planning for a sustainable future

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Planning for a Sustainable Future

A Guide for Local Governments


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Table of Contents 1.IntroductiontoSustainabilityPlanning 5 WhatisSustainability? 5 ReasonstoPlan 5

2.GettingStarted 7

AssesstheChallenge 7 IdentifyVulnerabilitiesandPrepareforNaturalDisasters 8 WorkThroughExistingResourcesandNetworks 10 BuildCoalitions 10 EducateColleaguesandthePublic 11 SecureFunding,ReduceCosts 12 UseaPlanningFramework 14

3.AreasofOpportunity 17 Transportation 17 LandUsePlanning 21 BiologicalConservationandOpenSpacePreservation 25 SolidWasteGenerationandRecycling 29

Energy,AirQualityandClimate 35 ProtectingWaterQualityandEnsuringFutureSupply 41 GreenBuilding 47 GreenProcurement 53

4.Conclusion:MovingBeyondPlanningtoAction 55

Goal-Setting,Targets,andPerformanceMeasurementStrategies 56 WrappingUpandMovingForward 56

5.PreparingtheGuide 57


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Increasingly, many local governmerangingfromtownsandcitiestocounandregionalpartnerships,aretakingmlong-term,comprehensiveapproacheeconomicdevelopment,withthegoaimprovingoverallsustainability.Theyhrecognizedthatplanningforasustainafuturecanbringreal-worldbenetstotownsandcities.

Whatarethebestsustainabilitypractcurrentlyinuse?Howcanacommu

movefromanideatoaplantosuccesaction? This handbook, which incluinformation gathered from more ttwo dozen cities, towns and counacrosstheUnitedStates,willprovideanswerstothesequestionsandproviroadmap for developing eective pforasustainablefuture.

ReasonstoPlan

Sustainabilityplanningisbecomingmstream. Once the domain of onlygreenest cities, sustainability plannis being undertaken by more citiestowns across the nation. While elike New York Citys PlaNYC are beknown,smallercitieslikeCleveland,OtownslikeSedona,Arizona,andcounlike Westchester County, New Yorkbenettingfromanintegratedapprotoresourceandcommunityplanning

Municipal sustainability planninghelpingcommunitiesacrossthecoulower energy costs, secure sustainsuppliesofwater,reduceairpollution,encouragenew economicdevelopmAlthougheveryareaofthecountryfaitsownchallenges,sustainableconceandideascanbeadaptedtotheneedanysizecommunity.

WhatisSustainability?The U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) denes sustainability as

meetingtheneedsofthepresentwithoutcompromising the ability of futuregenerationstomeettheirownneeds.Inother words, sustainability attempts tobalancetheneedsofpeopletodaywiththefutureneedsofourchildrenandthenaturalsystemsthatsustainalllife.

In an era of population growth,

increasing economic competition, andenvironmental challenges ranging fromclimate change to air pollution anddecreasing water levels to rising energycosts, planningis essential toour futureand the well-being of our communities.Planninginthefaceofthesechallengesmust transcend traditional zoning orgenerallanduseconsiderations.Itcanalsopromote sustainability by incorporatingthe three Es economy, environmentandequityinplansfordevelopment.

IntroductiontoSustainabilityPlanning

1


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GettingStarted

Environmental threats, economic psures and changing regulations ospurordriveplanningeorts,soitswothinkingthrough these related issuewell:

Whatenvironmental,economicorrlatoryimpactsarethehighestprioritHowweretheprioritiesdetermined?

Whatstudiesorprojections(environmtal,land-usepatterns,economicdevement)existforyourcommunity,regionstateforthenextve,10,20,or50yea

What are the regulatory requiremthatcurrentlyapplyorthatmaybede

opeddowntheline?Whatisthepotentialformitigatingorventingvariousthreatsandhowdioreasywillitbetoimplementchang

What are the potential synergiesmight result from tackling a range osuesatthesametime?Forexample,improvedopenspaceprotectionpresebiological resources and reduce risks? Can improvements to a govmentsvehicleeetloweritsenergycandreducelocalairpollution?

TIP: As your list grows longer, youwish to employ a spreadsheet or dbaseofsomekind.

RecommendedResources:Start with a basic self-assessment.National Environmental Services Cefunded by EPA, provides a compre

sivechecklisttojumpstarttheproceswww.nesc.wvu.edu/netcsc/Self_AssmSelfAssessment.pdfwww.nesc.wvu.edu/training.cfm

Thecriticalrststepindevelopingasuc-cessful sustainability plan is an assess-mentofcommunitystrengthsandweak-nessesaswellascurrentandfutureneeds.Everycommunityischaracterizedbyasetofuniquefeaturesfromitsclimateandtopography to local development pat-terns.Theissuesonwhichyoufocuswilldeterminethestructureofyourlocalsus-tainabilityplan,butmostofthemunicipalplans discussed in this handbook coverthefollowingtopics:

transportationlanduseplanning

openspaceprotectionenergy,airqualityandclimatewatersupply,stormwaterandwastewa-ter

solidwasteandrecycling

Yournalplanmayincludesomeoralloftheseissuesorotherareasofconcern,butthe overall goal is tobe comprehensivebecausemanyoftheseareasareintercon-nected.

Alookatthebestpracticesusedbysimilarcommunities can provide a comprehen-sivelistoftheopportunitiesandoptionsuseful in reaching sustainability goals.

Thefollowingaresomehelpfulquestionstoaskindevelopingcommunity-specicbenchmarks:

Whatcommunitiesinyourregionorstateare facing similar challenges in terms oftheenvironment,populationgrowthandthelocaleconomy?

What are the similarities between your

community and others, and what planshavebeendevisedand/orimplementedtomeetthechallenges?

Arethereexamplesofbestpractices,asis or modied, to help your communityreachitsobjectives?

2AssesstheChallenge


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Identify VulnerabilitiesandPrepareforNaturalDisastersProtectingagainstnaturaldisastersshouldbe a key planningpriority. Natural disas-

terswillalwaysposepotentialthreats,butcarefulplanningcankeepthemfrombe-comingmanagementdisasters.Byassess-ingyourcommunitysvulnerabilitiesandimplementing mitigation strategies, thepotentialimpactscanbereduced.

Risk isdeterminedbyevaluatingthe po-tential hazard and assessing the vulner-abilitytotheimpact.Althoughevaluatingriskisoftenmorequalitativethanquanti-tative,itcanbeusefultothinkaboutrisk

asaproductofthehazardmultipliedbythevulnerability.Riskassessmentusuallyfollowsathree-stepapproach:

understanding the nature, location, in-tensityandprobabilityofthekeythreatsinyourarea

determiningthedegreeofvulnerabilitytothosethreats

identifying the resources available tomanageorrespond

In evaluatingvulnerabilities to particular

threats,itiscommontoconsider: land use patterns, engineering of keyinfrastructuresuchasroadsandbridges,andthearchitectureofthebuiltenviron-ment

socialfactorsrelatedtothewell-beingofindividuals,communitiesandsociety

economic conditions, with an under-standingthatdistressedandlow-incomeneighborhoodsmayhaveamorelimitedcapacitytoevacuateorrecover

environmentalconcerns,includinghow

thedegradationofnaturalareassuchaswetlandscanincreasethedamagingim-pactsofevents

Particular care should be taken inevalu-ating how risks associated with naturaldisasterscanbepotentiallycompoundedbythe existence orcondition ofhuman-madeinfrastructuresuchasaoodcaus-inganoverowofawastewatertreatment

plant. Your emergency preparednessstrategy should also consider possiblethreatssuchasthepotentialforanacci-dentalorintentionalchemicalrelease,ex-plosion,outbreakofdisease,oreven,de-pendingonthearea,radiologicalrelease.Governmentagenciesinyourarea,suchas police, re and emergency manage-ment,routinelytrackandevaluatethesetypes of threats, so a multi-stakeholderapproachthatinvolvesrelevantlocalandregionalagenciesiscritical.Inaddition,itisworthconsideringglobalthreatssuchasclimatechangeandpopulationgrowth.


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EPAEventsofNationalSignicanceWpage studies major disasters anddents.www.epa.gov/emergencies/contlearning/national_response.htm

CenterforDiseaseControlNaturalDtersandExtremeWeatherwww.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/

ICLEIGlobalPlatformforDisasterRisductionwww.iclei.org/index.php?id=6880&ttnews[backPid]=6877&tx_ttnew

news]=2008&cHash=a05f248d7d

UNWorldConferenceonDisasterRetionwww.unisdr.org/wcdr/

AdditionalresourcesmaybefoundonWebsitesofmunicipalgovernmentssasthePortlandOceofEmergencyMagement.www.portlandonline.com/oem

TheSarasotaCountyandCityofSantabaraOcesofEmergencyServiceswww.scgov.net/EmergencyServiE m e r g e n c y M a n a g e m e nemergencymanagement.aspwww.santabarbaraca.gov/Resident/O

RecommendedResources:General information on preparing fordi-sasters,determiningrisksandplanningforemergenciescanbefoundontheFederalEmergencyManagementAgency(FEMA)

Website.www.fema.gov/plan/index.shtm

IncollaborationwithFEMA,theNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration(NOAA)hasdevelopedaCommunityVul-nerabilityAssessmentTooltohelpdeter-mineandprioritizevulnerabilityhazards.www.csc.noaa.gov/products/nchaz/startup.htm

FEMA developed HAZUS (Hazards US)

software for estimating potential lossesfromnaturalhazards.www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/hazus/index.shtm

The Climate Change Science Programisaportaltofederalresearchonclimatechangeimpactsacrossallagencies.www.climatescience.gov/

NOAA, among other organizations, hasbeenlookingatthepotentialregionalim-

pactsofclimatechangeviatheRegionalClimateModelingTool.www.ncar.ucar.edu/research/climate/regional.php

PlanningLocallyforClimateChangeisaclimatechangeguidebookproducedbytheClimateImpactsGroupattheUniver-sityofWashingtonandmembersofKingCounty, Washington, in collaborationwithICLEI.www.iclei.org/index.php?id=7066

EPARegionalVulnerabilityAssessmentwww.epa.gov/reva/
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=6880&tx_ttnews[backPid]=6877&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2008&cHash=a05f248d7dhttp://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=6880&tx_ttnews[backPid]=6877&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2008&cHash=a05f248d7dhttp://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=6880&tx_ttnews[backPid]=6877&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2008&cHash=a05f248d7dhttp://www.epa.gov/reva/http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=6880&tx_ttnews[backPid]=6877&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2008&cHash=a05f248d7dhttp://www.epa.gov/reva/


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WorkthroughExistingResourcesandNetworks

the public case for your plan to theirneighborsandfriends.Organizingvolun-teer days and getting community mem-bers involved inthe planningprocess isnot only helpful, but required in someareassuchaslanduseplanning.

