Managing Carbon and Air Quality Impacts...Carbon and Cannabis Basics Indoor growing has an...
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Managing Carbon and Air Quality Impacts Speakers: Angie Fyfe, ICLEI USA Kaitlin Urso, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment D. Jacob Mitchell, Sustainabis Moderator: Janet Burgesser, Denver Department of Public Health & Environment Sponsored by:
Transcript of Managing Carbon and Air Quality Impacts...Carbon and Cannabis Basics Indoor growing has an...
Managing Carbon and Air Quality Impacts
Speakers: Angie Fyfe, ICLEI USAKaitlin Urso, Colorado Department of Public Health & EnvironmentD. Jacob Mitchell, Sustainabis
Moderator: Janet Burgesser, Denver Department of Public Health & Environment
Sponsored by:
Sustainable Development Goals
Cities Care About Climate Action
Ear ly effor ts tied to air quali ty
Den ver active sin ce 1990’s
Com plian ce
Beyon d com plian ce
Am bition
Bold Am bition !
Ambitious Climate Action
Wher e ar e we?
>1℃ globa l tem per a tu r e in cr ease
On tr ack to 3℃
Wher e do we want to go?
1.5℃ globa l tem per a tu r e in cr ease
Ambitious Climate Action
How do we get ther e?
Peak global emissions by 2025
Decar bonize by 2050
Car bon Dioxide Removal
Tr ansition w ith people in mind
“Negative” Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Angie FyfeExecutive Director ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability [email protected]
Air Quality Impacts of the Cannabis Industry
Presented by Kaitlin Urso10/26/2018
www.colorado.gov/cdphe/greencannabis
My job is to provide FREE environmental consulting services to small businesses in Colorado.
50% -Environmental
AssistanceRequests
50% -Environmental
Projects for Industry of Focus
www.colorado.gov/cdphe/greencannabis
483 Stores708 Cultivations242 MIPs
MED548 Stores739 Cultivations286 MIPs
REC
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions from Cultivation and Extraction Terpenes = VOC Emissions = Odor Solvents = VOC Emissions (potential non-compliance)
www.colorado.gov/cdphe/greencannabis/air-quality
VOC VOC
VOC VOC
VOC NOx NOx
NOx NOx
NOx
Ozone
VOC chemically react with NOx in the presence of sunlight to form ground-level ozone.*Terpenes (odor)
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
Elevated ozone can cause:• Stinging eyes and throat• Chest pain• Coughing• Breathing difficulty• Cardiovascular harm• Environmental impacts
Breathing ozone has negative health affects on the lungs and heart and is harmful to the environment. O
O
O
Colorado’s ozone nonattainment area
Over 50% of Colorado’s marijuana facilities fall within the ozone nonattainment area.
VOC emissions from cannabis cultivation are NOT subject to state air quality regulations
• Marijuana cultivation is considered an “agricultural activity” • Even when it is grown indoors
• Agricultural activities are exempt (for the most part) from state air quality regulations
• CRS 25-7- 109(8)(a)
CDPHE Air Quality Sampling Study: $31,000
Air quality sampling at four cannabis cultivation facilities• Air Samples collected:
• Clone, veg., flower rooms• Harvesting and trimming activities• Pre and post filtration at exhaust points
Establishing a VOC emission factor for cannabis cultivation
Volunteers Needed!
Solvents Evaporate VOCs during Extraction and Cleaning
• Common Solvents • Propane • Butane • Ethanol • Isopropyl Alcohol
• Mass Balance for calculating air emissions
• Purchased minus inventory minus waste pick-up
• Assume everything else evaporates
VOC
VOC
VOC
VOC
VOC
VOCVOC
www.colorado.gov/cdphe/greencannabis/air-quality
VOC emissions from MIP (extraction) facilities ARE subject to state air quality regulations!• The processing of the plants with solvents to extract
concentrates at MIP facilities is considered a manufacturing process.
• Manufacturing processes are subject to air quality regulations including APEN and permitting requirements based on annual emissions levels.
Most extraction facilities are unaware of these air quality regulations and are currently NOT in compliance!
