Air Emissions
Xanterra’s potential to emit key air pollutants falls well below regulatory thresholds, which means it is not subject to regulation under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Still, Xanterra aggressively combats pollution emitted by vehicles, buildings, and regional public power plants to help keep the vistas clear at national and state parks.
When Xanterra calculates its emissions, it includes all pollution produced by its operations—from vehicles, boilers, and even kitchen ovens—as well as emissions triggered back at the regional public power plant from electricity usage.
 |
Total company wide greenhouse gas emissions continue to decline significantly while park visitation has remained somewhat flat or declined.
The 4.75 percent emissions reduction over five years, possibly the company’s most significant achievement, can be attributed to a combination of fuel switching (from heating fuel oil to propane) and strategic conservation programs, especially targeted area shutdowns, more energy control systems in rooms and facilities, and efficiency upgrades such as lighting retrofits and Energy Star-rated equipment. |
 |
|
The company is halfway to reaching its ten-year World Wildlife Fund greenhouse-gas emission-reduction goal of 10 percent. Emissions normalized for revenue have also decreased steadily over the last five years. A spike in emissions per dollar of revenue occurred in 2001 after the events of September 11 dramatically reduced visitation while Xanterra’s facilities remained open. Even so, increased efficiency and conservation resulted in continued annual diminutions in emissions normalized for revenue and a five-year total reduction of 2.3 percent.
Nearly all EPA Criteria Air Pollutants, voluntarily tracked by Xanterra, decreased as Xanterra switched to cleaner burning fuels to heat buildings, power vehicles, and create electricity.
Sources: Greenhouse gas emissions conversion data and EPA Criteria Air Pollutant emissions data were calculated using several sources including: the Leonardo Academy, “Emission Factors and Energy Prices for Cleaner and Greener Program,” the World Resources Institute, the World Business Council on Sustainable Development’s Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration’s “Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases” program.
Working to Reduce Air Emissions
Since 2000, Xanterra has switched from “dirty” two-stroke engine technologies in its boats and snowmobiles to all new four-stroke engines, reducing noise and emissions and increasing efficiency by 65 percent. Alternative fuels like E10, a blend of 10 percent ethanol, are still being used to power snowmobiles and snowcoaches. All in-park tour buses at the South Rim have hydrous alcohol injectors that decrease visible emissions by 66.4 percent and increase fuel economy by 19.7 percent. In 2002, all the perchloroethylene from the Yellowstone dry cleaning operation was removed from Yellowstone. Xanterra continues to retrofit and replace fuel oil boilers with cleaner burning alternative fuels, even reducing fuel oil usage at the South Rim to zero.
In the past two years, Xanterra has taken its commitment to reduce air emissions in national parks to an even higher level, as exemplified by the following initiatives.
Reducing Our Carbon Footprint
Partnering with the World Wildlife Fund on Climate Change
 |
In 2004, Xanterra partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the world’s largest conservation organization, and the climate change experts at the Center for Energy & Climate Solutions to cut the company’s heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions as part of WWF’s Climate Savers initiative. Through the partnership, Xanterra will reduce its CO2 emissions 10 percent below its 2000 emissions levels by 2015. This target represents an approximate reduction of 9,308 tons of CO2 by 2015.
Under this agreement, Xanterra becomes the first hospitality company to commit to an absolute CO2 reduction target and the ninth business to join WWF’s Climate Savers initiative. In the Climate Savers initiative, World Wildlife Fund and the Center for Energy & Climate Solutions work with companies like IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Polaroid, Nike, Sagawa Express, NorskeCanada, The Collins Companies, and Lafarge to develop practical, cost-effective strategies that reduce emissions of CO2 and achieve energy efficiency goals.
|
NPS Climate Friendly Parks Program
Xanterra gave presentations and participated in three EPA Climate Friendly Parks workshops held at Zion, Everglades, and Glacier National Parks. Sponsored by the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation/Climate Change Division and the Washington Office of the National Park Service, the Climate Friendly Parks initiative encourages and enables national parks to develop both short and long-term comprehensive strategies to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria air pollutant (CAP) emissions. The program shows park stakeholders how to integrate these strategies into the park EMS. Furthermore, the program entails a commitment on the part of the participating park to educate the public regarding the actions the park is taking to mitigate its GHG and CAP emissions.
Biodiesel Clears the Air in National Parks
 |
In an effort to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions and reduce air pollutant emissions, several Xanterra operations are phasing in biodiesel, a clean burning alternative fuel produced from domestic, renewable soybeans. Biodiesel is biodegradable, nontoxic, and virtually free of sulfur and particulates.
Xanterra’s Yellowstone and Crater Lake facilities use large quantities of a biodiesel blend. The biodiesel at Crater Lake, for example, is a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel (called B20). In 2003, approximately 50,000 gallons of diesel were used to power the boilers there. By converting regular petroleum diesel to a 20 percent biodiesel blend, the Crater Lake operation was able to reduce emissions of CO2, a major greenhouse gas contributor, by 16 percent, or about one million pounds. |
“Clean” Fuel Switching Continues
Many lodges across the country are heated with “dirty” fuel oil, producing byproducts of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, soot and carcinogenic particulates. In addition to the 14 fuel-oil-to-propane boiler retrofits at the Grand Canyon, Xanterra continues to retrofit boilers at other locations with cleaner burning technologies and fuels. The new boilers release literally 80 times less carbon monoxide and run at 83.3 percent efficiency, an efficiency increase of 23.3 percent from the old boilers.
During a recent kitchen remodel at Zion Lodge, Xanterra removed a two million BTU diesel-fired boiler used for providing heat for dishwashers, steamers, fryers, and the building space. That boiler heated water all times of the day, wasting energy. Now, all kitchen appliances have been replaced with on-demand electric and propane high-efficiency appliances—using energy only when needed.
Additionally, these boiler retrofits have eliminated the hazards associated with fuel spills.
Green Vehicle Maintenance:
Reducing Emissions, Protecting Water Quality, Preventing Pollution
Maintaining a fleet of several hundred snowmobiles, shuttles, cars, trucks, snowcoaches, tractors, boats, and other vehicles can produce significant pollution if not done properly. Xanterra’s vehicle maintenance facilities employ state-of-the-art environmental practices and technologies that go well beyond compliance, integrating pollution prevention practices that protect water resources and reduce emissions.
For example, at Yellowstone such practices include:
- Using only non-hazardous, aqueous-based solvents for all parts washing and brake cleaning (almost completely eliminating the hazardous waste stream)
- Burning over 4,000 gallons of used oil annually for heat recovery in the vehicle maintenance area (once again, eliminating the waste stream)
- Recycling or recapping all old truck tires
- Using only non-chlorinated and refillable spray bottles (instead of aerosol cans) for brake and carburetor cleaning
- Using brakes and clutch materials that are asbestos-free
Recycling:
- all ethylene and propylene glycol (antifreezes) on-site for repeated use (up to 900 gallons per year); nontoxic propylene glycol is also replacing ethylene glycol as vehicles receive maintenance
- all chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants (freon)
- all spent solvents, including 55 gallons of paint solvents
- all mercury-containing fluorescent lamps, including Phillips GreenTips lamps
- roughly 8 tons of scrap copper, steel, and aluminum
- up to 100 used car batteries per year
- all oil filters
|