Formingadhoccommitteesorcommis-sions,overseenbygovernmentocials,is

anothereectivewaytoaddressspecicenvironmental planning issues while al-lowing interested community memberstocontributetheirexpertise.Invitingcom-munity members to participate in meet-ingsisagoodwaytorecruitthemtoserveonacommittee.TheWestchesterCountyGlobalWarmingTaskForceinNewYork,for example, allows interested commu-nitymemberstoworkonspecicissueswithoutbeingpermanentmembers.

Local environmental groups are anotherpotentialsetoforganizationswithwhichcommunitiescanpartnerduringtheplan-ningprocess.Environmentalgroupsoftenbringspecializedexpertiseinareassuchaswatershedprotectionorsmartgrowthplanning.Ensuring that all local environ-mentalconcernsareconsideredcanhelpcreatebroad-basedsupportfortheplan-ningprocess.SomeexamplesareDenver,Colorado,wherethecityhasinvolvedtheFrontRange Earth Force in its planning

process, and Westchester County, NewYork, which is working with the NaturalResources Defense Council (NRDC) andRiverkeeper,amongothergroups.

Becauseenvironmentalsustainabilityandthelong-termeconomicviabilityofcom-munitiesarelinked,businesses,businessassociationsandchambersof commerce

Asyoubegintocreateyoursustainabilityplan,itsagoodideatotakealookatrelatedworkbeingdonebyotherorganizationsinyourarea.Arethereagenciesconductingrele-vantstudies?Istherealocalgroupinvolvedinprotectingopenspace,abusinessassocia-tionanalyzingtheimpactsofgrowth,oraschoolprogramfocusingonstreamcleanups

orwaterquality?

Chances are that at least some plans,studies and committees have been cre-atedovertheyears.Organizeameetingwiththecoordinatorsofexistingprojectstobettercoordinateyourplanning.

Annualreportstrackingwaterandenergyconsumptionaswellaswastewaterandsolidwastegenerationshouldbereadily

availablefromlocalandregionalutilities.Land use planning and environmentaldocuments such as open space preser-vation plans and natural resource pro-tectionplans,andenvironmentalimpactstatementsandreportswillalsobeusefulin identifying what has been done andwhat needs to be done. Anything olderthanveto10yearsmayneedtobeup-dated,butevenoldereortscanprovideworthwhileguidanceanddata,whichwillcomeinhandywhentargetsaresetand

progressismeasured.

Onceyouvetakenasurveyofongoingef-fortsandhistoricaldata,thenextstepistolookatthelocalcapacityneededtoman-agetheplanning.

BuildCoalitionsSuccessful planning eorts are typicallybroad-basedandencourageparticipation

bythewholecommunity.Bypartneringwith residents and existing groups, theeectsofyoursustainabilityplancanbeampliedandstaworkloadcanbemini-mized.

Localvolunteersareakeygrouptocon-sider as part of your partnerships, sincetheydirectlybenet and can helpmake


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schoolsmayhaveadirectinterestinlocalgovernmentsustainabilityplannprocess. In addition, these organizatcanprovidetechnicalresources,reseasupportandvenuesforpublicdiscussi

The Montgomery County GreenhoGas Task Force, for example, was dopedastheresultofaprojectconducbyPennsylvaniaStateUniversitygradstudents.

Faithandserviceorganizations,transtationadvocacygroupsandlaboruniare also potential partners dependontheinterestsoflocalgroupsandneedsofthecommunity.

Increatingworkablecoalitions,trytoance the desire for broad support fmanysectorsofthecommunityandneedtokeepthegroupsfrombecomunwieldy.

Educate ColleaguandthePublicOnceyoutakeyourbaseline,lookaplicableplanningapproaches,andaspotentialpartners,thenextessentialsistoarticulatetheneedforaplantoy

city,townorcountygovernment.Aspofyourinternaloutreach,youmaywtocreateaprojectbriefthatoutlinespsiblebenets,looksatcostsandcreattimelineformajormilestones.

Based on an analysis of various susability plans, the best ones are condiscuss top-level goals and are nottechnical.Theyemphasizethechallenunique to individual communitiesthe benetsof planningfor the com

nity.Theyalsomakeacombinedapptocivicculture,areavaluesandeconobenets.

Strongleadershipisessentialtothecessofyoursustainabilityplan.Thiscanbetakenoneectivelybyanelecocial, a planning or community dopmentdepartmentinthelocalgov

arealsoimportantpartners.Resourceandplanningissues,suchastheavailabilityofwater,thepriceofenergyandaccessibil-

itytotransportation,areoftenofcriticalimportance to the local business com-munity.Inaddition,localbusinessescanprovide both technical resources andfunding for your sustainability planningprocess.

Along with community members, non-prots and business groups, other gov-ernment agencies are another key con-stituencytoconsider.Forinstance,acityortownmaywantto,orinsomecases,be

requiredtoinvolveregionalorstateagen-cies in their planning process. Outsideagenciesmaybeabletoprovideawealthof resources and assistance, includinggrants,loansorothernancing.

Academicorganizationsarealsopossiblepartners. As members of the commu-nity, universities, colleges and technical


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ment,acommunity-basedcommission,aprominentlocalbusinessorahybridap-proach thatcombinesall ofthese stake-holders. The importance of leadershipcannotbeoverestimated.

ableFuture.www.of.org/pcsd/toc.html

SecureFunding,ReduceCostsAs initial planning is conducted and en-

vironmentalobjectivesarebeingdened,youwillalsoneedtoconsiderhowyouwillfundtheplanningprocessandfutureprojects. Just as each municipalitys sus-tainabilityplanwill vary, sowilltheirap-proachtowardsfunding.

Somemunicipalitiesndsupportthroughgovernment grants programs. Variousgrants are available from EPA, the U.S.Department of Energy and state depart-ments of environmental protection. For

example, the Burlington Legacy Projectin Vermont was funded in part by anEPASustainableDevelopmentChallengeGrant.

TIP: Prepare your organization to applyfor grant opportunities by registeringyour search parameters and automati-callyreceiveane-mailnoticationofnewgrantopportunities.w w w . g r a n t s . g o v / s e a r c h /subscribeAdvanced.do

Public-private partnerships are also po-tentially valuable nancing tools. TheUnitedStatesConferenceofMayorspro-vides numerous examples of municipali-tiesteamingupwithnon-governmentalorganizations,utilities,waterboards,busi-nesses and other partners. Not only dosuch eorts frequently result in fundingto help in reaching sustainability goals,theyalsohelpfostersupportforplanningeorts.

Among the most frequently cited andsuccessful sources of sustainability fund-ing are programsthat result incost sav-ings. In some cases, upfront investmentin long-lasting infrastructure projectsthatareamortizedoverdecadescanbeosetbylong-termsavings.

In developing your plan, conrm thatleaders in local government and seniormanagersin implementingdepartmentsareawareof:

theimplementationstrategyandsched-ulefortheprograms

theestimatedlaborcommitmentneed-edforprogramsuccess

when,howandwhattocommunicatetoemployeesonaregularbasis

how your programs align with currentmanagementplansandprograms

One of the most signicant challenges

in discussing sustainability is creatinggreater public awareness of the interde-pendencebetweentheenvironment,theeconomy and community life, and thereasonstheydonthaveto conict witheachother.Cooperationbetweenpublicagencies, non-prot organizations andtheprivatesectorcancreatecompellingmessagesandmaterialstoimprovepublicunderstandingoftheissuesandtheplan-ningprocess.Eectiveoutreachmaterialsshouldbespecictoyourareaandbased

ontheactualexperiencesoflocalpeople,organizationsandthegovernment.

RecommendedResources:PlaceMatters:ThisisaneducationalWebsiteforcitizenengagementandcommu-nityeducation.www.placematters.org

Sustainable Communities Network is aWebsitethatoersseveralresourcesandlinkstoorganizationsworkingonsustain-abilityeducation.www.sustainable.org/living/education.html

TheEducationforSustainabilityWebsitewascreatedbytheCenterforaSustain-


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According to the United States CoenceofMayors,typicalcostsavingscfrom:

energy reduction strategies (e.g.,siterenewableenergyorreplacemenlightingwithhigh-eciencyalternativ

purchaseoflow-energyappliancesgreenbuildingprojects vehicle emissions reduction progrsuch as the replacement of leakingcaps

arborprojectsthataddshadeand/oratenaturalstormwaterbuers

recyclingprogramseducationandtrainingtrac-signaloptimization

Weighing the benets and costs ogiven approach is a frequent rst-inthebudgetaryprocess,butitisrastraightforward, especially when asing environmental benets. How donequantifythevalueofcleanair,ospace,apristineshoreline,qualityofor,forthatmatter,humanlives,especthose of futuregenerations? One brruleofthumbisthatitisusuallybestart with the most pressing probland those that lend themselves tomost direct and cost-eective solut

Thenuseasystematicplanningapprosuch as an environmental managemsystem(EMS), described in the nexttionofthishandbook,tocontinuetoproveperformanceovertime.

It is also important to consider thecost and full benets of each approtodetermineanaccuratepaybackpeForexample,preventingseweroverinto rivers and seas can improve dingwater,aquatic-basedcommercetourism. Electricity and fuel-savinggramscanreduceoperatingcosts,ancyclingmaterials,likealuminumandcper,canbelucrative.Thepaybackpermaybeshorterthanyouthink.Injustinstance,the SanDiegoRefuse DispDivision saved $868,000 in heavy eqmentand diesel charges byshuttingequipmentduringbreaksandlunchods.


