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A Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, establishing a means for evaluating the environmental soundness of Allegheny County's motor vehicle fleet, and establishing a "Green Fleets" policy for the County.
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WHEREAS, Allegheny County recognizes that energy use associated with the operation of its motor vehicle fleets exacerbates local air quality problems and results in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County further recognizes that its administrative departments have a significant role to play in improving local air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by improving the energy efficiency of its fleets and reducing emissions from fleet operations; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County additionally recognizes that by improving the energy efficiency of its fleets, significant monetary savings will result in the long term; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County Council wishes to ensure that purchases and expenditures of public monies are made in a manner consistent with the policy of improving local air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of Council to establish a "Green Fleets" policy addressing the management, operation, and procurement of fleet vehicles under the control of the County in order to improve the energy and cost efficiency of its vehicle fleet and reduce emissions from its fleet;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby resolves as follows
Section 1. Definitions.
For the purposes of this Resolution, the following words and phrases shall be defined as delineated within this section, unless the context clearly indicates a different intent on the part of the Council:
A. "Passenger Vehicle" means any motor vehicle designed primarily for the transportation of persons and having a design capacity of twelve persons or less. For the purposes of this Resolution, the term "Passenger Vehicle" shall not be deemed to include any vehicle owned or operated by the Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff, or other County department or row office for law enforcement purposes, or any vehicle determined by the Green Fleets Review Committee established by this Resolution to be used in furtherance of a public safety function.
B. "Light Duty Truck" means any motor vehicle, with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000 pounds or less, which is designed primarily for purposes of transportation of property or is a derivative of such a vehicle, or is available with special features enabling off-street or off-highway operation and use. For the purposes of this Resolution, the term "Light Duty Truck" shall not be deemed to include any vehicle owned or operated by the Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff, or other County department or row office for law enforcement purposes, or any vehicle determined by the Green Fleets Review Committee established by this Resolution to be used in furtherance of a public safety function.
C. "Medium Duty Vehicle" means any vehicle having a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 14,000 pounds or less and which is not a light-duty truck or passenger vehicle. For the purposes of this Resolution, the term "Medium Duty Vehicle" shall not be deemed to include any vehicle owned or operated by the Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff, or other County department or row office for law enforcement purposes, or any vehicle determined by the Green Fleets Review Committee established by this Resolution to be used in furtherance of a public safety function.
D. "Heavy Duty Vehicle" means any motor vehicle, licensed for use on roadways, having a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating greater than 14,000 pounds. For the purposes of this Resolution, the term "Heavy Duty Vehicle" shall not be deemed to include any vehicle owned or operated by the Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff, or other County department or row office for law enforcement purposes, or any vehicle determined by the Green Fleets Review Committee established by this Resolution to be used in furtherance of a public safety function.
E. "Zero-Emission Vehicle" means any vehicle that has been certified as a zero-emission vehicle (or "ZEV") by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
F. "Inherently Low Emission Vehicle" means any motor vehicle certified as an inherently low emission vehicle (or "ILEV") by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
G. "Ultra Low Emission Vehicle" means any motor vehicle that is certified as an ultra low emission vehicle (or "ULEV") by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
H. "Low Emission Vehicle" means any motor vehicle that is certified as a low emission vehicle (or "LEV") by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
I. "Electric Drivetrain Vehicle" means any vehicle that employs an electric drivetrain and motor as its primary means of motive force. The vehicle can be powered by fuel cells, electric batteries, petroleum- or alternatively-fueled electric generators, or any combination thereof.
J. "Alternative Fuel" means any fuel that is substantially non-petroleum in nature, is not gasoline or diesel, and is defined as an alternative fuel by the U.S. Department of Energy through the authority granted by the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
K. "Bi-Fuel Vehicle" means any motor vehicle designed to operate on two (2) fuels, one of which is an alternative fuel, but not on a mixture of fuels.
Section 2. Fleet Inventory.
A. In order to establish a baseline of data so that the "Green Fleets" policy established in this Resolution can be established, implemented, and monitored, each administrative department and row office shall develop an inventory and analysis of the fleet vehicles operated by or within that department or row office no later than December 31, 2008. This inventory shall include:
1. Number of vehicles classified by the model year, make, model, engine size, vehicle identification number (VIN), and drivetrain type (2-wheel drive, 4-wheel drive), and the rated vehicle weight and classification (light-duty, medium-duty, heavy-duty);
2. The number of miles traveled per gallon (or gallon equivalent) of fuel for each vehicle;
3. Type of fuel (or other power source) used;
4. Average cost of vehicle operation per gallon (or gallon equivalent) of fuel for each vehicle;
5. Average fuel cost per mile for each vehicle;
6. Annual miles driven per vehicle;
7. Total fuel (or power) consumption per vehicle;
8. Vehicle function (i.e. the tasks associated with the vehicle's use);
9. Estimated emissions per mile for each pollutant by vehicle type/class based on EPA tailpipe standards for the following: Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), and Particulate Matter (PM);
10. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) calculations based on gallons (or gallon equivalent) of fuel consumed;
B. Fleet managers from County departments and row offices shall be responsible for providing these baseline data in a reliable and verifiable manner.
C. In the event that a fleet vehicle is operated by multiple departments and/or row offices, each department or row office shall report only the data reflecting its usage, and shall clearly designate which vehicles are shared in the report.
