By Judy Sheahan and Ted Fischer
June 29, 2009

Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, Chair of the Environment Committee, convened the committee at the Conference of Mayors 77th Annual Meeting in Providence to discuss resolutions, climate change legislation, and new technology to improve curbside recycling.

Daniel Chartier, Manager or Air Quality Programs for Edison Electric Institute, presented the mayors with the latest legislative update concerning climate change policy with a particular emphasis on H.R. 2454, "The American Clean Energy and Security Act" (Waxman-Markey bill.) Chartier discussed how 29 states already have energy efficiency mandates but the Waxman-Markey climate change bill would establish a 20 percent mandatory federal combined efficiency and renewable electricity standard requirement by 2020 for retail electricity suppliers that sell more then four million mega-watt hours of electricity to consumers annually. "The last thing cities need now are more mandates." said Chartier.

Elizabeth (NJ) Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, Co-Chair of the Brownfields Task Force, released two new Brownfield publications, a compendium of Best Practices on Green Jobs and a Spotlight of National Brownfield projects. Cities featured included Buffalo, Miami, Oklahoma City, Southfield, Denver, Chicago and Washington. Both publications are available on the Conference of Mayors website: usmayors.org.

Rochester Hills (MI) Mayor Bryan K. Barnett and Preston Read, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs of RecycleBank, also presented to the committee the recent successes of the RecycleBank program in Albuquerque and Rochester Hills. RecycleBank works with cities across the country to reward residents who participate in curbside recycling programs with money saving offers and coupons. "I had an ‘A-Ha' moment a year and a half ago when meeting with the folks of RecycleBank, and I have to say everything has turned out the way it promised to be," said Barnett. Recycle Bank looks to expand its services in Hartford, Mesa, Cleveland and Phoenix soon.

Foster, along with Mayor Don L. Robart of Cuyahoga Falls (OH), also honored former Committee Chairman Charlotte (NC) Mayor Patrick McCrory on his nine years of chairing the Environment Committee, and his dedicated service to the Conference of Mayors.

The Environmental Committee adopted the following resolutions:

• Proposing a Federal Aid Account to Assist Cities in Conducting Full Range Environmental Remediation Activities for Vacant and Abandoned Properties — calls on Congress to authorize a federal aid program funded at an annual maximum appropriation level of $100 million per year to provide for general environmental remediation funds for redevelopment activities of vacant and abandoned properties involving projects that include both a public and private use.

• Greening" the Tax Code and Promoting Coordinated Federal Investment in Cities — urges the Administration and Congress to reform and "green" the tax code by eliminating or significantly reducing tax preferences to entities emitting large quantities of greenhouse gases; to create a Green Zone Investment Tax Credit and a Green Housing Tax Credit that will encourage transit-oriented development and other development that can help reduce per capita carbon emissions; and to create a demonstration program in a select number of cities wherein key federal agencies can work with cities and their metropolitan partners to negotiate local "sustainable development" investment strategies that coordinate multiple federal agency actions and funding.

• Calling on Congress to Allocate an Impactful Share of Greenhouse Gas Auction Revenues Directly to Cities — calls on Congress to shape a cap and trade system in such a way where no less than ten percent of greenhouse gas allowance auction proceeds can be directed to cities for the purposes of 1) workforce training initiatives in the renewable and sustainable fields; 2) implement projects and programs to reduce carbon emissions associated with transportation; and 3) energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon reduction activities, projects and policies.

• Calling for Congress to Amend Federal Legislation That Is Impeding the Creation and Implementation of Innovative Performance-Based Green Building Codes — calls on the Congress of the United States to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), 42 U.S.C §§ 6201, et seq. (2006) (as amended by the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA), Pub. L. No 100-102 (1987), so as to remove preemption barriers in order to allow local governments broader authority in establishing performance-based building codes and that The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports comprehensive reform of federals laws so as to promote the creation, implementation and enforcement of innovative energy efficient green building codes by local governments and municipalities.

