KSU Pollution Prevention Institute Environmentally Responsible Landscaping Steve Travis, P.E....

KSU Pollution Prevention Institute

Environmentally Responsible Landscaping

Steve Travis, P.E.KSU-PPI

November 15, 2005


Some pollution facts

• Gas-powered tools contribute 5% of the U.S. air pollution.

• The average conventional lawn mower pollutes as much in an hour as 40 late-model cars.

• Lawn and garden equipment users spill 17 million gallons of fuel (more petroleum than spilled by the Exxon Valdez in the Gulf of Alaska) each year when refilling outdoor power equipment.


What is ozone?

Ozone, or smog, is a colorless, odorless gas made up of three oxygen atoms.

Ozone occurs naturally about 10 to 30 miles above the earth.

Ground level ozone is man-made and is a serious heath risk.


How is ozone formed?

Ground-level ozone formed by VOCs and NOx in the presence of sunlight and heat

NOx comes from burning fossil fuel in vehicle engines and power plants

VOC comes from cars, lawn mowers, gasoline vapors, chemical solvents, and consumer products


What is being done?EPA has set standards to regulate air

quality to protect public health (85 ppb)The KC region has taken steps in the past

to improve air quality, but future violations of the new 8-hour ozone standard appear likely

More action is needed


KC Metro Area 2002 VOC Emissions

On-road Mobile35%

Non-road Mobile13%

Area Source42%

Point Source10%

50,000 tons


Other14%

Construction and Mining Equipment

10%

Commercial Equipment

14%

Lawn and Garden

Equipment62%

JOCO 2002 Non-Road VOC Emissions


Kansas City Metro NOx Emissions

Non-road Mobile20%

Point Source32%

Area Source8%

On-road Mobile40%


JOCO 2002 Non-Road NOx Emissions

Other3%

Commercial Equipment

8%

Lawn and Garden

Equipment7%

Industrial Equipment

10%

Railroad Equipment

35%

Construction and Mining Equipment

37%


What can you do?

• Cut your grass after 6 pm.

• Use no-spill gas cans.

• Use cleaner equipment.

• Use the right equipment for the job.

• Maintain your equipment.

• Consider native landscaping.


Use cleaner equipment

• Gasoline equipment made after 1997 is built to meet higher emissions standards mandated by EPA.

• Four-stroke engines are more efficient than two-stroke engines.

• Overhead-valve engines are better at reducing the potential for fuel spills than side-valve engines.


Gasoline vapors

• Gasoline vapors may be reduced by as much as 75% by simply replacing traditional gas cans with shut-off valves or spill-proof cans.


Mower selection

• Select a mower whose size is appropriate for the job

• Use a mower with a larger mowing deck for a large job to reduce total mowing time, fuel usage, and air pollution.

• Consider electric and hand-powered mowers.


Electric mowers

• Electric mowers may be able to fill a niche within the golf industry.

• Electric leaf blowers and trimmers are available with rechargeable battery packs.


Mower maintenance

• Get periodic tune-ups.

• Keep blades properly sharpened.

• Keep all moving parts well-lubricated.


For best results…use the right equipment for the job


Native landscaping

• Less care

• Fewer problems

• Lower costs

• Use less fertilizer

• Less mowing


Kansas is unique

• Hot summers and cold winters.

• Variety of soils and rainfall.

• There is no perfect grass for all purposes.

• Native grasses have been here since the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years.


Buffalograss

• Only native grass commonly used for turfgrass in Kansas.

• Loves heavy foot traffic.

• Requires only ¼-inch of water per week (compared to 1 to 1.5 inches for other turf grasses.)

• Takes little or no fertilizer.


More on buffalograss

• Buffalograss (and other native grasses) should be watered very sparingly or not at all.

• Too much water causes them to become weedy and the low-maintenance aspect is lost.


More on buffalograss

• Insect-resistant/disease-resistant. (Unlike fescues and bluegrass.)

• Grows well in full sun and likes dry, clay, or average soil.

• Reaches a maximum height of only four to six inches.

• You can forget about mowing!


Native landscaping aesthetic benefits

• Native landscape designs can include dozens

of species of trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers, all blooming at different times.

• Attracts native songbirds that eat plant seeds and insects attracted by the plants.

• If area is large enough, it may attract nesting grassland birds—meadowlarks and bobolinks.

• A buffer of thick and tall native plants around a waterbody will discourage Canadian geese.


Case study: Nicklaus Golf Club at Lions Gate

• Maintains 4 acres of greens, 40 acres of fairways, and 60 acres of native grasses to frame the fairways.

• Required initial seeding and 2 to 3 over-seeding applications to reach full density.

• Saved money because native grasses are not mowed or irrigated, and no equipment is used.

• Found native grasses provided aesthetic accenting for the highly maintained areas.


Questions?

Environmental hotline

800-578-8898

www.sbeap.org

KSU Pollution Prevention Institute Environmentally Responsible Landscaping Steve Travis, P.E....

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