The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSDGC) and the Office of Environmental Quality (OEQ) has created the first “Green Roof Loan Program” of its kind in Ohio. Utilizing money from the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund, OEPA has made $5,000,000 available for linked deposit, below market rate loans to install green vegetative roofs within the service area of MSDGC. Installation can be on residential, commercial and/or industrial buildings.
Green roofs have wonderful benefits and have been utilized in Europe for many years to address various climate and aesthetic issues. They absorb rain water, help purify the air and provide additional green space in highly developed areas, especially within urban cores.
In Cincinnati there is a problem with storm water run-off, as reflected in combined (CSO) and sanitary (SSO) sewer overflows. Currently during periods of heavy rain, the existing sewer systems are pushed well beyond capacity. This causes sewage and storm water overflow into local homes, streets, creeks and rivers, and negatively impacts structures, aquatic communities, recreational use and water quality. Depending on the weather conditions, this can happen as many as 105 times a year, resulting in 14.4 billion gallons of overflow per year.
Green Roofs help mitigate the overflows by providing an absorbent vegetative surface area that retains the rain water and therefore reduces the amount of storm water runoff. There are important benefits in terms of air quality as well. Green roofs provide moisture and coolness, capture carbon dioxide and other pollutants, produce oxygen, and overall, help purify the air. These benefits support the City of Cincinnati’s “Green Cincinnati Plan”, adopted in 2008, which commits to reducing Green House Gas emissions 2% per year.
Another positive impact of green roofs is a reduction in energy costs. Due to their increased insulation and cooling properties, green roofs decrease the amount of cooling (air conditioning) required within the building itself. This is of particular importance in Cincinnati, where summers are hot and humid and air quality can be poor due to pollution. The advantages are part of a cycle: by needing and using less air conditioning, one uses less energy, and therefore reduces the amount of green house gasses generated. This improves the air quality for the City as a whole and saves money on energy bills!
OEQ is excited about the Green Roof Loan Program and the impact $5,000,000 will have on the installation of green roofs within our community. If you would like more information on the program, please contact Robin Henderson in OEQ at 513-352-5340 or robin.henderson@cincinnati-oh.gov.
