Linn County forming committee to complete future greenhouse gas inventories

Another piece of Linn County’s climate resolution goals will soon come together for 2022.

The county now is seeking applicants for its new Sustainability and Resiliency Advisory Committee.

The committee will complete an annual greenhouse gas inventory for the county with the county’s Office of Sustainability and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives.

“In our 2020 resolution, there was a direct objective to create this committee and now we are accomplishing that,” county sustainability program manager Tamara Marcus said. “This work is something that needs constant engagement at every level.”

Marcus said the committee will consist of 15 county residents: one-third from business and industry, one-third from vulnerable communities and one-third from rural communities.

Members will be appointed by the county’s Board of Supervisors to serve one-year terms, with the opportunity to serve up to three terms.

The county and international council completed the first greenhouse gas inventory earlier this year. The reports are intended to help with the creation of a climate action plan to reduce emissions locally. The baseline inventory was completed for the year 2010, which was originally directed by the Board of Supervisors in the board’s 2019 Climate Resolution.

The report showed that 34.2 percent of communitywide emissions in 2010 came from natural gas consumption; 27.4 percent from stationary fuel combustion; 20.5 percent from grid electricity; 8.2 percent from electricity generation; 8.6 percent from transportation; 0.6 percent from solid waste; and 0.6 percent from wastewater.

Over half those natural gas emissions came from industrial use at 51.8 percent, according to the initial report.

ADM Corn Processing was responsible for producing 82.55 percent of that stationary fuel combustion emission — and 24.22 percent of the total emissions in Linn County in 2010. Behind ADM, the Prairie Creek Generating Station was second in stationary fuel combustion emissions, and Ingredion, Cargill, General Mills and Quaker Oats followed, according to the report.

Marcus said the committee will be formed around completing the greenhouse gas inventory work each year because it’s quantitative data and doesn’t leave much space for interpretation.

“It’s solid facts,” Marcus said. “The hope is to remove our preconceived notions of climate change. It’s a group of people who may not often interact with each other with a shared goal that is very objective-based. Hopefully the conversations will start to happen outside, and that networking will encourage more collaborations between the groups represented.”

Those interested in being on the committee have until Dec. 31 to apply at LinnCountyIowa.gov or by calling the Board of Supervisors office at (319) 892-5000.

Comments: (319) 398-8255; gage.miskimen@thegazette.com