Section 3. "Green Fleets" Policy and Goals.
A. It shall be the policy of Allegheny County to purchase, lease, or otherwise obtain the most energy efficient vehicles possible that meet the operational needs of the department or row office for which the vehicles are intended.
B. It shall be the policy of Allegheny County to manage and operate its vehicle fleets in a manner that is energy efficient and minimizes emissions.
C. Allegheny County shall decrease energy expenditures for its vehicle fleets by a total of twenty percent (20%) by the close of year 2011, adjusting for inflation and relative to the baseline data established for year 2008 through the fleet inventory taken in compliance with Section 2 above.
Section 4. "Green Fleets" Policy Strategies.
In order to accomplish the goals stated in this Resolution, Allegheny County shall modify procurement procedures, implement policies, conduct reviews, and take other actions as necessary to accomplish the following strategies:
A. The County shall develop a minimum efficiency standard in miles per gallon (or gallon equivalent) for each vehicle class for which the County has a procurement specification, and include such standard in any new vehicle procurement specification;
B. The County shall develop a minimum emissions standard for each vehicle class for which the County has a procurement specification and include such a standard in any new vehicle procurement specifications. This emission standard shall be based on United States Environmental Protection Agency designations of LEV, ILEV, ULEV, and ZEV.
C. The County shall ensure that a minimum of ten percent (10%) of the passenger vehicles purchased, leased, or otherwise obtained within a fiscal year by the County are zero emission vehicles. Zero-emission vehicles purchased, leased, or otherwise obtained that quantify in another vehicle weight class may, for the purposes of this requirement, qualify as a passenger vehicle ZEV on a one vehicle for one vehicle basis.
D. The County shall review all vehicle procurement specifications and modify them as necessary to ensure that the specifications are written in a manner that allows the purchase or lease of alternatively fueled or electric drivetrain vehicles.
E. The County shall review all new vehicle purchase requests and modify them as necessary to ensure that the vehicle class to which the requesting vehicle belongs is appropriate for the duty requirements that the vehicle will be called upon to perform.
F. The County shall review the fleet inventory taken in Section 2 of this Resolution to identify older vehicles that are used infrequently or not at all, as well as those vehicles that are disproportionately inefficient, and schedule their elimination or replacement.
G. The County shall develop and implement an incentive program for County employees to drive efficiently and utilize efficient vehicle operating techniques.
H. The County shall implement an employee fleet trip reduction program by purchasing transit passes for County employees for whom public transit will reduce or eliminate the use of fleet vehicles and establishing reimbursement procedures for County employees that use public transit instead of using fleet vehicles for work related travel.
I. The County shall prohibit the use of non-alternative fuels in County owned or operated bi-fuel vehicles for more than ten percent (10%) of the time that they are operated.
J. The County shall maintain each fleet vehicle at optimal efficiency by reviewing current maintenance schedule for all fleet vehicles and increasing maintenance wherever cost-effective benefits will accrue as a result.
K. The County shall purchase or otherwise develop route optimization computer software and train County employees to use the software to utilize County vehicles in the most efficient manner possible.
Section 5. Monitoring the "Green Fleets" Policy.
A. In order to ensure compliance with the goals and strategies outlined in Sections 3 and 4 of this Resolution, a "Green Fleets" Review Committee is hereby formed. The County Executive shall appoint the members of this review committee no later than January 31, 2008, with one representative from each of the following Departments and Offices:
1. The Office of the County Manager;
2. The Allegheny County Department of Administrative Services;
3. The Allegheny County Office of Budget and Finance;
4. The Allegheny County Department of Public Works;
5. The Allegheny County Health Department;
6. The Allegheny County Division of Purchasing and Supplies;
7. The Allegheny County Police Department;
8. The Office of the Allegheny County Sheriff.
B. The "Green Fleets" Review Committee shall also include one County Council Member, selected by the President of Allegheny County Council. The Council Member shall only vote on business before the Review Committee in the event of a tie vote among the other committee members.
C. No later than February 1 of each year beginning in 2009, County administrative department fleet managers shall submit a draft "Green Fleets" plan to the Green Fleets Review Committee detailing how vehicle procurement, fleet operations, and employee travel activity are intended to conform to the "Green Fleets" policy and the "Green Fleets" strategies outlined in this Resolution. The "Green Fleets" plan will also include, as an appendix or addendum, an updated fleet vehicle inventory list in the same format as the fleet vehicle inventory completed in Section 2.
D. Each "Green Fleet" plan shall be reviewed by the Review Committee for overall conformity with the "Green Fleets" policy and for completeness in addressing the "Green Fleets" strategies outlined in Section 4. Inadequate plans shall be returned to the submitting department for revisal and discussion with the Review Committee.
E. Any appeal of the Review Committee's decisions must be made in writing to the Committee accompanied by appropriate documentation. Valid reasons for an appeal include unavailability of appropriate fleet vehicles, incremental costs in excess of the full life-cycle savings that would accrue from the acquisition of a given vehicle, and the primacy of a given vehicle's mission judged to be applicable by the Review Committee.
F. Approval of vehicle procurement requests for each department shall be contingent upon a satisfactory recommendation from the "Green Fleets" committee as to the merit of the department's "Green Fleets" plan.
Section 6. Severability.
If any provision of this Resolution shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Resolution which shall be in full force and effect.