Environmental Impacts of Lodging Facilities

The study reveals that energy, water, and solid waste impacts from the lodging sector are greatest in the Adirondacks, Finger Lakes, New York City, and Hudson Valley Regions in New York and Cape May, Atlantic, and Ocean Counties in New Jersey. The cities of Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, and Cruz Bay in the U.S. Virgin Islands are characterized by the most resource-intensive accommodations facilities. Resource utilization by the lodging sector is most intense in Puerto Rico's East and North Sub-regions, especially the municipalities of Carolina and Vieques in the East and San Juan in the North.

Results will guide the application of EPA's P2-oriented partnership programs (e.g., ENERGY STAR, WaterSense, and WasteWise) to target those areas in need of most assistance. This project serves as a case study, which may be replicated throughout Region 2 to direct application of other voluntary partnership programs.

This analysis was completed as part of an EPA National Network for Environmental Management Studies (NNEMS) Fellowship Project.