreleases,andencouragecleanup
andreuseofcontaminatedandpotentiallycontaminatedsites;and
• Emergencyresponseto,andpreparednessfor,contaminantreleasesandotherthreatsto
publichealth.
Howwemanageourmaterialsandland—twoofOSWER’sthreecoreareas—hasasignificantimpact
onU.S.GHGemissionsandsinks.
21
PeopleproduceGHGemissionsthroughawidearrayofactivities
andacrossmultiplelocations,includingthegoodsandservicesweconsume,thehomesinwhichwe
live,thebuildingswherewework,thetransportationofourselvesandourgoodsfromplacetoplace,
andthematerialswediscard.Meanwhile,energyconsumption,materialsuse,municipalwaste
generation,andlanddevelopmentrateshavealloutpacedpopulationgrowthoverthelastseveral
decadesintheUnitedStates,contributingtotheimpactoftheseactivities.
22, , ,23 24 25
Thereare
significantopportunitiestoreduceoravoidGHGemissionsbyimprovingournation’smaterialsand
landmanagementpractices;theseapproachescomplementandsupportend‐of‐pipecontrols,sector‐
basedandothermitigationstrategies.
Materialsmanagementreferstohowwemanagematerialresourcesastheyflowthroughthe
economy,fromextractionorharvestofmaterialsandfood(e.g.,mining,forestry,andagriculture),
productionandtransportofgoods,provisionofservices,reuseofmaterials,and,ifnecessary,disposal.
EPApromotesmaterialsmanagementapproachesthatservehumanneedssustainablybyminimizing
theamountofmaterialsinvolvedandtheirassociatedenvironmentalimpacts.
26
20
Seee.g.,ProposedEndangermentandCauseorContributeFindingsforGreenhouseGasesUnderSection202(a)oftheCleanAirAct.ProposedRule.
74Fed.Reg.18886‐18910(April24,2009).NoticeofUpcomingJointRulemakingtoEstablishVehicleGHGEmissionsStandardsandCAFEStandards,
74Fed.Reg.24007(May22,2009).
21
Emergencyresponseandpreparedn esswillbeacentralpartoftheresponsetoclimatechange,butisnotthefocusofthisdocument.
22
U.S.DepartmentofEnergy,EnergyInformationAdministration.EnergyConsumption,Expenditures,andEmissionsIndicators,1949‐2007.
Table1.5Availableat:http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/txt/ptb0105.html
23
UniversityofMichigan,CenterforSustainableStudies.2002.U.S.MaterialsUseFactsheet.Availableat:http://css.snre.umich.edu/css_doc/CSS05‐
18.pdf
24
U.S.EPA.2006.SolidWasteManagementandGreenhouseGases:ALifeCycleAssessmentofEmissionsandSinks.p.ES‐1.Availableat:
http://epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/SWMGHGreport.html
25
KolankiewiczandBeck.2001.WeighingSprawlFactorsinLargeU.S.Cities:AnalysisofU.S.BureauoftheCensus
Dataonthe100LargestUrbanizedAreasoftheUnitedStates.Availableat:http://www.sprawlcity.org/studyUSA
26
U.S.EPA.2003.BeyondRCRA:WasteandMaterialsManagementintheYear2020.Availableat:http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/vision.pdf.
“SustainableMaterialsManagement:TheRoadAhead”buildsonthisreportandisscheduledtobepublishedinFall2009
7
[...]... Providing analysis of climate change related policies being developed at the local, tribal, state, and federal levels and linking materialsandlandmanagement approaches with the policy objectives. 28 Appendix OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagementPractices September 2009 APPENDIX A TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR OPPORTUNITIESTOREDUCEGREENHOUSEGASEMISSIONSTHROUGHMATERIALSANDLANDMANAGEMENTPRACTICES This appendix provides a description of the methodologies used to develop the systems‐based pie ... GHG reduction options. Unlike many GHG mitigation options, they are also largely under state and local influence. States and communities can use these tools toreduce their carbon footprints and meet state or local GHG reduction targets. The purpose of this document, OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagement Practices, is to increase the understanding of how materialsandlandmanagementpractices relate to GHG emissionsand show a new way of thinking about materialsand ... Appliances and Devices slices of the pie chart (as opposed to Provision of Food). Energy used by industrial buildings is included in Provision of Goods and Provision of Food. Percent of total rounded down from 10% to 9%, so that percentages sum to 100% in the systems‐based pie charts. 18 OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagementPractices September 2009 SECTION 3 POTENTIAL GHG REDUCTIONS THROUGHMATERIALSANDLANDMANAGEMENTMaterialsandlandmanagement directly and indirectly impact 58‐62% of total U.S. GHG emissions, ... This appendix provides a description of the methodologies used to develop the systems‐based pie chart of U.S. greenhousegas (GHG) emissions showing materialsandlandmanagement (Figures ES‐1 and 2 through 5 in OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagement Practices) , as well as the methodologies supporting the total technical potential scenarios and the GHG emission reductions that could be achieved throughmaterialsandland .. .Opportunities toReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagementPractices September 2009 Using materialsmanagement approaches to help reduce or avoid GHG emissions is consistent with EPA’s vision and many of the strategies to increase the efficient and sustainable use of resources andreduce waste generation are described in Beyond RCRA: Waste andMaterialsManagement in the Year ... materialsandlandmanagement approaches. To help illustrate some of the potential for GHG reduction and avoidance opportunities from