By Brett Rosenberg and Susan Jarvis
July 12, 2004

The Environmental Committee, chaired by August Mayor Bob Young, met on June 26 at the Conference's 72nd Annual Meeting to discuss the issues of conservation, clean air, recycling and brownfields. The committee also discussed and passed six policy resolutions that were later adopted by the full Conference.

Lynn Scarlett, Assistant Secretary of Policy, Management and Budget, U.S. Department of the Interior, briefed the Environmental Committee on the Department's Cooperative Conservation Program. The Interior Department manages approximately one in every five acres of land, operates water and energy projects, and manages national parks and wildlife refuges throughout the United States.

"The 4 C's approach to innovative conservation management, conservation through cooperation, communication and consultation is designed to provide cities new tool and new resources, $500 million, for innovative land management and conservation programs" said Scarlett. "The 4 C's program will address some of the challenges of environmental management, high cost, high conflict and unintended consequences by fostering innovation, motivating actions through incentives, incorporating local ideas and insights and creating integrated solutions." Scarlett shared best practices, including a habitat restoration project in Jupiter Island (FL), a river restoration project in Harrisburg (VA) and a partnership to remove invasive species in Eugene (OR).

The Environment Committee was also briefed on the issue of air quality. Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson presented a number of strategies his city is taking to achieve clean air goals. In addition to the more conventional, EPA-mandated regulations, Salt Lake City is striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through using alternative fuels in its municipal fleet vehicles, encouraging public transportation, enabling safe pedestrian traffic, and several other notable projects, including the "Blue Sky Wind Power Program." Anderson's rationale goes beyond mere compliance with environmental goals: "We deserve better, our youngsters — future generations — deserve better...we have the means to improve conditions."

John Paul, the supervisor of the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency of Dayton (OH) provided an overview of current trends in air quality and air pollution control regulations. Paul presented extensive background, relating the sources and effects of particulate matter, ground level ozone and mercury. In noting the EPA's new strategies for attaining air quality standards, Paul emphasized the importance to American cities of adopting stringent national standards for addressing air pollution from diesel engines and electric utilities.

Jonathan Phillips of Cherokee Investment Partners also gave the Committee an update on two brownfield tax initiatives that are currently being considered in Congress as well as a new community and brownfields revitalization initiative between the Conference of Mayors and Cherokee. Mayors were also encouraged to join a "Cans for Cash" recycling initiative with Alcan Corporation.

The Committee considered and passed six resolutions onto the full membership, on water and wastewater service agreements, increased investment for water and wastewater infrastructure through the removal of private activity bonds from the state volume cap supporting sustainable communities, supporting green house gas reduction benefits of waste-to-energy and renewable energy sources, prohibiting liability protection of MTBE manufacturers, and increasing appropriation levels for Superfund.

For a full copy of the resolutions or for more information about these new initiatives, please visit the Conference's website at usmayors.org.

Mayors Guide to Water and Wastewater Partnership Service Agreements recommends that Mayors considering water partnerships review and consider use of the Urban Water Council Report- Mayors Guide to Water and Wastewater Partnership Service Agreements.

Increasing Investment For Water And Wastewater Infrastructure Through Removal Of Private Activity Bonds From The State Volume Cap calls on Congress to support legislation which would exempt Private Activity Bonds for water and sewage facilities from the state volume caps in order to increase investment in water and wastewater supply infrastructure.

Encouraging Sustainable Communities strongly encourages federal, state, and local governments as well as businesses to adopt the principles of sustainable development.

Supporting The Recognition Of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Benefits Of Waste-To-Energy And Other Renewable Energy Sources recognizes the significant contribution provided by waste-to-energy and electricity produced by landfill gas in avoiding the release of greenhouse gases and urges the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Congress, states, counties and local governments to quantify the amount of greenhouse gas emissions avoided by the use of waste-to-energy and electricity produced from landfill gas, and to grant these technologies the same incentives as provided in policy, legislation and regulation to other technologies or methods that reduce or avoid release of greenhouse gases.

Prohibiting Liability Protection For MTBE Manufacturers reaffirms the Conference's strong opposition to provisions in the House energy bill (H.R. 6) or any other legislative vehicle that would provide producers of MTBE with product liability immunity ("safe harbor"); and urges the Congress to not to provide this liability protection for MTBE manufacturers.

Increasing Appropriation Levels for Superfund urges Congress to increase the appropriation for Superfund by $300 million a year for the next five years, and to dedicate such increase to financing actual cleanup at ready to go sites.