London's Mayor, Boris Johnson, has announced plans to cut emissions from construction site machinery by 40% by 2020 in a bid to cut air pollution in the capital.
The new rules will require construction equipment to meet standards for both particulates (PM10) and nitrogen oxide (NOx), to help reduce dust and other emissions across the city. Equipment over 10 years old will need to replaced or retrofitted on all developments in central London and major developments in outer London.
Johnson said: “We’ve all walked past construction sites and seen thick clouds of dust generated from equipment that simply hasn’t been updated or replaced in decades. By replacing the oldest and most polluting bulldozers and machinery on building sites we can greatly reduce harmful emissions and boost our air quality.”
The initiative follows similar schemes in other major cities, but London is thought to be the first city to introduce rules for both particulates and nitrous oxide. Dr Claire Holman, from the Institute of Air Quality Management, commented: “This is an important step in reducing emissions from demolition and construction sites that are both annoying and damaging to human health. These standards have rightly taken into account the impact on air quality and will be a key part of the planning process of new developments.”
The 40% reduction in construction machinery emissions by 2020 figure is set against a 2010 baseline. Exemptions on construction equipment over 10 years old will include special consideration for rare specialist machinery.
the environmentalist reported recently that the Crossrail project, which is linking Heathrow and Reading to the west of London with Abbey Wood and Shenfield to the east, had introduced standards for contractors to limit emissions from construction equipment. Contractors are required to use diesel-powered plant machinery with newer, cleaner engines (Euro IIIB standard) or retrofit diesel particulate filters (DPFs) on to existing engines.