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accountabilityisamust.TheCheckphaseincludesinternalaudit-ing, monitoring progress, assessing suc-cesses and failures, identifying areas forimprovement and benchmarking. Evalu-ating employee understanding of thesystem and retraining employees whennecessary is key to keeping the systemcurrentanduseful.

TheActphaseisforreviewingprogress,performing management reviews andimplementingimprovementstotheplan,which can start the planning processanew.

GeneralinformationtheEMSprocesscanalsobefoundonEPAsWebsite:www.epa.gov/ems/index.html

EPAhasfoundthatanEMScanhelpmu-nicipalities:

improve environmental performanceandenhanceregulatorycompliance

preventpollutionandconserveresourcesreduceenvironmentalhazards attract new businesses and create newmarkets

increase energy eciency and reducecosts

enhance employee morale and aware-nessaswellasrecruiting

enhanceacommunitysimagewiththepublic,regulators,lendersandinvestors

qualifyacommunityforrecognitionandincentive programssuchas the EPA Per-formanceTrackProgramwww.epa.gov/perftrac

CommunicatingthesuccessfulresultsofyourEMSisagreatwaytodemonstratecost savings, environmental improve-mentsandleadership.

RecommendedResources:

ThePublicEntityEMSResourceCenterisa collaborative eort between EPA andthe Global Environment and TechnologyFoundation.

www.peercenter.net/

EPA fundedthe creationof CleanAir Cli-mate Protection (CACP) software by Lo-calGovernmentsforSustainability(ICLEI).CACP is designed to help local govern-mentsformulateclimateactionplansandisusedbytheU.S.ConferenceofMayorstocomputeemissionsnumbersandcalcu-latecostsavings.www.iclei-usa.org/action-center/tools/cacp-software

Climate and Air Pollution Planning Assis-tant(CAPPA).EPAfundedthisICLEItool,asamorecomprehensiveplanningsupporttool.www.iclei-usa.org/action-center/tools/decision-support-tool

The International Organization for Stan-dardization(ISO)developedmanagementsystem standards including quality andenvironmentalmanagement.

w w w . i s o . o r g / i s o / i s o _ c a t a l o g u e / management_standards/iso_9000_iso_14000/iso_14000_essentials.htm

Sustainability Reporting Framework andGuidelines. Although primarily for busi-nesses,thisproductoftheGlobalReport-ing Initiative can help communities andorganizationstrackandreportindicators.www.globalreporting.org/AboutGRI/

The U.S. Green Building Council, known

for its energy-ecient and environmen-tally-conscious construction and opera-tionstandards,ispilottestinganewLEED(LeadershipinEnergyandEnvironmentalDesign)systemforneighborhooddesign.w w w . u s g b c . o r g / D i s p l a y P a g e .aspx?CMSPageID=148


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AreasofOpportunity

BestPracticesandSolutionsPlanningapproaches rangefrom simchangesofexistinginfrastructuretocprehensiveeortstorethinkhowaregtravels. Although the creation of mnewprojects,suchastheintroductiolight rail, can take time and require

jorcapitalspending,theseeortscalinked withother large-scaleprojectrevitalizedowntownsandreshapedopmentpatterns.

There are a range of feasible and ceective transportation approachesareworthconsidering,including:

car-poolingprograms creation or upgrade of bike lanespaths,sidewalksandwalkingpathstocouragenon-motorizedtransportatio

installation of clean diesel technoloon municipal vehicles, equipmentbuses

upgradeandexpansionofpublictportationservicessuchasbusrapidsit,trolleys,ferries,trainsandlightrail

optimizationoftransportationroutesatiming

agreements with local businessesstaggerdeliveryandcommutetimes,encouragetelecommuting

incentivestousepublictransportation

providingparkandridespacespromotionofcarsharingservicessucproviding on-street parking for car singbusinessesinyourcommunity

support of walking and biking byvidingbikeroutemaps,bikeparkingstreetbeauticationprograms

developmentoftransportationcorridbetweencommunitiesbylinkingexis

3 TransportationIn2005,accordingtotheU.S.Departmentof Transportation, trac congestion re-sultedin4.2billionhoursoftraveldelay,2.9 billion gallons of wasted fuel, and aneturbancongestioncostofnearly$80billion.Thesocialandenvironmentalim-pactsofcongestion,suchasthevalueoflost time and extraair pollution createdby idling, are no less important. Propos-ing more and wider roads only tempo-

rarilymitigatescongestionandresultsinlasting consequences more air pollu-tion fromincreasedvehicle trac, morestormwater run-o due to increases inimpervioussurfaces,andthreatstoopenspacesandwildlifecorridors.

What are called for are innovative ap-proachesthataddmoreoptionsforpub-lic transportation and reduce the needfor driving. The good news is that com-munities that have successfully added

public transportation and revitalizeddowntown areas have often reaped bigrewards, including reduced commutetimes, improved air quality and a reduc-tioningreenhousegasemissions.Otherlessquantiablebenetsincludereducedasthma rates, improved integration ofdisparate neighborhoods, especially forcommunities withenvironmental justiceconcerns, and increased safety for pe-destrians,cyclistsand drivers alike. Com-muters who have public transportation

optionsareoftenabletosavemoney,es-peciallyasfuelpricescontinuetoincrease.Promotingwalkingandbicyclingcanpro-motephysicaltnessandreducehealthcareexpenses.


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RecommendedResources:EPAregulatesairpollutionfromallkindsof motor vehicles and engines and en-courages travel choices that minimizeemissions.TheAgencyhasalotofuseful

information for state and local govern-mentsonitsWebsite,includingeasy-to-usecalculatorsandmodelingtools.www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/index.htm

EPA also provides information on trans-portation conformity, required by theCleanAirActtoensurethatfederalfund-ingandapprovalsaregiventohighwayand transit projects that are consistentwiththegoalsestablishedbyeachstates

airqualityimplementationplan.www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/transconf/index.htm

The U.S. Department of Transportationoersseveralprogramstoassistruralar-eas and smallcommunities, such asthe

Transportation Toolbox for Rural Areasand SmallCommunities and UrbanPart-nershipAgreements.http://ntl.bts.gov/ruraltransport/toolbox/www.upa.dot.gov/

The U.S. Department of TransportationhasdevelopedTransportationVisionfor2030,adocumentthatprovidesspecicstrategies for passenger transportation,freighttransportation,nancingandpart-nerships,andtechnologyandinnovation.w w w . w e b s 1 . u i d a h o . e d u / c e 5 0 1 -4 0 0 / r e s o u r c e s / A d d r e s s i n g % 2 0sustainbility%20in%20transportation%20systems.pdf

The U.S. Department of Transportationhas information on how to get fundingforbicycleandpedestrianprojects.w w w . f h w a . d o t . g o v / e n v i r o n m e n t / bikeped/bp-broch.htm#funding

publictransportationserviceswithneigh-boringcommunities

creationofpublictransportationalongorparallel to existing highway/arterial cor-ridors

To develop a strategic action plan forsustainable transportation, communi-ties may need to establish a dedicatedplanninggrouptoworkjointlywithlocal,stateandfederalagencies.Reducingcon-gestion and improving access to publictransportrequirestheintegrationoflanduseplanningfornewresidentialdevelop-mentandmajoremploymentandenter-tainmentattractionswiththecreationofaccessibletransithubs.

MeasuringSuccess

Communitiesmayevaluatetheirprogressby measuring operational eectivenessand eciency, environmental impacts,behavioral changes in public transporta-tion choices and infrastructure security.Somespecicindicatorscouldinclude:

fossilfuelconsumption,bymeanannualgallonsoffuelsavings

greenhousegasemissions,inannualtonsofcarbonequivalents

trac congestion, in total hours savedeachyear

commutetimes,byaveragelengthmilesofbikelanes public transit ridership and system rev-enue

milesofpublictransitroutesdistancetraveledtopublictransportationcircuits

resultsofriderordriversatisfactionsur-veys

planstomodifypublictransportationsys-temssuchasretrottingbusesorinvest-inginelectric-poweredsystems

the number of people traveling by car-pool


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networkofpublictransitandschoolbusservicesaableinmanycommunities.

Thethirdstrategyisthepromotionanddevelopmofalternatemodesoftransportationsuchasbikinwalking.

Thefourthstrategyisthereplacementofvehiclesabettermanagementofmunicipaleets.Theplancouragesthepurchaseofhybrid,ex-fueledandanative fueled vehicles. Some eective eet manmentpracticesinclude:

acomprehensivesurveytodetermineeetneedsagreenvehiclereplacementandretrottingstratematchingofvehiclesizetotherequiredtasksretrottingbuseswithdevicesthatpreventidlingunnecessary burning of fossil fuels, and older bwithtailpipeandcrankcaselterstoreduceairpotion

The plan includes other strategies to reduce grhousegas emission suchas encouraging busineandhouseholdstopurchasecarbonosetsandsututingvirtualtechnology,suchasvideoconferencfortravel.

