This spring, the University of Wisconsin’s new West Campus Cogeneration Facility plans to launch a gas-can-exchange program to reduce pollutants in Dane County. The initiative is part of an agreement with several West Side neighborhood associations to offset emissions from the power facility.

Through the UW-funded campaign, people will be able to exchange their old gas cans for new containers at locations around Madison, including Olbrecht Botanical Gardens.

One thousand poorly sealed gas cans exchanged for newer ones designed to reduce evaporation of the fuel inside “is the approximate equivalent of removing 85 cars going back and forth on the beltline,” according to Robert Kennedy of the WCCF.

“As gas evaporates from open cans or spills one of the byproducts as it goes into [the atmosphere] volatile organic compounds [are released], contributing to heightened ozone levels,” Kennedy said.

A committee of university employees overseeing the program will meet Friday to determine how to maximize $20,000 the UW has committed to buying cans.

“Right now, we estimate that we can buy 4,000 cans, but we are looking to see if we can buy even more because this small effort makes a big impact,” Kennedy said.

Data guiding the initiative comes from research done by the California Air Resources Board. However, no research is being done at UW in conjunction with the short-term program, according to Kennedy.

Kennedy said he hopes the exchange programs will work to spread the word to people that old gas cans are an environmental hazard.

“We hope that the exchange will catch the attention of Home Depot and similar stores and encourage them to carry the types of cans we’re providing,” Kennedy said.

Dave Merritt of the Dane County Clean Air Coalition, a partner in the gas-can-exchange program said population growth in Dane County creates a challenge of curtailing pollutants from car emissions.

“Right now we meet state and federal pollution measures, but if we exceed, we could become a non-attainment zone and face costly mandatory regulations from the government,” Merritt said.

Non-attainment zones are areas that have ozone levels above the maximum amount determined by the Environmental Protection Agency. Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and Door counties, along with Los Angeles, are all listed on EPA website as non-attainment zones.

“If you live in a non-attainment zone, your car must be checked regularly for emissions,” Kennedy said. “There are no guidelines for who pays to meet standards so often, it’s car owners paying for the emissions tests.”

Wisconsin non-attainment zones that fail to meet EPA standards for ozone levels by 2009 face losing all Federal Department of Transportation funding.

To avoid future problems in the face of growth, UW is partnering with Dane County to maintain current clean-air standards, Merritt said.

Kathy Roberg, a registered nurse working in the UW Pediatric Asthma Research Clinic, said programs proactively reducing ozone-causing emissions directly affect students’ well-being because ozone worsens asthma attacks.

“We mainly see primary triggers with our patients such as air allergens and fall mold,” Roberg said. “But a growing population that chooses to use their cars makes us susceptible to dangerous ozone.”

Merrit stated that asthma prevention played a deciding factor in Dane County’s participation in the program, as one in every 10 residents lives with asthma.