Ocean City, Md., holds a pivotal position as a city among ecosystems. As Maryland’s only town on the Atlantic, Ocean City is working to reduce how humans affect the delicate stretch of land, marsh, bay and sea.
The town began by adding hybrid vehicles to its fleet. Many town departments are using hybrids, for staff such as building inspectors and the city manager.
“They do a lot of slow in-town driving, and that’s when those vehicles are most efficient,” City Clerk Kathleen Mathias explained.
Hybrid vehicles run on electricity at lower speeds, only switching to gasoline when the cars go about 30 mph or faster. That is optimal for driving in city traffic with frequent stops, because the cars will not burn as much gasoline.
The town included even more green vehicular power with its use of Segways. A Segway is a two-wheeled, battery-powered vehicle that rider stands upon while driving – kind of like an upright motorized wheelchair or scooter.
According to Mathias, water department workers must visit each house in-person to read water meters. A lot of gasoline is wasted when a fleet of vehicles must crawl down every street. So, Ocean City distributed Segways to meter-readers. Now, employees can park their regular vehicles at the end of every neighborhood and drive their Segways quickly from house to house.
The Segways and hybrid vehicles have been in use for a few years now. That means fewer carbon emissions have been going into the bays and atmosphere. Communications Manager Donna Abbott said the green vehicles “seem to be working pretty well, increasing efficiency and helping the town to do more green initiatives.”
One such initiative is Ocean City’s new waste disposal program.
Instead of shipping garbage to the local landfill, Ocean City has begun using a waste-to-energy system. The town’s solid waste is shipped to a facility in Pennsylvania that burns the garbage to produce clean energy, creating electricity for surrounding towns.
According to Mathias, the facility uses a very clean-burning system, so all of the trash is producing energy.
“It’s just an ash that remains after burning,” she noted.
In waste-to-energy facilities, an incinerator burns the garbage to heat boiling water. The resulting steam then powers turbines that create electricity. Because the fire burns at such high temperatures in a controlled environment, computers and people can monitor the presence of harmful byproducts. The toxins are captured by filters or neutralized by other procedures.
The town began shipping trash to the incinerator in 2009. It discontinued curbside recycling May 2010.
“We get complaints from citizens because we’re not recycling, but I try to explain to them we’re 100 percent recycling – we’re making energy,” said Mathias.
With curbside recycling, people might not always participate, so recyclables could fall through the cracks and go to the landfill. Now, Abbott said, 95 percent of the collected refuse is being converted to energy.
“Plus, we’re not contributing to the waste stream,” she emphasized.
The cost of going green can easily prevent the completion of green projects. However, Ocean City’s new waste disposal program is actually saving the town money. Instead of collecting garbage and recyclables separately from each house, the town can ship it all to one place.
Plus, the town no longer pays tipping fees at the landfill. Abbott estimated that the town will save nearly $1 million each year using the waste-to-energy program.
The county still offers recycling drop-off sites, and the town collects bulk recyclables, sorting them according to material. That includes the traditional paper and plastics, plus batteries, electronics and automotive oil. Additionally, the waste-to-energy facility also separates metals from the regular garbage so they can also be recycled.
In the end, recycling prevents refuse from stagnating in local landfills, but waste-to-energy converts all of that refuse into a fuel.
While Ocean City sets an example in using eco-friendly services, the town is also encouraging its citizens to participate.
As city environmental engineer, Gail Blazer focuses on education and outreach. Her department works with local developers, homeowners and businesses to promote environmentally friendly habits. Thanks to the local Surfrider Foundation, even tourists are reminded to “leave only your footprints” on the beaches.
“We try to address every target audience,” said Blazer.
For instance, she has created a pollution-prevention plan for businesses. The guidelines teach different types of shops and services how to minimize their environmental impact.
Some companies may reconsider chemical disposal. Restaurants should wash greasy cooking equipment indoors to prevent grease and soap from flowing to outdoor stormdrains.
Blazer explained that many people simply do not realize that what they consider standard practice may be harmful. The pollution-prevention program helps to identify and improve the environmental impact of business.
Ocean City locals can take advantage of initiatives such as cost-share programs and “mini-grant” awards to create their own green environments. The town helps residents to fund rain barrels, backyard bayscape gardens and dune planting. The barrels collect and reserve water for later use.
Meanwhile, simply planting native plants allows for a plethora of environmental benefits. The plants provide food and shelter for migratory and native birds, butterflies and insects.
While they consume harmful carbon dioxide and nutrients, the native plants do not require pesticides, and they can accommodate fluctuations in the water supply because they are used to the climate.
As plants contribute to the “green infrastructure,” they cool the environment, create oxygen and provide erosion control, which is essential in coastal areas.
In the end, “Planting plants is one of the best ways to control water quality,” Blazer said, citing mitigation as a crucial key. “We try to get everyone to do a part. One little garden may not make a difference, but if we have a 100 gardens, it makes a difference.”
Of course, the town needs funding to fully implement new programs.
“There’s always more that we need to do,” said Blazer. She does a lot of work using pilot programs, which are like test runs for the town’s green ideas. However, continuous upkeep is more difficult to maintain she said, especially when it is part of an unfunded mandate. She cited the stormwater system as an example.
The State of Maryland recently published a set of requirements regarding stormwater (proper drainage, pollutant reduction and so forth). When rules are set down without any money, Blazer noted, the town must determine how to incorporate the law and how to pay for it.
According to Blazer, Ocean City has contracted an outside source to evaluate the option of creating stormwater utility similar to that in Lewes, Del. The study determines what would be included in the stormwater system and how it would be structured. Because the program must be self-funded by the town, the study also seeks how to minimize the economic impact on citizens.
Finally, Ocean City is turning its attention to other projects on the horizon. Blazer said the town is considering a solar-powered hot-water heater at Northside Park and higher-efficiency lighting and thermostats. Also, regulations are being improved for wind turbines on private property.
There is a possibility of offshore wind farms coming to Maryland’s coast, as well as to Rehoboth Beach to the north and elsewhere along the East Coast. Although the course of such deepwater activity will be decided at the state and national levels, Abbott said the town is interested in learning more and joining the discussion.
As the alternative energy discussion continues into the next decade, officials said, Ocean City will remain active in its green mission.
“The town is very keen on protecting the environment,” said Abbott. “It’s why people live here and why tourists come here. Clean and green is how we all want to see it.”
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