PORT TOWNSEND — When it comes to energy uses that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, the city of Port Townsend operates one of the best and one of the worst buildings in Jefferson County.
The city-operated public pool at Mountain View Elementary School, off Blaine Street, generates about half of the greenhouse gas emissions for all city buildings, according to a new Climate Protection Task Force report.
In 2005, the pool and building that houses it produced 302 tons of carbon emissions, costing the city nearly $52,000, the report said.
“The Mountain View pool is heating the water all the time,” said Joann Loehr, a Port Townsend solar voltaic-powered homeowner and electric car user who prepared the task force’s report.
Loehr said she was “shocked by pool’s huge cost for the city.”
“It’s a terrible waste of money and energy to heat pools and hot tubs. If they put in a pool today, they should use solar/thermal heating.”
The Make Waves! group is conducting a feasibility study of a proposal to build a new aquatic recreation center to replace Mountain View pool — with energy efficiency and green construction in mind.
In stark contrast to the pool building is the green-built, three-year-old City Hall annex at 250 Madison St., which generated 100 tons during that “baseline” year of 2005 at a cost of nearly $18,000, the report said.
The annex was built to a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver standard and uses 27 percent less energy than the standard office building.
Loehr said that the city annex has the take home benefit of saving money, as future energy prices soar.
“That is why so many architects are building these green buildings,” Loehr said.
“They save so much energy and money.
“Even though they cost so much money up front, in the long term they save.”
The city’s historic Carnegie Library on Lawrence Street was the third highest carbon emitter at 92 tons in 2005, costing $14,105, the report said.
Port Townsend Police Department patrol cars produced 110 tons of carbon emissions in 2005, costing nearly $23,000, and streetlights produced 147 tons at a cost of $22,390.
The city’s vehicle fleet produced 330 tons of greenhouse gases in 2005, costing $69,314, the report said, and of that, heavy street maintenance vehicles produced 51 tons of emissions, at a cost of $11,268.