Furtherinformationisavailableat:w w w . w e s t c h e s t e r g o v . c o m / p d f s / E N V F A CglobalWarmingAction2008FINAL.pdf

Initssustainabilityplan,WestchesterCounty,acom-munity justnorthof New YorkCity, includedan as-sessment of local transportation infrastructure andapproachestoreducinggreenhousegasesfromthetransportation sector. The benet: more ecienteets,lowermunicipalcostsandlesstraccutdownonairpollution.Toachievethesegoals,theplansetoutaseriesoftransportationstrategies:

Therststrategyisthecreationofpartnershipswithneighboring communities and local businesses toreducetransportationdemands.Specicapproachesinclude:

useofcarpoolsandvan-pools participation inride sharing programssuch asNuride

encouragementofcarsharingviaservicesprovidedbyprivaterentalcompaniesthatwillrentcarsforshort(hourlong)orlong(weeklong)periodsoftime

establishment of a private transportation networkwherepeoplewhohavecommonlocalorfardesti-nationscancarpooltosaveoncosts,airpollutionandsotheycanenjoyeachotherscompany

promotionofexibleworkweeksandtelecommut-ing

consolidationoftransportationacrossschooldistrictsbyestablishingacounty-widenetworkofschooldis-trictcoordinatorsforcleantransportation

A second strategy is support for the use of publictransit.Westchesterisfortunatetohaveanextensive

Transportation Case Study:Westchester County, New YorkAction Plan is on a Roll


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Landuseplanningisacriticalelementindevelopingvibrantandlivablecommuni-ties,increasingpropertyvalues,ensuringeconomic vitality, addressing potentialhuman health issues, promoting trans-portation eciency, ensuring aordablehousing, and improving environmentalsustainability. Compact, ecient urbandevelopment improves the health andquality-of-life of area residents, revital-izes the local economy and increasesenvironmental sustainability. Develop-ment of compact areas, even in smalldowntownareas,canreducetraveltimes,helppreserveopenspaceandreducethecommercial pressure to sprawl. Neigh-borhoods with walkable areas stimulateastrongsenseofplaceandenhanceanareasoveralllivability,whileencouragingthedevelopmentofstrong,vibrantcom-munities.

Zoning isthemain tool inlanduseplan-ningandcanbeusedtodirectdevelop-mentandredevelopmentinurbanareasto ensure that municipalities grow in asustainable manner. Innovative landuseplanningpoliciesandsmartgrowthtech-niquesarecentralincreatingcomprehen-sivemunicipalsustainabilityplans.

Larger municipalities may nd it bene-cialtocreateanewoceforsustainabil-ity to work incooperation with existingplanning.Smallermunicipalitiesmaynothavethisoption.Insuchcases,itmaybeeective to recruit local residents, com-munity leaders, business owners andenvironmental groups to advise localgovernment on land use decisions anddevelopmentgoals.

BestPracticesandSolutionsSmart growth principles can be appliedto a range of critical planning issues in-cludingcommunityqualityoflife,urbandesign,economicdevelopment,environ-

mental issues, human health, aordand accessible housing, and transption. Smartgrowth principles usuallycompassthefollowing:

a range of housing choices and ppoints basedaround compact, walkneighborhoods

mixedlanduseintheformofcombiretailandresidentialdevelopment

community and stakeholder collabtionindevelopmentdecisions

support for distinctive, attractive cmunitieswithastrongsenseofplace

predictabledevelopmentdecisionsarefairandcosteective

preservation of open space, farmlnaturalbeautyandcriticalenvironmeareas

avarietyoftransportationchoices development directed towards exiscommunities and transportation cdors

compactbuildingdesignappropriateremediationandredevementofbrownelds

formalparksandplazasinproximitresidentialareas

Large cities such as Denver, SeattlePortland oer excellent insight intotainable land use planning practWhile smart growth principles oeexcellenttheoreticalframeworkfortastepstowards sustainable growth, thcity planning departments have demstratedhowsuchprinciplescanbeuontheground.

MeasuringSuccessSomespecicindicatorsofsuccessfulluseplanningare:

populationdensityanddistribution percent of green space per neighhood

vehiclemilestraveledpercapitaanderagecommutetimes

frequency of walking or bike tripscapita

resultsofsurveysofneighborhoodsa

Land Use Planning


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andlivabilityenergyusepercapita numberof energy ecientbuildings inthemunicipality

RecommendedResources:EPAsSmart Growth Web page containsmore information on applicable tech-niques.www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/

SmartGrowthPrincipleswww.smartgrowth.org/

The City of Portlands Sustainable Devel-opmentCommissionhascreatedacom-prehensiveguideforidentifyingindicators

andmeasuringprogresstodeterminethesuccess of sustainable planning and de-velopment strategies. The indicator ma-trixcanbefoundontheCityofPortlandsWebsite.www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=133058

Seattle Department of Planning and De-velopmentwww.seattle.gov/dpd/

GreenPrintDenverwww.greenprintdenver.org/

CityofPortlandBureauofPlanningwww.portlandonline.com/planning/
http://www.portlandonline.com/planning/http://www.portlandonline.com/planning/


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LandUsePlanningCaseStudy:Portland,OregonLandUsePlanningEvolves

RecognizedamongAmericancitiesasoneofthemostdedicatedtoplanning,Portlandisfrequentlycitedfo

progressive transportation and landuse policies, downtown redevelopment and success in containing ursprawl.Buildingonthissuccess,PortlandsBureauofPlanninginitiatedacomprehensiveplantoguidegrowthdevelopmentwithinthecityoverthenext30years.ThePortlandPlanidentiesanumberofgoalsandoutliregionaldevelopmentpoliciesthatencouragewalking,accesstopublictransitandthepreservationofopenspwhileallowingforpopulationgrowthandeconomicdevelopment.

Thegoalsoftheplaninclude:creatingarichandenjoyableenvironmentforpedestriansthroughoutthecentralcitystrivingforexcellenceinthedesignofnewbuildingsencouragingconstructiontoenhancethehumanscaleofbuildings,streetsandopenspacespromotingdistrictswithdistinctcharactersandadiverseandrichmixtureofusesidentifyingandprotectingsignicantpublicviews

locatingthehighestdensitypopulationsdowntownandalongpotentialandexistingtransitcorridors

Throughcarefulplanningandaholisticapproachtolandusedecisions,PortlandsBureauofPlanninghasalloforsubstantialincreasesinnewjobs,housingunitsandcommercialspaces,withoutincreasingthenumberofacoccupiedbythecentralcity.

Furtherinformationisavailableonline:www.portlandonline.com/planning
http://www.portlandonline.com/planninghttp://www.portlandonline.com/planning


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Land-useplanningshouldprotectecosystemsandopenspaceastheseareasoftenprovidecriticalnaturalservices.


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Plan Smart New Jersey identies thkey open space protection tactics.it promotes conservation easementsstrictionsrequiringapropertytobemtained forever in an underdevelopenatural state. Second, it encouragesveloper set-asides, which are volunprotections created when projectsplanned.ThePlanSmartguidesuggthatformaximumeect,thejurisdictshouldencouragedeveloperstosetaland in stream corridors, mature forandotherkeyenvironmentalareasidtied during the planning process, oshould use the in-lieu contributionspurchasethisland.Andthird,itincluoutright purchase, which, providedjurisdiction is committedto maintainthelandinanaturalstate,isthebesttoensurethatlandremainspreserved

MeasuringSuccessSome specic indicators for biologconservation and open space presetionare:

acresoflandineasementacresofprotectedwetlandareas number of bike paths in proximitypopularsites

As our nations population continues togrowandasdevelopmentofopenspacecontinues, preserving special naturalplaces and prime agricultural land be-comesevermoreimportant.Openspacecanbeasoggywetland,averdantforestorabreezygrassland.Theseecosystemsprovidehabitatforanabundanceofwild-life,criticalprotectionssuchasoodcon-trol, and add to aesthetic appeal and ageneralsenseofwell-being.

Preserving open space is a frequentlyused strategy in comprehensive munici-pal sustainability planning and garnershighlevelsofpublicsupportbecauseofthe attractiveness of open spaces andtheirvaluetolocalresidentsbothsociallyand economically. Open space preserva-tion can provide aesthetic appeal andrecreation opportunities, while enhanc-ing local real estate values and makingcommunities more livable. Burlington,Vermont; Westchester County; SarasotaCounty, Florida; Brownsville, Texas; andDavis, California all provide excellent ex-amples. Lake Champlain Bikeways, forexample,apublic-privatepartnershipinBurlington, Vermont connects variouspractical as well as historic sites aroundthecity,appealingtobothresidentsandvisitorsalike.

BestPracticesandSolutionsTechniquestosafeguardenvironmentallysensitive areas vary across communitiesand types of surrounding ecosystems.

EPAidentiesthreeofthemostcommonapproaches:

protectingwetlands establishing buers along rivers andstreams

creating greenbelts and conservationeasements

Biological Conservation andOpen Space Preservation


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Tomeasureandassessthestatusofeco-system health, it is important to havegoodindicators.EPAdiscussesthistopicin its report, Community Based Environ-

mentalProtection.www.epa.gov/care/library/howto.pdf

NewJerseysPlanSmartFullGuidewww.plansmartnj.org/projects/gig/index.html

The Defenders of Wildlife Incentives forConservation has extensive informationonavailableapproaches.www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/habitat_conservation/private_

lands/landowner_incentives
http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/habitat_conservation/private_lands/landowner_incentiveshttp://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/habitat_conservation/private_lands/landowner_incentiveshttp://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/habitat_conservation/private_lands/landowner_incentiveshttp://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/habitat_conservation/private_lands/landowner_incentives


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Open Space Preservation Case Study:Burlington, VermontEngaging Community to Protect Wildlife

AstheareaaroundBurlingtongrows,wildlifeandpeoplehavebeencomingintogreatercontact.Aspartof

citysopenspacepreservationeorts,volunteersaregatheringdataonwhereanimalsliveandtheroutesttraveltohelpthemmakeinformeddecisionsaboutecosystemprotection,landuseplanninganddevelopme

Thevolunteersaretrainedbyalocalnon-protorganization,KeepingTrack,whichencouragescommunitypapationinthelong-termstewardshipofwildlifehabitat.Thismissionisachievedthroughmonitoring,cooperadatamanagement,conservationplanningandeducation.

Volunteersmustcompletesixfull-daytrainingworkshopsintheeldplustwoclassroomsessions.Participanttaughtscientically-baseddatacollectionmethodsandthenhelpwitheldwork,monitoringandotherfacettheprogram.KeepingTrackhastrainednearly1,300volunteers,representingalmost100communities,andgatheredvaluabledatatohelpshapelocallandusepreservationeorts.

Furtherinformationisavailableonline:www.keepingtrack.org/
http://www.keepingtrack.org/http://www.keepingtrack.org/


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According toEPA statistics for 2006,theaveragepersonintheU.S.generated4.6poundsofwasteperdayandrecycled1.5pounds. The energy saved by recyclingistheequivalentofmorethan10billiongallonsofgasolineperyear.Yet,thetwomost common management strategiesfor municipal garbage are to constructlocallandllstodisposeofsolidwasteortotransportthewastetoothercommuni-ties.

