We will accelerate adoption of technologies to reduce construction-related emissions
Construction equipment significantly impacts local emissions, accounting for as much as 13% of NOX and 30% of PM from off-road vehicles. In 2003, Local Law 77 required that City construction projects use the best available technologies on-site to reduce emissions, such as DPFs, DOCs, and emerging plug-in technologies that allow vehicles to run on electricity instead of combusting fuel. More than 800 City-owned vehicles are subject to the law, along with an additional 115 pieces of leased equipment. Upgrades by City contractors will also impact emissions in private development projects, as the contractors use these new tools for other projects.

The City will accelerate compliance with the law by requiring a consultant to work with all City agencies on implementation. That includes cataloguing every piece of relevant equipment, analyzing possible technologies, and developing standards for construction sites. The consultant will help agencies navigate this process and avoid duplication of effort.

In addition, in City Requests-for-Proposals and the resulting contracts, we will go beyond Local Law 77 and require certain on-road vehicles involved with City projects, such as trucks that remove debris, to meet the same standards. City contractors will be able to meet the terms of the contracts either through retrofits or through new vehicle purchases.

Progress (as of 4/22/08):
The City has amended its rules for selecting Best Available Technology for construction equipment, in order to allow contractors to use a wider range of technology that can eliminate even more pollution.