Idle-Free VT About

Idle-Free VT Inc. is a Vermont nonprofit corporation and grassroots statewide campaign. Formed in 2006 by Wayne Michaud, its goal is to raise awareness of unnecessary vehicle idling (idling when not in traffic) and to get a Vermont state all motor vehicle idle-reduction law enacted. Idling affects our air quality and contributes to climate change. Idle-Free VT was granted a certificate of incorporation as a nonprofit by the Vermont Office of Secretary of State on April 6, 2009.

Wayne Michaud, Director

David Polow, Polow Polow & Mahoney, Lamoille County Coordinator and Advisor

Paul Markowitz, Cool Communities Coordinator, Sierra Club, Vermont Chapter, Advisor

Karen Glitman, Vermont Clean Cities Coordinator, Advisor

Tom Piper, Advisor

Jim Flint, Executive Director, Friends of Burlington Gardens, Advisor

Nadine Canter Barnicle, Community Relations Manager, ACTR, Advisor

Samuel H. Press, esq, Advisor

Denis Rydjeski, Global Warming Chair of the Sierra Club, Vermont Chapter, Advisor

Don Ostler, Delivery Operations Manager, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Advisor

Bob Walker, SERG, Advisor

NOTE: While some people have referred to the official, incorporated organization name of Idle-Free VT as "Idle-Free Vermont", the forrmer is preferred, especially as the name "Idle-Free Vermont" is being used to describe a coalition of unnecessary idling partners.

Idle-Free VT consults with individuals and gathers reference materials from the following: The Sierra Club, Vermont Chapter, Vermont Air Pollution Control Division of the Department of Environmental Conservation, American Lung Association of New England, American Lung Associaton in Vermont, UVM Transportation Research Center, SERG, Environmental Defense Fund, 10% Challenge, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Idle-Free VT also gathers reference materials from the Office of Energy Effiency Natural Resources Canada, GW Taylor Consulting, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

While having an awareness of idling as wasteful in the 1980s (shutting off engine in drive-thru lines), Wayne Michaud began taking idling more seriously in 2005 when he observed a family van idling at one of the Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) recycling and waste disposal dropoff centers. The van needlessly idled on and on, for more than 10 minutes. This prompted him to write a letter to a local newspaper and to report his observation to CSWD. Wayne was pleasantly surprised when CSWD took his concern seriously, taking the initiative toward becoming an "Idle-Free" company, by instituting a no-idling policy for their vehicles and posting no-idling signs at all their dropoff centers.

Around the same time, Wayne became a member of ACORN--the Addison County Relocalization Network, a newly formed Middlebury post-carbon/localization group. ACORN was formed to address, in many ways, the interrelated issues of global warming and peak oil (the peaking of world oil production that will then be followed by a decline). In mulling over possibilities of starting an idle-free campaign, Wayne was encouraged and inspired by helpful feedback in meetings with ACORN members.

Wayne continued pursuing the idea of an idle-free campaign for the area of Vermont he lives in after searching and discovering other idle-free cities and towns in Canada (Our neighbors to the north have been way ahead of us on idle-reduction.) and the USA. These locations have no-idle street signs strategically placed and have enacted enforceable laws. In Vermont, there have been other local, regional and statewide idle-free efforts. Among these are the 10% Challenge in Burlington, and Post Oil Solutions, in Brattelboro. In addition, Burlington has a municipal idle-reduction ordinance (see Idling Facts page).

In early 2006, Wayne discovered a very comprehensive, successful local idle-free campaign in Lenox, Massachusetts, organized by Rick Gregg, of the Lenox Environmental Committee. Rick also observed folks idling needlessly which, in 2001, spurred him to act. Support for the grassroots effort was built on contact with schools, "cornerstones" of the community (board of health, chamber of commerce, dept. of public works), flyer handouts and media coverage. The initative gained further credibility with grants and outside sponsors. One other important fact is that, unlike Vermont, Massachusetts has an idle-reduction law (see Idling Facts page). In 2004, the Lenox Selectboard officially designated Lenox "idle-free". Still, there remains an ongoing effort to raise an awareness of unnecessary idling in Lenox.

Wayne and his ACORN supporters realized that the Lenox model could be applied to towns in Vermont and there were thoughts of campaigning in some Addison County towns. But then the idea of a farther reaching, statewide campaign that would feature a petition drive was thought of. Wayne had remembered participating in the "ironing board" actions of the INFACT GE Boycott of the 1980s--with the successful result of getting GE out of the nuclear weapons business. This nationwide grassroots campaign utilized petitioning actions in public gathering locations. This was the basic model for Idle-Free VT's 2006 petition drive.

In its ongoing educational effort to make Vermont "idle-free", Idle-Free VT has gone on to be part of the legislative lobbying effort that led to enactment of the 2007 Vermont school bus idle-reduction law, partnered with others on the Business Idle-Free effort to raise awareness about idling in the business community and in 2008 successfully worked with the DMV resulting in Idle-Free VT flyers and posters being placed in all six DMV office locations (replenished in 2009). In 2010, besides seeking to continue having an ongoing presence in the media (op-eds, etc.), the campaign is focusing on several efforts: Wayne is an active member of a newly formed group of no idling advocates: VCRVI--Vermont Coalition to Reduce Vehicle Idling (see No Idling Coalition page); is Project Coordinator for Vermont Idle-Free Fleets, a year-long American Lung Association in Vermont regional diesel fleet operators idling reduction campaign; is encouraging town Energy Committees/Coordinators to adopt No Idling Resolutions for their towns. Looking toward 2011, work will continue for passage of a new 10,000 lbs. + vehicle idling bill in the next legislative session.

The Idle-Free VT campaign has grown in recognition with increased interest on the national level with mention in the Department of Energy's National Idling Reduction Network Newsletter for raising awareness of vehicle owner's manual statements to avoid excessive idling. As of 2010 the campaign has received correspondence from idling advocates and campaigns in 17 other states and Canada. Since July 2009, the idlefreevt.org website has averaged 2,600 visits a month.