Aspopulationsincrease,landllsreachca-pacityandnewerfacilitiesremaindiculttosite.Ifmunicipalitieschoosetoremote-lydispose of theirwaste, they incur theaddedcostoftransportingit.Thesecostsinclude depreciation of vehicles, person-nelhourstotransporttrash,fuelforthevehicles, as well as administrative costsanduncertaintyassociatedwithcontractnegotiations.

Whereveryourtrashgoes,acomprehen-sive sustainability plan should have thegoalofreducingtheamountoftrashthatentersthewastestream.Solutionsincludeprogramstoencouragerecyclingandre-usingmaterials,increasingcompostingoforganicwasteandturningwasteintous-ableenergy.Moreandmorecommunitiesarelookingattheirwastestreamasapo-tentialsourceofenergy.Thetermwaste-to-energyisusedformanydierenttypesof projects, including capturing landllmethaneforelectricitygenerationorfueluse,divertingorganics for processinginanaerobicdigestors,orconvertingwastevegetableoilintobiodiesel.

As we reduce our waste stream, morelandcan beusedforotherservices,andless money needs to be spent to man-age waste. A community sustainabilityplanshouldaddressthe3Rsofthewastestreamreduce,reuseandrecycle.

Inaddition,manyitemsplacedinhouse-hold trash are hazardous materials thatshould be disposed of properly. Theseinclude paints and chemicals, batter-

ies,electronics(E-waste)andlightbuConstruction debris and materials (Ccome from waste that results fromconstruction,renovationanddemoliof buildings, roads and bridges. WC&D is not accounted for in municsolidwaste,themunicipalwastestreincludesbuildingdemolitionandrentionmaterialsfromconstruction.

BestPracticesandSolutionsAwasteauditisacrucialrststepinreingtheowofgarbage.Itcanidentifyportunitiesforwastediversion,preven

and reduction, and increasing recycReview historic data to determine hmuchisbeingthrownout,howmucbeingrecycled(ifaprogramexists),aanyotherprogramsthatyourcommumayhaveinplace.Itsalsoimportandocument the costs associated withposalandreductionprograms.

Once a basicinventory iscompletea baseline is dened, you can idetargets. Your initial target could be

simpleasstartingarecyclingprograonedoesntexist)orexpandinganeing program. Using the baseline intory,youcanmonitorandcomparefutwastegenerationtoseeifyourprogisasuccess.

ReducingWaste:ImplementaPayasyouThrowsysthatchargesresidentsforwhattheyaallythrowouttoencouragethemto

cardlesstosavemoney.Usefullcostaccounting,whichidentand assesses the costs associated wmanagingasolidwastefacilitytoaccoforthereal costsofsolidwastemanment.Italsoassistswithshortandlterm planningbylocal policy makeridentify opportunities to streamlineimproveoperations.

Solid Waste Generation and Recycling


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that there is still considerable room forimprovement, and e-waste strategiesshouldbeanintegralcomponentofanylocalsustainabilityplanningeort.

Construction and Demolition (C&D) dis-posal:Keeping this material out of the wastestreamcanconservelandllspace.C&Dwaste reduction can also be addressedthroughgreenbuildingpracticesandbysetting up recyclingcenters for buildingmaterials.

MeasuringSuccess

Some specic indicators for solid wastegenerationandrecyclingare:

reductionofthewastestreamreachinglocallandllsorbeingexported

increasedpercentageofrecycledmateri-als(e.g.,metal,plastic,glass,paper,yardtrimmingsandE-waste)

reductionintheamountofrecycledma-terialsfoundduringasecondarysort

Implementorexpandacompostprogram.Organizeshort-termseasonaleventsspe-cicallyforgrassclippings,fallenleavesorChristmastrees.Later,transitiontoalong-termmunicipal-runfoodwasteprogramfor residents, farmers markets, local res-taurants/businesses or schools and hos-pitals.

Makebetterpurchases.Buyingproductsthatarelongerlastingorrecyclable,con-tainlesspackagingmaterials,andarelessharmful to the environment is a proac-tivesteptoreducingyourmunicipalsolidwaste. Refer to the green procurementsectionformoreinformation.

ReuseandRecycling:Improveinformationonhowtorecycleproperly and create incentives for recy-clingprogramsinyourcommunity.

Provide opportunities for second life orreuseofsoftuseditems,suchasamateri-alsandwasteexchange.

SafeDisposalofHazardousWaste:Both commercial and residential hazard-ous wastes are harmful to the environ-mentandtohumanhealthifnotdisposedofintheappropriatemanner.Whetheritsanannualoryear-roundprogram,house-hold and commercial hazardous wasteshould bea partof yourmunicipal solidwastereductionprogramtoensurethesematerialsaredisposedofappropriately.

E-Waste:Electronics waste is an increasing com-ponent of local waste streams and thenewfrontierinsolidwastemanagement.Manymunicipalitiesandfacilitieshavein-stituted programs to address hazardousmaterials in the waste stream. E-wasteprograms are still relatively young, andoften experimental. As a result, E-wasteisgenerallyhandledthroughspecialcol-lectioneventsratherthanasacontinuouscollectionprogram.

According to EPA, approximately 1.9to2.2milliontonsofusedorunwantedelectronicswasdisposedofin2005.Themajority, 1.5 to 1.9 million tons,was dis-posed of in landlls, while only 345,000to379,000tonswererecycled. Itis clear

Source:EPA,2007


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EPAFullCostAccountingResource.www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tofca/index.htm

TheFloridaStateDepartmentofEnvimentalProtectionhasaWebsitedevotofullcostaccountingwithaccesstoware and a report entitled The FUmentalsofFCA.www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categorfca/default.htm

EPAoersinformationaboutcomposas well as resources on local legislaenvironmentalbenets,publicationslinks.www.epa.gov/compost/

ThestateofMarylandhasanannualgofreducingitswasteby40percentacreditsystemthatbecameeectiv2000toassistparticipatingcountiesBaltimore. The Web site oers infotiononthestatesinitiativetodivertwthroughsourcereduction.w w w . m d e . s t a t e . m d . u s / P r o g r aL a n d P r o g r a m s / R e c y c l i n g / s o u rreduction/index.asp

EPAsInYourCommunityWebsite.www.epa.gov/osw/wycd/communhtm

Consider generating less trash oveEPAprovidestoolsforlocalcommuntoencouragethedecreaseinoverallcsumption.www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tolocalgov/index.htm

Communicate the success of yourclingandreductionprogramstoconsents.www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tolocalgov/benets/index.htm

creationofawastestreambaselineviaanaudit

TIP:EPAhasdevelopedavoluntary,stan-dard methodology for measuring recy-clingrates.ThisWebsitehelpsstateandlocal government ocials learn moreaboutthestandardmethodology:www.epa.gov/recycle.measure/


ThewastesectionofEPAsWebsiteoersinformationon all typesof wasteoppor-tunities, educational resources and pro-grams to dispose of, reduce, reuse andrecyclethingsfoundinthewastestream.www.epa.gov/epawaste/index.htm

EPAWasteAssessmentWebsiteoersin-formationonevaluatingwhatisthrownaway and what is recycled in your com-munity.www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/onthego/program/assess.htm

Decision Makers Guide to Solid WasteManagementaimstoprovidecost-eec-tivesolutionstosolidwastemanagementthat protect quality of life and the envi-

ronment.www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/dmg2.htm

TheEPAWasteWisepartnershipprogramassists organizations in reducing solidwaste aswell asimproving cost savingsand benets to the environment. TheWeb site oers a variety of informationabout the program, including resourceson reducing waste, planning and imple-menting your programs, and reporting

yourresultsandcelebratingsuccess.www.epa.gov/wastewise/

EPAsPayAsYouThrow(PAYT)programoers several resources for local ocialslookingtoimplementaPAYTprogram.www.epa.gov/payt/intro.htmwww.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/payt/states/index.htm
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/localgov/benefits/index.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/localgov/benefits/index.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/payt/states/index.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/payt/states/index.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/payt/states/index.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/localgov/benefits/index.htm


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This Web site provides the latest infor-mation on EPA guidelines for procuringrecycled-content products. It containsthe latest comprehensive procurementguidelines, upcoming events and infor-mationondesignatedproducts.w w w . e p a . g o v / e p a o s w e r / n o n - h w / procure/index.htm

Materialsandwasteexchangeprogramsexistallovertheglobeandserveasop-portunitiestomatchupbuyersandsell-ersbycreatingamarketforrecyclableandreusablecommodities.ThisWebsitepro-vides links to international,nationalandstatespecicexchanges.www.epa.gov/jtr/comm/exchange.htm

San Francisco EcondeRRR is a govern-ment Web site that allows residents tolookupwhatcanberecycled,reusedordisposedof,howtodoit,andwheretobringit.Itsagreatresourcetohelpiden-tify opportunities that may exist in yourcommunity.www.sfenvironment.org

EPAsRecycleontheGoinitiativeencour-agesrecyclinginpublicplaces.www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/conserve/onthego/index.htm

ThemissionofEarth911istodeliverac-tionable local information on recyclingandproductstewardshipthatempowersconsumerstoactlocally,liveresponsiblyandcontributetosustainability.TheWebsiteandits1-800-CLEANUPnumberoerinformation and resources on recyclingandreuselocationsacrossthenation.http://earth911.org/

RecycleBank.orgisacosteectiveanden-vironmentalconscioussolutionthatgivescommunitiesincentivesforencouragingrecycling tominimizethe rising costsofwaste disposal. In addition it managesandprovidesreportstotrackthesuccessoftheprogram.www.recyclebank.com/

San Franciscos Zero Waste Program de-nesthecitysaggressivegoalofreachingzerowasteby2020.ItsWebsitecontainsinformationontheprogramsavailableinthecityandhowitplanstoreachitsgoalthroughreducing,reusingandrecycling.http://sfenvironment.org/our_programs/overview.html?ssi=3

