Westchester Legislator Parker Announces Push for Cleaner Heating Oil Used in County

Westchester Legislator Catherine Parker (D-Rye) announced today that she has introduced new legislation at the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) to ban use of heavy, dirty heating oils #6 and #4, which will lead to cleaner air in the county. 

The announcement from Parker regarding the Westchester County 2014 Clean Air Act came at a press conference held at Thornycroft, a 99-unit residential cooperative building in Scarsdale. John Bonito, co-president of Garthchester Realty, which manages Thornycroft, and Artie Guttilla, the building’s superintendent, both attended today’s event; together, they coordinated the successful conversion of Thornycroft from heavy oil to natural gas.  The result of this conversion was a substantial savings in cost (approximately 45%) and a cleaner burning fuel (no maintenance or environmental issues to be concerned with). 

“Right now, there are over five hundred buildings in Westchester using these problematic heating oils year round and spewing toxic polluting matter into the air we breathe,” said Parker. “Using alternative methods for heating buildings and providing hot water will improve people’s health, and it will be considerably cleaner and less expensive.  It will also save taxpayers money from the increasing cost of health care expenses, reduce reliance on foreign oil and spend less money on maintaining and operating our heating systems.” 

Joining Legislator Parker at the press conference were Legislator Ben Boykin (D-White Plains), a co-sponsor of the bill; David Seicol and Kevin Dorsey from Robison Oil; Elyssa Rothe from EnergizeNY; and Nina Orville from the Southern Westchester Energy Action Consortium. 

“It is widely known that the pollutants caused by these dirty heating oils are linked to many health problems, including asthma, cancer and cardiovascular diseases,” said Boykin. “When building owners make the conversions to cleaner fuels, they’re making an investment in the health of all of us. I’m pleased to stand with my colleague Catherine Parker and co-sponsor this important legislation. It’s time we do everything we can to ensure cleaner air around our county for the generations to come.” 

Residual fuel, better known as #6 heating oil, is the heaviest and thickest of all fuel oils. It literally comes from the “bottom of the barrel” during the petroleum refining process and resembles tar or asphalt. Also, #6 oil must be stored in a heated tank at approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit to keep it liquid so that it can be pumped into the boiler. Number 4 oil is created by mixing #6 and the less polluting #2 together.

The Local Law introduced by Parker will ban the use of #6 and #4oils, beginning with the western and eastern borders in Westchester, where gas lines are currently available. This process will continue throughout the county until no property will use these heavy oils beyond 2018. There are currently 507 properties in Westchester County using the heavy, dirty oil #6 or a slightly less dirty #4. However, the air quality near these buildings is adversely affected. 

The American Lung Association has said that pollutants from dirty heating oil have a direct correlation with high number of asthma attacks, lung and heart disease. The growing soot pollution increases emergency room visits for these illnesses. 

The soot pollution from the dirty heating oils includes fine and ultrafine particles small enough to get past the body’s defense systems and embed deep within the lungs and enter the blood stream. The heavy metal nickel is among these particles, which, when airborne, has have been linked to cardiovascular disease and premature death.  Studies also show that soot pollution is the second largest contributor (after carbon dioxide) to climate change (followed by methane). Meanwhile, sulfur dioxide emissions caused by the heating oil contribute to the formation of acid rain, and nitrogen oxides emissions help create ground level ozone (smog), an irritant that can cause breathing problems for people with respiratory diseases.  

Similar legislation was passed in New York City several years ago after street level air monitoring devices were installed throughout the city and a significant increase in pollutants was found near those buildings that burn these oils. 

EnergizeNY, an energy improvement corporation, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) offer financial assistance for building owners to make energy efficient upgrades to move away from number four and number six oils. 

At Thornycroft, the savings realized since converting from #6 oil to natural gas are estimated to be $44,000 for the period of January 1, 2014 to April 30, 2014, the main heating season). During this aforementioned period, approximately 30,000 gallons of oil at an average price of $3.00 per gallon or $90,000 would have been used at Thornycroft; instead, Con Ed costs were $46,000. 

While there is a substantial cost to convert from oil to gas, the cost can vary depending on several circumstances; in most cases, the normal pay-back should be no more than two years, if the price of oil and gas remain at current levels. 

“No one can argue that a cleaner environment is in every ones best interest,” said Bonito. “We have been aggressively pursuing the conversion from heavy oil to natural gas in our buildings, and do look forward to working with the County of Westchester and Con Ed in successfully completing these conversions. 

“We applaud Legislator Catherine Parker for advocating for healthy lungs and healthy air in Westchester County,” said Michael Seilback, Vice President of Public Policy & Communications at the American Lung Association of the Northeast. “Phasing out the dirtiest heating oil as Legislator Parker has proposed is essential to ensuring all Westchester residents have healthier air to breathe.  We strongly support air quality measures, such as the Westchester County 2014 Clean Air Act, to rid the county of these pollutant- laden heating fuels.”