materialsandlandmanagement practices, this document also estimates the total technical potential of a variety of materialsandlandmanagement approaches toreduce GHG emissions. The purpose of this document to advance the understanding of the link between climate change andmaterialsandlandmanagement is an important step in achieving reductions in U.S. GHG emissions, and provides a ... scenarios and the GHG emission reductions that could be achieved throughmaterialsandlandmanagement activities. SECTION A‐1 METHODOLOGY FOR CREATING THE SYSTEMS PIE CHARTS (FIGURES ES‐1 AND 2 THROUGH 4) As described in OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagementPractices (the “main text”), Figure 1 was derived from the Inventory of U.S. GreenhouseGasEmissionsand Sinks: 1990‐2006 (“the Inventory”) 85 The Inventory comprehensively quantifies the ... growth, preventing and minimizing the occurrence of contamination and by cleaning up, reusing, and restoring contaminated land for beneficial reuse by communities 67 As described in Box 7, landmanagement has three key components: land protection, sustainable land use, andland revitalization. Similar to the materialsmanagement approaches that can be used in the material flow, landmanagement approaches can be used toreduce GHG emissions by improving practices within or across each of these components. Land protection practices limit how much land is ... demonstrates that up to 42% of U.S. emissions are linked to the way we manage and use materials, and that another 16‐20% of U.S. emissions are linked toland management, along with the 13% of emissions that are offset by the carbon sink provided by U.S. landand vegetation. This analysis suggests that there are significant opportunitiestoreduce U.S. GHG emissionsthrough modified materialsandlandmanagement approaches. ... Some industrial sector emissions are allocated to other slices, most notably food processing emissions (allocated to Provision of Food) and most emissions from extraction and processing of fossil fuels. Emissions from petroleum and natural gas extraction and refining, natural gas distribution, 12 OpportunitiestoReduceGreenhouseGasEmissionsthroughMaterialsandLandManagementPracticesemissions from industrial sector electricity use (with the same .
AppendixA
TechnicalSupportfor Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Materials
and Land Management Practices A‐1
Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Materials and Land Management Practices . September2009
becauseofthelaborrequired to collect,sort, and processtherecyclables.
30
Recycling,reuse,
deconstruction, and remanufacturingshiftthevalueaddedintheeconomyfromhighlymechanized,
environmentallyharmfulextractionindustries, to labor‐intensive,localindustries.
31,32
Land management options to reduce emissions alsohavemanyco‐benefits.Anumberofstudieshave
shownsubstantialbeneficialeffectsofbrownfieldsredevelopmentforlocalcommunities,includingjob
creation,increasedpropertyvalues,taxrevenuesforlocalgovernments,preservationofgreenspace,
and socialbenefits.
33,34
Otherresearchhasshownthatbrownfieldsredevelopment,asacomponentof
urbanredevelopment,reduceslocalvehiclemilestraveled and isassociatedwithlowerbuildingenergy
use,
35
bothofwhichlead to improvementsinurbanairqualityinaddition to GHGreductions.
Theco‐benefits to communitiesof materials and land management strategiesmakethemattractiveas
GHGreductionoptions.UnlikemanyGHGmitigationoptions,theyarealsolargelyunderstate and
localinfluence.States and communitiescanusethesetools to reduce theircarbonfootprints and meet
stateorlocalGHGreductiontargets.
Thepurposeofthisdocument, Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Materials
and Land Management Practices, is to increasetheunderstandingofhow materials and land
management practices relate to GHG emissions and showanewwayofthinkingabout materials and
land management aspartofthesolution to theclimatechange.ThisdocumentpresentsEPA’s
research to date.Aswedevelopprograms and policieswithourpartners,moredetailedstudiesthat
accountforeconomic,technical, and institutionallimitations and opportunities willbeneeded.In
addition,wewillshareinformationonthemitigationimpactsofcurrent materials and land
management programsonGHG emissions and ultimatelydevelopmorespecificapproaches to
implement materials and land management activitiesthatcouldachieveGHGemissionreductions.
Theremainderofthisdocumentisorganizedintothefollowingsections.Section2presentsannual
GHG emissions intheUnitedStatesusingtwoapproaches.Thesector‐basedapproachallocates
emissions to economicorend‐usesectorsincludingtheelectricpowerindustry,transportation,
industry,agriculture,commercial, and residentialsectors.Thesystems‐basedapproachreliesonthe
samedata,butapportions emissions to materials management, land management, and othersystems
to demonstratethepotentialimpact materials and land management haveontotalU.S. emissions.
Section3presentsresearchintothepotentialGHGreductionsthatcouldbeachieved through a
numberof materials and land management approaches.Section4summarizesthereport and
describesthedirectionthatfutureresearchmaytake.Finally,thedocumentappendix(Technical
Supportfor Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Materials and Land
Management Practices) presentsthedatasources and methodologyused to developthisreport.