EPA developed the Resource Conserva-tionandRecoveryAct(RCRA)on-linepro-gram to encourage the reuse and recla-mationofhazardousmaterials.www.epa.gov/osw/inforesources/online/index.htm

EPA providesInformationon the properdisposalofpaints,pesticides,cleaners,oilsandothertypesofhouseholdhazardouswaste to prevent contaminated groundwaterandotherpollution.www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/hhw.htm

EPAe-cyclingresourcesandtipsareavail-ableon-line.www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/ecycling/index.htm

Goodwill Industries and Dell Computerspartnerwithlocalcommunitiestocreaterecovery programs for electronics in aneorttoreuseandrecyclethispotentialwaste stream in an environmentally re-sponsibleway.www.reconnectpartnership.com/

Waste-to-energy information is availableonEPA'sWebsite.www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/aect/municipal-sw.html

EPAsLandllMethaneOutreachProgramwww.epa.gov/lmop/


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Solid Waste Case Study:San Francisco, CaliforniaMoves Towards Zero Waste

In2003,SanFranciscoadoptedaggressivewastereductiongoals.By2010,thecityaimstodivert75percenwasteheadedtothelandll;by2020thegoalistodivert100percentofthewastestream.AccordingtothepartmentofEnvironmentsStrategicPlan,theyarecurrentlytwothirds(69percent)ofthewaytoreachingtzerowastegoal.Thecityhasmaderapidprogressbyimplementinga3-cartsystemforwastecollection,providgrants,forgingpartnershipsandpromotingahostofotherrecyclingandwastereductioninitiatives.

The3-cartsystemisaconvenient,user-friendlysystemthatencouragesrecyclingofwastebymakingtheprocaseasyaspossible.Containersarecolorcodedtohelpsortwasteintotheappropriatecart:bottles,cansandpainthebluecart,compostableitems(foodscrapsandyardwaste)inthegreencartandallnon-recyclable,ncompostablegarbageintheblackcart.

TheecondeRRRWebsite-basedprogramhasaquickandadvancedsearchfunctiontondouthowtodisposalmostanything.Theextensivedatabaseofoptionscanbesortedbymaterial,location,services(e.g.,pickup,do,etc.),enduse(e.g.,recycle,repair,reuse,etc.),andbyassociatedcosts(e.g.,buyback,free,payment,etc.).

CollaborationbetweenSFEnvironment,theCommissionontheEnvironment,theBoardofSupervisorsandMayorhasbeenextremelysuccessfulatcreatingpolicybypassingresolutionsandordinancesthathelpreachzerowastegoal.Theintentistohavethegovernmentleadbyexamplewhileencouragingthegeneralpublicprivatesectortofollowalong.Recentresolutionsareencouraginginnovativeapproachessuchasprecautionpurchasingtominimizewaste,a demolitiondebrisrecoveryplanandanewprogramtorecyclecomputerselectronics.

SFEnvironmentalsooersavarietyofgrantprogramsthatdisperseapproximately$600,000ayeartoinitiat

thatincreasethediversionofwasteinacost-eectiveway.Fundsareavailabletononprotorganizationsforectsrangingfromreuseandrecyclingtomarketdevelopmentandeducation.

TheworkofSFEnvironmentsZeroWasteteaminvolvesabroadspectrumofpartnerstocarryout,promotedevelopeectiveprograms.Partnersrangefromlocalhaulerstocityagenciesaswellashundredsofotherprotandnonprotorganizations.For more information see:www.sfenvironment.org/
http://www.sfenvironment.org/http://www.sfenvironment.org/


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BestPracticesandSolutionsSaveEnergy

Energyeciencyisoftenthebestplforlocalitiestostartwhentryingtommoreeectiveuseofresources.Althou

eciencyupgradescanrequireinitiavestment,byincreasingthelevelofciency,theseupgradesfrequentlypaythemselvesinninemonthstothreeyeasshownbythePortlandcasestudy.

Strategies to promote energy ecieinclude:

conductinganenergyauditofcitybings to identify the most cost-eecprojects.Utilitiesandenergyservicevidersoftenoerthem.

joining Portfolio Manager and s

Improvingenergyeciencyandaddingrenewableenergysourcescanhelpcom-munities reduce air pollution while re-ducingtheoutputofgreenhousegases.Inturn,reducedairpollutioncanimprovepublichealthandlowerenergycosts.Byintegrating energy eciency strategiesinto your community planning process,thecostofimprovementscanbekeptto

aminimum.Renewableenergydevelop-ment,biofuelproductionandretrotsorupgradesofexistinginfrastructureoftencreatenewopportunitiesforgreencollarjobs. Combiningtheseapproaches withtransportation eciency improvementsdiscussed earlier make an even biggerdierence.

Communities need reliable sources of aordable energy. With rising fuel pricesgrowingconcernsabouttheimpactsoffossil-fuelpowergeneration,sustainableenesolutionshaveneverbeenmoreimportant,especiallyatthemunicipallevel.Enerbasedonfossilfuels,whetherforelectricity,heatingortransportation,resultsinairplution.Fossilfuelconsumptioncausesbothchemicalandparticulateairpollution,beknownassmog.Ozoneandacidraincanbeproblemstoo,dependingonlocalco

tions.Theburningoffossilfuelscontributesmorethan80percentoftotalannualgreenhousegases.

Energy, Air Quality and Climate

Source:USEIADOE2006


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money and energy by tracking buildingenergyuse

bringingtheENERGYSTARchallengetoyourcommunity

encouragingandsupportingprivateau-dits in both businesses and residencesthrough the provision of information,technical support or even economic in-centivesorawards

startingaweatherizationprograminlo-calneighborhoodswitholdhousingstock

promotingtheENERGYSTARChange-A-Lightprogramtolocalbusinesses.Byre-placingolderlightingsystemswithhighereciencylighting,communitiescanreapsignicantgainsinbothenergyuseand,in many cases, operation and mainte-nancespendingaswell

supporting energy eciency upgradesbylocalindustrytoImprovetheeciencyofappliances;heating,ventilationandairconditioningsystems;andindustrialpro-cessequipment

purchasing energy ecient equipment,appliances. See the Green Procurementsection

UseRenewableEnergy

Local governments can buy renewableenergy, and promote consumer optionprograms. Building and maintaining re-newable energy installations can be asourceofnewgreencollarjobsforcom-munities. Three great examples are de-scribedonlineat:

www.oaklandnet.com/MayorsPress/RenewableEnergy.pdf

www.njcleanenergy.com/renewable-energy/programs/cleanpower-choice-program/new-jersey-cleanpower-choice-program

www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?a=146102&c=28608

Communities can also promote distrib-utedgenerationor,theuseofsmall-scalepower generation technologies locatedclosetowhereenergyisused.Examplesof distributed generation power can besourcedbyfuelcells,microturbines,pho-tovoltaicpanelsandsmallscalewind.Thisstrategyavoidsthelossofenergyduring


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ENERGYSTARChallengeforCommunw w w . e n e r g y s t a r . g o v / i n d cfm?fuseaction=challenge_commushowIntroduction

EPA also has aGreenPowerPartnerprogram.www.epa.gov/greenpower/index.htm

TheU.S.DepartmentofEnergysTechnAssistance Program oers expert cotation to local governments on renableenergyandenergyeciency.www.eere.energy.gov/wip/tap.cfm

TheU.S.DepartmentofEnergyalsoraSolarAmericaCitiesprogramthatvidesimplementationguidesforcitiewww.solaramericacities.org/Resouaspx

TheCaliforniaDistributedEnergyResoesGuideisproducedbytheCaliforniaergyCommission.www.energy.ca.gov/distgen/

Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) is aprotcoalitionof business,governmenvironmental and consumer lea

The ASE supports energy eciencycost-eective energy resource undeisting market conditions and advocenergy-eciency policies that minimcoststosocietyandindividualconsumandlessengreenhousegasemissionstheirimpactontheglobalclimate.www.ase.org/

AmericanCouncilforanEnergyEcEconomy (ACE3) isa nonprotorgation dedicated to advancing energyciency as a means of promoting beconomic prosperityand environmeprotection.http://aceee.org/

Consortium for Energy Eciency (Ca nonprot public benets corporadevelops national initiatives to promthemanufactureandpurchaseofeneecientproductsandservices.www.cee1.org/

transmission and canboost local econo-mies through new development and lo-cally earned prots. More importantly, itcangivefacilitiesenergyreliabilityduringextremestorms.Renewableenergycanpotentially oer more stable costs in amarketofrisingenergycosts.Localstrate-giestopromotecleanenergyinclude:

micro-generationon-sitesolarcombinedheatandpowergeothermalwindlandllmethanecapture

TIP:Tondouthowenergyisproducedinyourcommunity,typeinyourzipcodeat:www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/how-clean.html

MeasuringSuccessMeasurementsofsuccessforenergycaninclude:

dollarssavedonenergycosts units of energy consumption reduced(e.g.,Btus)

amountoflocalenergysupplyfromre-newablesources

amountofpollutantemissionsreduced(e.g.,CO2,SOx,NOx)

jobs created to meet energy eciencyandrenewableenergydemands

RecommendedResources:Look to ENERGY STAR, the EPA/U.S. De-partment of Energy program that goesbeyond labeling energy ecient appli-ancestoassistbuildingandutilityowners

andoperatorsandlocalgovernmentsinconservingenergy.www.energystar.gov/w w w . e n e r g y s t a r . g o v / i n d e x .cfm?c=government.bus_government_local
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=government.bus_government_localhttp://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=government.bus_government_localhttp://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=government.bus_government_localhttp://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=government.bus_government_local


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Thisonlinecalculatorcanhelpanalyzepo-tentialenergyandeconomicsavingsforhomeowners by switching to more e-cientappliances,lightingandotherformsofeciency.w w w . p g e . c o m / m y h o m e /s a v e e n e r g y m o n e y / r e s o u r c e s / appliancecalculator/

Information about energy cost-savingideas:www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/at_agencies/govt_case_studies_energy.shtml

NewYorkStatesEnergySmartCommuni-tiesProgram:w w w . g e t e n e r g y s m a r t . o r g /C o m m u n i t y O u t r e a c h / EnergySmartCommunities.aspx


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In1991,Portland,OregonestablishedtheCityEnergyEciencyChallenge.Thisboldinitiativestartedwithenerauditsateightcitybureausthateachcontributedonepercentoftheirenergybillstohelpfundtheeorts.Thethenobtainedasmalllowinterestloanof$777,000tohelpfundenergyeciencymeasures.

