{"id":238619,"date":"2009-12-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-12-16T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"tag:feeds.feedburner.com:\/\/84977e9bb1aaa3d0ab216048732705e0"},"modified":"2009-12-16T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2009-12-16T05:00:00","slug":"9000-buildings-burn-heating-oil-from-the-bottom-of-the-barrel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/238619","title":{"rendered":"9,000 Buildings Burn Heating Oil From the Bottom of the Barrel"},"content":{"rendered":"

A report from Environmental Defense Fund shows that just one percent of New York City’s buildings, those burning the dirtiest grades of heating oil, produce more pollution than all the city’s cars and trucks combined. The report “The Bottom of the Barrel: How the Dirtiest Heating Oil Pollutes Our Air and Harms Our Health,”<\/a> advocates phasing out the dirty oil by 2020.<\/p>\n

The pollution produced by burning No. 4 or 6 oil—some 1,000 tons of it every year—threatens the health of all New Yorkers, creating a rain of toxic soot that aggravates asthma, increases the risk of cancer, exacerbates respiratory illnesses and can cause premature death.<\/p>\n

About 9,000 buildings, many in the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods, use this unrefined sludge. The Flatiron Building (5th Avenue and 23rd St.) and The Dakota (Central Park West at 72nd St.) are among a number of iconic structures that burn it.<\/p>\n

\"EDF<\/a><\/p>\n

EDF has created this interactive map<\/a> so that every tenant with a mouse can see if their building, or others nearby, use dirty oil and take action to help them convert to cleaner fuel. The map web site also lets users send a message to the mayor, asking him to phase out permits to burn the dirtiest oils.<\/p>\n

If your building burns dirty oil<\/b>, work with your property manager to switch to cleaner fuel. Building managers and owners can improve air quality and often lower operating costs by:<\/p>\n