Environmental Issues

The Borough is a leader in the protection and care of the natural resources that beautify the borough and create the environment that borough residents have enjoyed for decades. In 2008, the borough council created an Environmental Advisory Council to research and report on the myriad of environmental issues that impact borough residents.

Local governments and communities play an important role in protecting the climate by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This page lists the Borough’s efforts to enhance energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy. The Environmental Advisory Council hopes this information provides Borough residents ideas for actions they can take to reduce their GHG emissions and help protect the Earth’s climate for future generations.

This information is current as of February 2023.

Obtaining Electricity from Renewable Sources

• The electricity used in all Borough government building and the police station is obtained 100% from wind power.
• Solar panels are installed on the public works building; the panels generate about 47,000 kWh per year, roughly equivalent to the electricity used by four households on average per year.
• The HVAC system in Borough Hall has been designed with heat pumps and other features to reduce carbon emissions.
• Borough Hall and the Central Bucks Regional Police Station are solar ready and the installation of solar panels on the two facilities is under consideration.

Increasing Energy Efficiency of Operations

• In 2018, the Borough worked with a consultant to review all buildings and operations to improve energy efficiency.
• The water system well pumps have variable frequency drives that reduce energy usage.
• All streetlights and traffic signals are equipped with LED bulbs.

Reducing Emissions from Government Vehicles

• Parking enforcement officers use a hybrid vehicle and a fully electric vehicle.
• The Borough’s parking meter repair truck is fully electric.
• The building inspector uses a hybrid vehicle.

Supporting Residents’ Efforts to Reduce GHGs

• The Borough’s Green Points Program incentivizes homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint by cutting building permit fees for certain energy conservation/renewable energy improvements
  
• The Borough encourages bicycling throughout the community. Bike paths are available in areas of the Borough, and “sharrows” have been installed on selected streets to ensure motorists are aware of roads frequented by bicyclists. Doylestown has been rated a “Silver Level” Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.
  
• The Borough helps fund the Doylestown DART shuttle bus that provides inexpensive public transportation between key locations throughout the Borough and Doylestown Township.
  
• The Borough offers two free Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations, one in the parking lot at Hamilton & State Streets and the other at the parking lot at Pine & State Streets.
  

Single-use plastics present a serious environmental challenge for all communities. Plastic lingers in the environment, creating a visual blight on the landscape, burdening landfills, clogging waterways, and endangering marine life.

In December 2022, to reduce the impact of plastic waste in Doylestown, the Borough Council passed an ordinance stipulating that single-use plastic bags will not be available at retail establishments and restaurants. Businesses instead may offer customers recycled paper pages or the option of using reusable bags. The ordinance restrictions took effect on June 23, 2023. For more on the development of the ordinance and its requirements, please visit our Plastics Page.

Thank you for doing your part to reduce plastic waste by using reusable bags whenever possible while enjoying Doylestown’s shops and restaurants.

Doylestown Borough has been accepted as a SolSmart Silver Community. SolSmart is a national designation program recognizing communities that have taken key steps to address local barriers to solar energy and foster the growth of mature local solar markets. The program is funded by a grant through the U.S. Department of Energy and is used to provide technical assistance to communities to help streamline the process for property owners to convert to solar PV systems. We now have access to their technical assistance and training programs, which also includes training opportunities for the Fire Department.

Communities are accepted into the program, evaluated based on existing ordinances and policies, and are usually required to make adjustments to earn official designation. Doylestown was accepted into the program as a candidate for Bronze designation but the Borough's existing initiatives qualified us for Silver with just a few minor tweaks to our website and some technical training.

We were the first community in PA with a Silver designation, Philadelphia being the one designee with a higher rating. Haddonfield, NJ was also awarded Silver and is the only other town in the Delaware Valley region to achieve a designation higher than Bronze.

A map of designees can be found here: https://www.solsmart.org/our-communities/designee-map/

Doylestown is a member of Bird Town Pennsylvania (BTP), an organization that encourages local environmental stewardship to sustain a healthy environment for birds, other wildlife, and community residents. BTP’s initiatives include sponsoring bird walks led by experienced birders and promoting certification programs that help homeowners develop bird-friendly habitats on their properties. For more information about BTP and to sign up for their newsletter, please visit their website here.

Chem Fab Fact Sheet March 2021

The Chem-Fab site is located at 300 North Broad Street in Doylestown, Pa. The company operated an electroplating and metal processing facility on the site from 1965 to 1994. Subsequently the property was used to store and dump other waste chemicals. Groundwater underlying the site is contaminated with metals associated with the electroplating process and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chemicals commonly found in solvents and degreasers. The VOCs also impacted three nearby municipal wells and several residential wells. There is a potential for the VOC-contaminated groundwater to vaporize and enter homes near the site.

The following contaminants have been found at the site: tricholoroethene, hexavalent chromium, carbon tetrachloride, cis- 1,2-dichloroethene, 1,1-dichloroethene, tetrachloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethene, and vinyl chloride.

The Chem-Site was added to the EPA’s National Priorities List of most hazardous waste sites in 2008.

In the Spring of 2021 EPA started construction work at the Chem Fab Site to build a groundwater treatment plant. The purpose of this project is to begin cleaning up the groundwater at the Site. To learn more about the Chem Fab Site, visit the following website: www.epa.gov/superfund/chemfab

West Nile virus (WNV) is a potentially serious illness that we know has been found in the Borough’s mosquito population in the past few years. We are asking all residents to take steps to reduce potential breeding grounds for mosquitos by:

• Emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets and barrels.
• Change the water in pet dishes and replace the water in bird baths daily.
• Drill holes in tire swings so water drains out.
• Keep children's wading pools empty and on their sides when they aren't being used.
• Clean gutters so they are totally dry between rainfalls.
• Survey your property regularly for wet spots.
• Contact the Borough using DWorks or by phone or email if you are aware of any standing water in warmer months so we can investigate.