The$2.6millionspentonenergyeciencyimprovementsduringtherstthreeyearsgeneratedaverageinterratereturnsof25.7percent,withapay-otimeof3.8years.Bythelate1990s,theenergysavingsreached$1millperyear,withtotalsavingsof$9.46millionbetween1991and2001.Currentannualenergysavingsare$2milperyear,or15percentofthecitysenergybills.Inadditiontodramaticenergyeciencyimprovementsandconsiderablesavingstolocaltaxpayers,Portlandalsoturneditsenergysourcesgreen.In1995,thecityenteredintoanagreementwithPacicGasandElectrreceivevepercentofitselectricityfromrenewablesources.Asof2007,Portlandreceives10percentofitselecityfromrenewablesources,andislookingtoincreaseitsuseofrenewablepower.

Furtherinformationisavailableonlineat:www.portlandonline.com/osd/index.cfm?a=bbbhde&c=ecdjj

www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/success/city_energy.shtml

Energy Case Study No. 1: Portland, OregonEnergy Challenge Saves City Millions

Energy Case Study No. 2: Fresno, CaliforniaCow Power Powers up the Grid

PacicGasandElectricCompany(PG&E)hasteamedupwithBioEnergySolutionsonabiogas-to-pipelineinjecproject.Itproducesrenewablegasfromanimalwaste,andistherstprojectinCaliforniatodeliverpipeline-qurenewablenaturalgastoautility.ItdeliversuptothreebillioncubicfeetofrenewablenaturalgasayeartoPG

Thissystemreducesmethaneemissionsby70percentatVintageDiary,a5,000-cowdairyinthetownofRiverdSincemethanehasaglobalwarmingpotential21timesmorepotentthanCO2,thisapproachcouldbeanetiveclimatechangeghter.Manurefromthecowsisushedintoanalmost300,000square-footcoveredlagowhichtrapsthemethanegasreleasedduringmanuredecomposition.ThemethaneisscrubbedtomeetPGstandardsforpowerplantsandthendeliveredtotheutilitythroughthepipeline.TheutilityusesthemethanecreateelectricityforitscentralandnorthernCaliforniacustomers.

BioEnergySolutions,foundedbyDavidAlbers,athird-generationdairymanandownerofVintageDairy,payandinstallstheinfrastructureneededtoprocessthemanureandpumpthemethaneintothePG&Epipeline.ceedsfromgassalesandemissionscreditsareusedtohelpreducethegreenhousegasemissionsofotherdowners.

FurtherinformationisavailableonlinethroughtheU.S.DepartmentofEnergy:http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/state_energy_program/project_brief_detail.cfm/pb_id=1167
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/state_energy_program/project_brief_detail.cfm/pb_id=1167http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/state_energy_program/project_brief_detail.cfm/pb_id=1167


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municipalsupplies;on-sitecollection,ter recycling and treatment; wastewtreatmentsystemimprovements;andreduction of non-point source polluoflocalwatershedsandaquifers.

BestPracticesandSolutions

PromoteWaterConservation

Using water eciently is the key tomoting water conservation and savmoney. EPA estimates that the averhousehold spends asmuch as$500yearonitswaterandsewerbill.Consingwateralsoreducesenergyuse,whtranslatesintoadditionalsavings.

EPAsWaterSenseprogramhelpsprothefutureofournationswatersupplpromoting water eciency and enhing the market for water-ecient pucts,programsandpractices:www.epa.gov/watersense/index.htm

Greenscapingencouragesconservatiowaterresourcesanddecreasesreliancepolluting fertilizers and pesticides. Lscapingwithbeautiful,drought-resisplantsinaridclimatesenhancesthelo

aestheticandhelpsto retainmuch-nedmoisture.

TIP:Formoreinformation,looktoEGreenscapesWebsite:www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/grlrgscl.htm

LakeCityandLasVegas,havebeenawareof the importance of water resourcesfor some time now. Other communitieswith rapid population growth and vari-ablerainfallarejustbeginningtocometotermswiththeharshrealitythatwaterisapreciousandscarceresource,whichmustbeusedwiselyandconservedwheneverpossible.

The physicalscarcity of water isnot theonlyconcern.Localsheriesareverysen-sitivetowatershedhealthtoo.Protectionof local watersheds helps to ensure thelong-termhealthandprotabilityofrec-reationalandcommercialindustriesforallcommunities.ThedeadzoneintheGulfofMexico,expectedtogrowtothesizeofNewJersey,threatenstopermanentlycrippleGulfsheries.

Often, municipal water management

strategiesmustbesharedacrossregionalbordersbecausewatershedsoverlapmul-tiple jurisdictions and water treatmentfacilitiesservemultiplecommunities.Mu-nicipalitiesarealsoinuencedbyamyriadoffederal,regionalandlocalstandardsforwatertreatment,qualityandconservation.

Themostcommonapproachistoaddresstheneedforwaterresourcesustainabilitythrough a targetedwaterstrategy. How-ever,manycommunitiesalsoaddresswa-ter resource concerns through land use

planningandothersmartgrowthpolicieswithagoalofconservingvaluablewaterresources.

Whatiscommontoalllocalitiesistheon-goingpotentialforimprovementsinlocalwateruse eciencyand water resourceprotection. Water resources can be pro-tected and conserved through a varietyof strategies involving: ecient use of

Communityprosperityreliesoncontinuousaccesstocleanwater,fromreliabledrinwatersuppliestocleanwatersthatsupportrecreationandviablecommercialandsshingindustries.Waterisbecomingmorescarcearoundtheworld,aspopulationcrease,surfacewatersandouraquifersaredrainedfasterthannaturecanrechargeth

Many local governments, particularly in the arid West and Southwest, including

Protecting Water Quality and EnsuringFuture Supply


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Landscaping with native plants is a cre-ativewaytoconservewaterandbeautifycommunities, especially in communitieswith desert-like climates. The SouthernNevada Water Authority program onlandscapes provides recommendationsforaridareas.www.snwa.com/html/land_index.html

TheU.S.DepartmentofEnergy,withinitsDepartmentofEnergyEciencyandRe-newableEnergy,hasaprogramthatspe-cicallyaddresseswatereciency.www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/water/water_resources.html

Greenbuilding practices promote waterconservation and wastewater reduction.Some green buildings and facilities usewatercatchmentsystemsandgraywaterrecycling and treatment to capture rainwaterandreusewastewater.Greenroofsprovidestormwatercontrolinadditiontoreducingtheheatislandeectofurban-ized areas. Green buildings often incor-porate water ecient technology suchas aerators, low-volumetoilets, low-owshowerheads and water-ecient land-scapingand/orirrigationsystems.

GreenerBuildings.com estimates thatmanycommercialbuildingscouldreducewateruseby30percentormorethrougheciency measures. More informationandpracticalexamplescanbefoundatw w w . g r e e n e r b u i l d i n g s . c o m /f e a t u r e / 2 0 0 8 / 0 1 / 3 0 / u s i n g - w a t e r -management-strategies-boost-triple-bottom-lineorw w w . g r e e n e r b u i l d i n g s . c o m /b l o g / 2 0 0 8 / 0 5 / 0 8 / s m a r t - w a t e r -management-a-low-risk-green-initiative-with-a-fast-payback

ProtectLocalWatershedsfromPointSourcePollution

Pointsourcewaterpollutionispollutionthatcanbetracedbacktoaspecicdis-chargesource,likeafactoryorwastewatertreatment plant. Discharges from thesesources are usually controlled through

governmentpermitsthatsetlimitsontheamounttheyarepermittedtoreleaseintotheenvironment.

Communitiesthathavecentralizedwaste-water collection and treatment systemsarealreadypartoftheNationalPollutionDischarge Elimination System (NPDES),thefederalregulatoryprogramthatsetslimitsonpollution.http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/

Forareasthatdonthaveexistingpublicwastewatertreatmentsystems,switchingtocentralizedonesmayormaynotbere-alistic,oreventhepreferredoption.Thisdepends on local characteristics suchaspopulation density, climate, topography,geology and how close drinking watersourcesaretohousing.Ifyouarefromasmallercommunity,see:www.epa.gov/OW-OWM.html/mab/smcomm/index.htm

Municipal storm sewer systems are con-sidered point source pollution undermany circumstances and are regulatedunderthefederalNPDESprogram.http://cfpub1.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=6

The use of green design principles cannaturallylterstormwaterrun-o,divert-ingitfromwastewatersystemsandstormdrains. Green infrastructure reduces de-mands on local wastewater treatmentplants,lowerscostsandenergyuse,andprotectsnaturalwaterbodiesfrompollu-tion.http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=298#case

www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lid/costs07/documents/reducingstormwatercosts.pdf

ProtectLocalWatershedsfromNon-pointSourcePollution

Non-pointsourcepollutioniswaterpollu-tionfromurbanrun-oandunregulated
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/water/water_resources.htmlhttp://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/water/water_resources.htmlhttp://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/water/water_resources.html


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MeasuringSuccessIndicators of successful water eciestrategiesmightinclude:

reductions in community watersumption, set benchmarks related tocalities with similar characteristicspopulation,climate,topography)

participationinbothprivatesectorpnerships and residential waterecieprograms

number of new construction (mupalbuildingsand/orgeneralpublic)renovationprojectswithwaterecietechniques

Watershed health can be monitothrough:

annualratesoflocalcompliancewitheralandstatewaterqualityregulation

chemical and physical water qualitdicators (e.g., pH, temperature, nutrlevels,waterclarity,thepresenceoftoandharmfulbacteria)

the level of treatment required toducesafedrinkingwaterandanychantotreatmentregimes

population levels and health of lplantsandanimals(waterandland)

surfacewaterowsandaquiferrecharates

therelativeamountofeachlocalstre

or river that is daylit, or not divethrough underground pipes benebuildings and roads, and has a natbueraroundit

theratioofwater-permeablesurfacesgreenspacestopavedsurfacesorspaoccupiedbybuildingswithconventioroofs

thepercentageoftreecanopycovenewconstructionprojects

non-industrial or agricultural sources. Itaectslocalwatersheds,coastalhabitatsanddegradeswaterqualityposingthreattolong-termwatersecurityandenviron-mentalhealth.