www.colorado.gov/cdphe/greencannabis/air-quality
Need help calculating air emissions or determining compliance?www.colorado.gov/cdphe/greencannabis/air-quality
Kaitlin [email protected] 303-692-3175
Odor control BMPs may also control VOC emissions
Odor Controls for Cannabis
Controls VOC and odor
Carbon filtration
Neutralizing agents
Controls odor but not VOC
Masking/ counteractive
agents
Reducing VOC emissions from cannabis cultivation facilities will:
Contribute to reducing ozone concentrations that negatively impact human health and the environment
Help the nonattainment area come into compliance with the ozone standard
www.colorado.gov/cdphe/greencannabis/air-quality
Diesel engines at rural cannabis cultivation operations emit NOx
• Complaints about cannabis cultivation operations using diesel generators for electrical power in rural Colorado
• Sole or supplemental power supply
• Emergency back-up
NOx
NOx
NOx
*tricky regulatory structure
www.colorado.gov/cdphe/greencannabis/air-quality
Cannabis Industry Air Impacts
• Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions• Cultivation of the plants (Terpenes=VOC)
• Evaporating solvents during extraction and winterization processes
• Cleaning solvents evaporating during use• More of a concern in urban areas for ozone formation
• Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Emissions • Diesel generators/engines for supplying electricity to
indoor and greenhouse cultivation operations• Issue unique to rural areas that are at electrical grid
capacity
www.colorado.gov/cdphe/greencannabis/air-quality
Air Pollution BMPs for Cannabis • Cultivation Facilities
• “Sealing” the grow space and controlling air flow through carbon filters• Venting greenhouses at night • Maintain temperature and humidity within ranges to reduce odors & VOCs• Document operating and maintenance procedures for HVAC system and
carbon filters• Extraction Facilities
• Inspect and maintain all storage devices of solvents and extraction equipment to prevent leaks
• Never dispose of a solvent through direct evaporation or spillage• Maintain an inventory of all solvents & calculate annual air emissions• Robust employee training program
www.colorado.gov/cdphe/greencannabis/air-quality
Carbon and CannabisPresented by Jacob Mitchell
President of Sustainabis10/26/18
www.sustainabis.life
Our Organization Collaborative effort of
consultants and partners
Years of Cannabis and Sustainability Experience
Three Branches
Research and Education
Community Development
Advisory Services
Services also include a heavy emphasis on marketing and sustainability story telling
Offering Holistic Sustainability Services for the Cannabis Industry
Carbon Footprinting
Energy Efficiency Assessments
Waste Auditing
Life-Cycle Analysis
Holistic Ingredient Sourcing
Sustainability is iterative! We offer innovative and creative solutions for each individual client.
www.sustainabis.life
Carbon Basics
Climate Change Potential
CO2 is actually CO2e
25x Methane (CH4)
298x Nitrous Oxide (N20)
PHCs, HFCs, SF6
Carbon Footprinting
Scope 1
Scope 2
Scope 3
www.sustainabis.life
Carbon and Cannabis Basics Indoor growing has an incredibly high carbon impact
For each kilogram of cannabis produced roughly 4,600 kg of CO2 is emitted
Largest impact is scope 2
HVAC ~ 50%
Lighting ~ 35%
1% total electricity usage in US attributed to indoor cannabis growing in 2012
Primarily the electricity is coming from coal and natural gas
Special considerations must be made both for carbon sequestration for cannabis and CO2 injection
www.sustainabis.life
Calculating Carbon Set a Boundary!!
Collect Data within the boundary.
Bills Invoices
Purchase orders
Get creative!
Analyze and aggregate data
Use available conversion rates
Company A uses 2,000 kWh monthly of electricity in their grow operation.
The EPA conversion rate for kWh to CO2 is 740 grams per kWh.
Take the conversion rate and multiply it by the number of kWhs emitted annually.
2000 kWh X 12 months X 744g CO2 = 17,856,000 grams of carbon.
This number can be represented as 17,856 kilograms of CO2 or 17.86 metric tons of CO2
Keep in mind locality.
www.sustainabis.life
Carbon Reduction Strategies Start With Efficiency
High efficiency lighting and HVAC systems
Increased insulation in facilities
Heat recapture systems on operational machinery
On-site renewable energy
Electric or natural gas fleet vehicles
Composting and/or recycling
Sourcing carbon neutral ingredients
Carbon neutral, recyclable, or compostable packaging.
Solvent-less extraction methods
www.sustainabis.life
Dispensaries MIPs Grows
Customer Transit Butane/Propane/CO2 Usage and Ventilation
CO2 Supplementation
Packaging Delivery and Courier Services
Delivery and Courier Services
Vendors and Products
Manufacturing Waste Soil and Fertilizers
Retail Waste Manufacturing Equipment
Water
Benchmarking and Goal Setting Set realistic goals within the capacity of the company
Strong and fast ROI
Long term investments
Update goals as achievements are made
Always strive for carbon neutrality
Worst case scenario credits can be used
Important to track and update over time
Baseline year or rolling approach
Allows you to see your progress
Shows commitment to shareholders and customers
Allows for proper allocation of resources and focus
Allows you to compare carbon metrics to other industry metrics (sales, ROI, customer retainment)
www.sustainabis.life
Holistic Carbon Footprinting A detailed breakdown of GHG emission
sources, factors and calculation methodologies
Short and long-term emission reduction goals
Specific strategies for reduction
An implementation plan for identified strategies
A management plan for updating and continued tracking of the GHG emissions and sources.
www.sustainabis.life
The Importance of Understanding Carbon Cannabis is an agricultural product
Carbon causes Anthropogenic Climate Change
Calculating Carbon provides a business with a snapshot of current resource usage long term financial risk
Four primary risks:
Changing policy and Regulations
Change to Technology
Physical and Environmental Risks
Changing Consumer Sentiment
Liability Risk
Positions your company as a forward thinking and caring organization
Creates a larger market share and larger brand recognition
90% of customers in emerging markets believe they have a duty to buy environmentally and socially responsible products
It is imperative that the Cannabis Industry establish itself as a conscious and legitimate sector.
www.sustainabis.life
Want some help? Building a Carbon Footprint can be tricky
Use Technical Guides for Help
WRI GHG Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard
EPA Center for Corporate Climate Leadership Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidance
Various ICLEI Services and Materials
Contact Sustainabis to formulate a footprint for you
(413) 446 – 2976
www.sustainabis.life
www.sustainabis.life
Questions?
www.sustainabis.life
