Mayor Bloomberg says New York City is moving to phase out the use of polluting heavy oils to heat buildings.
Bloomberg announced the initiative Thursday as part of the first update to the city’s 4-year-old environmental plan.
The phase-out of heavy heating oils would start right away.
The goal is to reduce fine particulate matter from the air. The city says that kills 3,000 residents each year and forces 6,000 to seek emergency asthma treatment.
Other new initiatives include solar power plants on capped landfills. Also, a loan program would help property owners pay for energy-efficiency upgrades.
The city is aiming to reduce the its greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2030. It says they’ve already dropped 13 percent from 2005 levels.