State Legislative Plan

2007-2008 Legislative session

In accordance with the mission of the Department of the Environment, this Legislative Plan is intended to serve as a guide to the City’s policy positions on legislative, regulatory and budget issues that impact the Department and the long-term wellbeing ofSan Francisco. To implement its Legislative Plan, the Department works in collaboration with the Mayor’s office, the Board of Supervisors, other City departments, the City’s State lobbyist, community partners in both the public and private sectors and in coalition with issue-based and industry-based advocacy groups.

The Department would support legislation that:

1) Green Building/Energy

a) Promotes the adoption of state-wide residential green building guidelines, or imposes energy conservation and green building standards on residential property at time of sale.

b) Provides increased financial incentives for green building and renewable energy projects in private sector development.

c) Bans hazardous substances such as PVCs and added formaldehyde from being used in new construction.

d) Promotes new development on remediated brownfield sites and preserves open space.

e) Encourages or incentivizes commercial buildings to have Performance Verification or Retro-Commissioning at specified time intervals (e.g. every 5 years).

f) Reduces toxics and indoor air contaminants in residential buildings, especially low-income housing through use of green building practices.

g) Funds research and development of renewable energy, or increases the current renewable energy portfolio standard for utilities.

2) Clean Air/Climate Change

a) Encourages or incentivizes large employers to help reduce their employee’s commute by offering commuter assistance programs.

b) Improves air quality by:

i. regulating stationary or automobile sources emissions;

ii. providing incentives for the purchase of low emission vehicles and alternative fuels;

iii. ensuring funding for air quality mitigation projects;

iv. strengthening existing air quality regulations and providing stiffer enforcement penalties

c) Provides financial and technical assistance to low-income residents and communities of color to prevent and reduce disproportionate impacts of climate change.

3) Environmental Justice

a) Increases the ability of low-income communities to access locally grown, fresh, and organic produce.

4) Zero waste

a) Mandates strong recycling goals for key products, such as supermarket bags and used tires.

b) Bans polystyrene food service ware and requires disposable ware to be compostable or recyclable.

c) Mandates recycling and composting for businesses and residences.

d) Incentivizes reduction of yard trimmings from landfills.

e) Encourages manufacturers to reformulate their products to make them less toxic and easier to recycle, as well as take actual or financial responsibility for recycling their products.

f) Expands the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act to include wine and liquor bottles, aseptics, cartons, and other plastic bottles.

g) Mandates that recycled content be used in motor oil sold in California.

5) Toxics

a) Requires manufacturers to take back certain products (such as batteries, pharmaceuticals, or electronics) at the end of their useful life.

b) Strengthens California ’s regulation of chemicals in consumer products.

c) Expands the number of chemicals tracked in the State’s Bio-monitoring program (authorized in SB 1379).

d) Strengthens chemical labeling requirements on consumer products.

e) Empowers the Department of Toxic Substance Control to require manufacturers to submit health and environmental data on the chemicals they sell in California

6) Urban Forestry

a) Requires use of sustainably harvested or reclaimed wood for state government projects and contracts.

b) Increases funding for urban forestry programs.

c) Creates conservation easements for land near metropolitan areas.

d) Includes tree planting, maintenance, and protection as mitigation for new infrastructure initiatives (transportation, utilities, etc).

e) Creates an emergency tree plan designating chain of command, equipment and funds to deal with tree clean up and disposal resulting from natural disasters.