• American Investments to Solve Environmental and Energy Challenges and Create New Jobs in America — adopts as its policy on American Investments called for by the mayors in the National Action Agenda on Environment and Energy to urge the President and Congress to accelerate improvements to the nation through: Fully fund the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program at the authorized level and move toward a $4 billion annual funding level; Increase federal funding commitments to public transit and non-motorized travel options and allocate available transportation resources directly to metropolitan areas; and Green the U.S. Tax Code (e.g., incentivize energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy supplies, and transit-oriented development as well as commercial and residential development resulting in lower carbon emissions.

• Climate Change — adopts as its policy on Climate Change called for by the mayors in the National Action Agenda on Environment and Energy to urge the President and Congress to do the following: Establish a national emissions target of 80 percent by 2050; enact cap and trade legislation that supports local government initiatives and reduces greenhouse emissions; and participate and ratify the United States commitment to the next Climate Change Accord in Copenhagen 2009.

• Support for U.S. Engagement in COP15 UNFCCC in Copenhagen — urges the U.S. Government to fully engage in international climate protection negotiations, beginning with the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009; calls for the U.S. delegation to Copenhagen to recognize the key role of cities in the global effort against climate change; recommends selection of a U.S. mayor as an official delegate of the U.S. delegation; and urges the U.S. Congress to enact a fair and flexible economy-wide national cap and trade system.

• Supporting Full and Dedicated Funding of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant — calls on Congress and the Administration to appropriate full funding for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, while supporting higher authorization levels in future years; and encourages Congress and the Administration to establish a dedicated funding mechanism such as revenues realized by the establishment of a cap and trade program for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program to ensure that cities have the necessary funds to promote energy saving strategies, promote alternative energy sources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the environment.

• Regulation of Taxi Fuel Efficiency Standards — supports efforts by Congressman Nadler and the New York Congressional delegation to amend both the Environmental Policy and Conservation Act and the Clean Air Act to allow taxi regulators across the country to set fuel economy and emissions standards for vehicles they regulate; furthermore, new amendments would apply to taxicabs and other vehicles operated for hire pursuant to an operating license, permit or other authorization issued by a state or policy subdivision and providing local transportation for a fare determined primarily on the basis of time and/or distance traveled.

• Water and Wastewater — adopts as its policy the investments called for by the mayors in the National Action Agenda on Infrastructure to renew and strengthen the federal commitment to the nation's water and wastewater needs by removing State Volume Caps on Private Activity Bonds for water/wastewater infrastructure; fully funding federally-passed environmental mandates and court-ordered consent decrees applicable to water and wastewater systems; placing priority on funding the rehabilitation of aging infrastructure, improvements that protect water and sewer infrastructure from catastrophic events, and ensuring source water; planning for and funding infrastructure improvements related to climate change, including adapting to events such as droughts, floods, and rising sea levels.

• Ensuring Fair and Equitable Use of and Compensation for Municipal Water Systems — calls on The U.S. Conference of Mayors to study current pricing structures for sales of municipal water for water bottling to evaluate how cities can be appropriately compensated for that use, and how best to allocate revenues from these sales to support municipal water systems.

• Calling On Congress To Pass Meaningful Climate Protection Legislation — urges the United States Congress to pass the American Energy and Security Act of 2009 in advance of the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009; calls for Congress to amend the ACES Act in consideration for the role of cities to include 1) support for and adoption of local energy and land use codes; 2) the elimination of federal and state barriers to local financing programs that use property tax mechanisms; 3) federal transportation dollars directly allocated to local governments to support increased transit investment including bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure; 4) direct allocation of credits or auction revenues to cities for investment in climate mitigation through such initiatives as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program; 5) some funding achieved through a cap and trade system directed toward assisting high greenhouse gas emitting generators of electricity and research development firms dedicated toward finding cleaner energy solutions; and 6) tax exempt financing for investor owned utilities to finance utility plant retrofits for clean energy.

For more information on the Resolutions, Brownfield's Program, or RecycleBank, visit the website usmayors.org.