In an effort to improve air quality the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) wants to increase the efficiency of large building boilers that can help reduce pollution.
The new boilers would run more efficiently by using less fuel therefore reducing costs for building owners.
A rule introduced by DEP commissioner Emily Lloyd will ensure the boilers burn natural gas and home heating oil at an 80 to 83 percent efficiency. Other rules mandate that boilers undergo annual tune-ups, and combustion efficiency tests to ensure that they meet the new criteria.
Lloyd said this is a common sense rule that will help reduce air pollution.
“By phasing out the use of the dirtiest heating oils and increasing the efficiency of boilers we will continue to build on the progress that has seen dramatic reductions in air pollution in New York City,” she said in a release.
The boilers will also switch to a cleaner burning fuel.
Along with quality of air improvements, the agency expects that an estimate of 800 lives will be saved each year, and the ann average of 1,600 emergency department visits will be averted annually.
To find out more about DEP initiatives, click here.
