Passenger Trains > Amtrak’s new 30th Street Station will increase asthma and other

Amtrak’s new 30th Street Station will increase asthma and other air quality issues

Philadelphia Inquirer
by Joseph Otis Minott, For The Inquirer
Jul 14, 2022

Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia is getting a long-overdue makeover as part of a multibillion-dollar renovation plan slated to begin this year and last until at least 2025. Unfortunately, despite the Biden administration’s commitment to environmental justice and fighting climate change, this makeover will substantially increase 30th Street Station’s carbon footprint and pollute neighboring communities.

The easiest and least expensive way to cut carbon is by maximizing energy efficiency. At 30th Street Station, the federal government is about to take a big, unnecessary step in the wrong direction by reverting to a dirtier, less efficient energy source, which it will be stuck with for 30 years or more. Philadelphia residents should voice their opposition to this misstep.

The current plans for renovating Amtrak’s 30th Street Station complex will convert over 90% of the energy supply from efficient steam energy to on-site gas-fired boilers. This will increase emissions by over 1,840 tons of carbon per year — more than threefold — according to a verified analysis by Vicinity Energy, which currently provides the steam energy that is running the station now. Over the 30-year life of this investment, more than 55,000 tons of carbon would be released into the atmosphere that would otherwise have been avoided by sticking with steam.

Why use taxpayer dollars to replace a sustainable energy system with on-site fossil fuels? It makes absolutely no sense.

Full story:  https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/amtrak-climate-30th-street-station-air-quality-20220714.html

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak’s new 30th Street Station will increase
> asthma and other air quality issues
>
> Philadelphia Inquirer
> by Joseph Otis Minott, For The Inquirer
> Jul 14, 2022
>
> Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia is
> getting a long-overdue makeover as part of a
> multibillion-dollar renovation plan slated to
> begin this year and last until at least 2025.
> Unfortunately, despite the Biden
> administration’s commitment to environmental
> justice and fighting climate change, this makeover
> will substantially increase 30th Street
> Station’s carbon footprint and pollute
> neighboring communities.
>
> The easiest and least expensive way to cut carbon
> is by maximizing energy efficiency. At 30th Street
> Station, the federal government is about to take a
> big, unnecessary step in the wrong direction by
> reverting to a dirtier, less efficient energy
> source, which it will be stuck with for 30 years
> or more. Philadelphia residents should voice their
> opposition to this misstep.
>
> The current plans for renovating Amtrak’s 30th
> Street Station complex will convert over 90% of
> the energy supply from efficient steam energy to
> on-site gas-fired boilers. This will increase
> emissions by over 1,840 tons of carbon per year
> — more than threefold — according to a
> verified analysis by Vicinity Energy, which
> currently provides the steam energy that is
> running the station now. Over the 30-year life of
> this investment, more than 55,000 tons of carbon
> would be released into the atmosphere that would
> otherwise have been avoided by sticking with
> steam.
>
> Why use taxpayer dollars to replace a sustainable
> energy system with on-site fossil fuels? It makes
> absolutely no sense.
>
> Full story: 
> https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/amtrak
> -climate-30th-street-station-air-quality-20220714.
> html

I’d like to point out this is an opinion piece on this matter that seems cherry picked because it implies something negative about Amtrak. This is far from an unprecedented or abnormal practice. Buildings in cities that have district heating often weigh the costs of the district steam or onsite heat. The decision making process may also have to do with the selection of the HVAC system they are using. While district heating systems have benefits as they also tend to generate electricity and sometimes chilled water (cogeneration and trigeneration) they are also costly and one also has to take into account energy losses and leaks in the underground piping that can affect efficiency.

I’m sure the primary motivation here is cost - this was done by a competitive procurement process. The study cited is by the company that owns the district steam system - so far from an impartial study. The opinion piece also fails to point out that Amtrak is in fact not disconnecting 30th Street Station from the steam system and it will remain the primary source for the main hall and concourse of the station. The boilers will be used for the office portion of the building only.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/22 04:01 by lordsigma.

        Wouldn't this benefit the freight railroad by having them haul 15 or 16 carloads of the carbon emission stuff to landfills somewhere ???   :)

lordsigma Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GenePoon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>[snip] Over the 30-year life
> of
> > this investment, more than 55,000 tons of
> carbon
> > would be released into the atmosphere that
> would
> > otherwise have been avoided by sticking with
> > steam.
> >
>
> I’d like to point out this is an opinion piece
> on this matter that seems cherry picked because it
> implies something negative about Amtrak. This is
> far from an unprecedented or abnormal practice.
> Buildings in cities that have district heating
> often weigh the costs of the district steam or
> onsite heat. 

They don't say what energy source is used to produce the steam. Magical unicorn flatulence?

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/22 05:48 by Dcmcrider.

Dcmcrider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They don't say what energy source is used to
> produce the steam. Magical unicorn flatulence?

A convenient omission, isn't it?

FMC Tower, which is 2929 Walnut, was built very recently and uses gas powered boilers and is not on the steam loop.  It is above the 30th St complex.  It is also a LEED certified building as well.

Vicinity's central Steam Plant is at Schuylkill Avenue and South Street.  Across the riverfrom Amtrak and Franklin Field.

rkennedy2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Vicinity's central Steam Plant is at Schuylkill
> Avenue and South Street.  Across the riverfrom
> Amtrak and Franklin Field.

Is the central steam plant powered by natural gas?

Posted from Android

Oh come on guys, you're ruining Gene's fun!

pennsy3750 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dcmcrider Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > They don't say what energy source is used to
> > produce the steam. Magical unicorn flatulence?
>
> A convenient omission, isn't it?

Hey, Hey, Hey...let's not allow facts to get in the way...
/Ted