KEZI-TV had a terrific news clip for our April 20th Press Conference.
Heather Hintze

EUGENE, Ore. — Northwest Community Credit Union is hoping to save its customer’s money and help the environment with its new no idle policy. Staff say just one branch could prevent 50 pounds of carbon dioxide from going into the air if customers going through the drive-up would turn off their engines while they wait. Oregon Toxics Alliance also says each person could save nearly $150 each year in fuel costs if they cut their idle time.

Northwest Community Credit Union says this is just another way for the company to continue making green improvements.  ”We have a conservation crew and it’s a group of employees that have reduced our footprint on the Earth.  And this just fit right in with what we’re doing,” said Rex Fox, Branch Operations Vice President for Northwest Community Credit Union.

Staff from the department of environmental quality were on hand to check emissions from idling cars in the parking lot. They found most cars emit carbon dioxide at 100 parts per million.  Up to nine parts per million is considered safe.

Press Release (PDF file)

OTA is proud to announce an addition to the growing list of Healthy Air Oregon business partners.

Springfield, Oregon
Just two days before Earth Day 2010, Northwest Community Credit Union is announcing the adoption of a green strategy called Healthy Air Oregon.

As part of our Healthy Air Oregon campaign, Northwest Community Credit Union will educate their customers about three-fold benefits of stopping unnecessary motor idling. The Credit Union is hoping to spread the word that idling a car or truck costs money in wasted fuel, puts dangerous fumes into the air and adds climate-changing greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

“If ever there was a win-win for our customers and the environment, this is it,” said Matt Purvis of Northwest Community “When you think about it, not idling saves money and prevents air pollution that can harm your health. There is a simple solution – just turn the key to off anytime you’re not in traffic and not moving.”

This includes instances like waiting in drive-up windows, waiting in parking lots, waiting to pick someone up, or pulled over to talk on your cell phone.

“We are adopting the Alliance’s Healthy Air Oregon project at all our credit union branches throughout the state,” said Purvis. “We want our customers to know that every two minutes of idling adds one half pound of greenhouse gases to Oregon’s air, and wastes the same amount of gas as driving a mile.”

“In fact, by turning off your car, rather than idling, you can improve fuel economy by nearly five percent – so, reducing idling is a good way to save money,” Purvis stated.

Lisa Arkin, director of Oregon Toxics Alliance, finds that Northwest Community employees are receptive to the information about vehicle exhaust and health. “Significant health risks are caused by vehicle idling,” she noted. “Not idling is better for customers and employee health, especially at the drive-up window. Reducing idling lowers the risk for cancer, heart disease and asthma attacks.”

According to the Oregon Department of Human Services, leukemia, a cancer of the blood, is the most common cancer diagnosis for Oregon children.

“We want to remind drivers that when a car is idling, the fumes can go right back into the car, making the air inside the car more polluted than outside,” said Arkin.

Staff with the Department of Environmental Quality, will demonstrate air pollution exposure with a hand sized air toxics monitor, which measures what our lungs are breathing. The monitor (pictured below) is able to demonstrate the fumes that can be emitted from a vehicle tailpipe. When placed near a dirty exhaust stream, “the monitor shrieks like a banshee and flashes bright red lights!” said DEQ staff.

Northwest Community Credit Union will be providing fact sheets and free “no idle” stickers during Earth Week for customers who want them. The Credit Union is also making sure that employees know the benefits of not idling cars and can answers their customer’s questions about the program.

Multnomah and Lane County governments adopted “no top off” and “no idling” policies in 2008. A number of Oregon cities have done the same. Northwest Community Credit Union is the first business with a drive-up window to adopt these environmental health measures for its own operations and as an example of a simple step anyone can take to improve air quality and fuel efficiency.

Elephants Deli in Portland has also joined the campaign. Read more about their green initiatives on their web site.

See the clip on KEZI’s web site

Oregon Toxics Alliance’s Healthy Air Oregon is a comprehensive project to protect children’s health by reducing benzene emissions from gas stations throughout Oregon.  OTA also recommends steps that individual car owners can take to cut down on the amount of benzene and other hazardous air pollutants from gas tanks and tailpipes.

Ed Meza, owner of Swedish Engineering (Eugene, OR) explains why the new law in Oregon preventing gas stations from “topping off” our gas purchases is good news for consumers.

Oregon Toxics Alliances Healthy Air Oregon is a comprehensive project to protect childrens health by reducing benzene emissions from gas stations throughout Oregon. OTA also recommends steps that individual car owners can take to cut down on the amount of benzene and other hazardous air pollutants from gas tanks and tailpipes.