Some strategies to address non-pointsourcepollutionare:

collectionandtreatmentofrunopriortoitsentryintowaterwayshttp://sfwater.org/detail.cfm/MC_ID/14/MSC_ID/118/C_ID/3084

preservation and construction of localwetlands as buers for aquatic naturalsystemswww.cwp.org/Resource_Library/Special_Resource_Management/wetlands.htmwww.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/restore/

on-siterunoretentionand/ortreatmentofrun-oandprovisionsforsurfacesthatarenotimpervioushttp://egov.cityofchicago.orghttp://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us

partnershipswithlocalindustryforeu-ent reductions through green industrialpractices and water conservation mea-suresw w w . c i . b o u l d e r . c o . u s / w w w / p a c e / manufacturing/index.html

education of the general public aboutthe specic non-point sources in theircommunities and the options for mini-mizingimpactswww.epa.gov/owow/nps/toolbox/www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehhm/outreach.html

watershed monitoring with local non-prots, schools and other communitygroupstoidentifyproblemareaswww.epa.gov/volunteer/www.usawaterquality.org/volunteer/links.htmlwww.watershedstewardsproject.com/
http://www.watershedstewardsproject.com/http://www.watershedstewardsproject.com/


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RecommendedResources:EPA and other federal agencies providesubstantial funding for local water infra-structuredevelopment,aswellaswater-shed protection and conservation pro-

grams.Thefollowinglinksareguidesforwaterprojectfundingsources.h t t p : / / c f p u b . e p a . g o v / n p d e s / g r e e n i n f r a s t r u c t u r e /fundingopportunities.cfm#fundingtools

www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf/pdfs/guide_dwsrf_funding_infrastructure.pdf

www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf/pdfs/fs_dwsrf_swp-funding-matrix.pdf

Understanding the regulations is thekey to planning for and acquiring fund-ing. Funded partly by EPA, the NationalEnvironmental Service Centers NationalEnvironmental Training Center for SmallCommunities developed an invaluablecompendium of the regulations, poten-tialchangesandpertinentcontacts.www.nesc.wvu.edu/pdf/train/products/regulations_chart.pdf

EPAs Consumer CondenceReports are

important guides for community waterprovidersservingatleast15connectionsor25peopleyear-round.www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr/index.html

EPAsOceofGroundWaterandDrink-ing Water has extensive information onwaterqualityandlocaldrinkwater.www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html

EPA also regulates total maximum daily

loads(TMDLs),whichisacalculationofthemaximumamountofapollutantthata water body can receive and stillmeetwaterqualitystandards,andanallocationofthatamounttothepollutantssources.ReportsareavailableforeachEPAregionandbystateaswellasaninteractivemap.www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/

Georgia Pollution Prevention AssistanceDivision has an informative SuccessfulWater Eciency Programs for Non-Resi-dentialWaterCustomerspresentation.www.georgiaplanning.com/watertoolkit/Documents/WaterConservationDroughtManagement/SuccessfulWaterEciencyPrograms.ppt

Benchmarking Performance Indicatorsfor Waterand WastewaterUtilities: 2007AnnualSurveyDataandAnalysesReport,producedbytheAmericanWaterWorksAssociationandWaterEnvironmentFed-erationwww.awwa.org/bookstore/productDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=34298

Ontario, Canada, Ministryof the Environ-mentsWaterConservationCaseStudywww.ene.gov.on.ca/programs/3659e.pdf

EPA Information and Resources on Non-pointSourcePollutionwww.epa.gov/owow/nps/whatis.html

WaterEnvironmentResearchFoundationreport has information and case studylinks.www.werf.org/livablecommunities/pdf/benets.pdf

Some states are pursuing water qualitytrading schemes to promote watershedprotectionandsupportthedevelopmentofsustainableinfrastructure.EPAprovidesinformation about eligibility and whichstatesparticipate.www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/trading/tradingmap.html

ConservationTechnologyInformationCenterWaterQualityTrainingGuidewww.conservationinformation.org/?action=learningcenter_publications_waterqualitytrading

EPAs Water Quality Trading Scenario:Multiple Facility Point Source TradingPublicationw w w . e p a . g o v / n p d e s / p u b s /wqtradingtoolkit_multiple-ps.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/wqtradingtoolkit_multiple-ps.pdfhttp://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/wqtradingtoolkit_multiple-ps.pdfhttp://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/wqtradingtoolkit_multiple-ps.pdf


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ThecityofSedona,locatedinthenorthernVerdeValleyregionofArizona,isaveryariddesertcommunity,dep

dentonalimitedsupplyofgroundwater.Waterconservationisanurgentmatteryear-round.

TheSedonaisWaterWiseprogramoersavarietyoftoolstopromotewaterconservation.Recognizingthatohalfofthewaterusewasgoingtolandscapingandirrigation,thecitybegantopromotesimpletechniquessuchtheuseofnativeplantsandcontainerstocatchandstorerainwatertowaterplants.Sedonaalsopromoteswconservationstrategiesforhouses,industry,touristsandpubliceducationfacilities.

Sedonahasimplementedanawardprogramtorecognizeindividuals,organizationsandbusinessesthatdemstratewaterwiseconservationpractices.ItspurposeistopromotetheimportanceofwaterconservationandstimulateagreaterinterestinconservingSedonaswaterbyrecognizingthosewhocontributetoprotectingtpreciousandlimitedresource.

Furtherinformationisavailableonline:www.sedonaaz.gov/egov/sidePage.aspx?dID=906

WaterCaseStudy:Sedona,ArizonaisWaterWise


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BestPracticesandSolutionsEPAandpartnerssuchastheU.S.GreBuilding Council developed extenguidance and resources for green bing and locating green building maalsthatareaccessiblethroughWebsandpublications.EPAoutlinedmajomentsofgreenbuilding:

energyeciencyandrenewableenewaterstewardshipenvironmentallypreferablebuildingterialsandspecications

wastereductiontoxicsindoorenvironment smart growth and sustainable devement

While there are multiple rating systtheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncilsLea

shipinEnergyandEnvironmentalDes(LEED)GreenBuildingRatingSystembecome the most commonly used sdardforgreenbuilding.

Strategies to increase green buildinyourcommunity:

considermandatingallcity-ownedonancedbuildingsmeetLEEDcriteria

oer expedited review for permitszoningapplicationsforbuildingsmeegreenbuildingcriteria,suchasLEED

oerincentives(FARorother)forgrbuildingcomponentssuchasgreenrbikeracksandelectriccarrechargingeas

establish a buildingmaterialreusefity for wood, windows, doors and precycling

oergreenbuildingtrainingtoconsttion industry members and buildingerators

TheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncilestimatesthat the construction of buildings cur-rently accountsfor30percent ofallrawmaterials used in the U.S. A 1996 study,foundthatdisposalofusedbuildingma-terialscomprises60percentofnon-indus-trialU.S.waste.Italsofoundthat20to30percentofbuildingdebriswasalreadybe-ingrecoveredforrecyclingyetmoreop-portunitiesexisttodivertC&Dwastefromlandlls.

A recent boom in green building hasbroughtwithitawealthofnewresources.Greenbuildingproducts,servicesandin-formationaremoreaccessiblethaneverbefore.Thecostofgreenbuildinghasbe-comecheapertoo.Thecostgapbetweengreen and conventional building is clos-ing.Long-termcostsavingsfaroutweighanyadditionalupfrontcosts;relativecostisactually related to project design andmanagement, and not necessarily be-

causeofgreenbuildingpractice.TheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncillistsgov-ernment initiatives as the primary fac-tor driving recent green building sectorgrowth, and anticipates a 62 percentgrowth in public sector green buildingprojects. Larger cities such as Boston ,Chicago,Dallas,NewYork,Portland(OR),SanFrancisco,SanJose(CA),Seattle,andWashington, DC have already createdmandatory greenbuilding requirements

forallmunicipalbuildings,ashavesmallercitiessuchasChulaVista(CA),Greensburg(KS),Pleasanton(CA),Scottsdale(AZ),andWestHollywood(CA).

Environmentallysoundbuildingiscentraltolocalsustainability.Eachbuildingmatehasitsownhistoryofenergyandwateruse,rawmaterialextractionandpossiblyeenvironmentalpollution.Theselectionofenvironmentallysoundrecycledandrawterialscansubstantiallyreducebothon-siteando-siteenvironmentalimpactsofcstruction.

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developalocaldirectoryofgreenbuild-ingbusinessesandservices

designateadistrictwithtaxincentivestoencouragethedevelopmentoflocalbusi-nesses that specialize in green buildingmaterialsandsupplies

TIP: Shop for ideas from other cities forgreenbuildingordinances:http://ag.ca.gov/globalwarming/pdf/green_building.pdf

MeasuringSuccessSuccessismeasuredinnumerouswaysintheeldofgreenbuilding,althoughthemosttypicalmeasuresfocusoneciencysavings for energy and water or renew-ableenergygenerated.Indicatorsofsuc-cessmightinclude:

usage of green materials in local newconstructionandrenovations

localavailabilityofgreenbuildingmateri-als

numberoflocalLEEDcertiedbuildingsandaccreditedprofessionals

numberofpeopleemployedandoveralleconomicgrowthoflocalgreenconstruc-tion-relatedindustries

amountofconstructionwastebeingdi-verted,ormeasureabledecreasesincon-struction-relatedwasteproduction

attendanceratingsatgreenbuildingslikeschoolsorbusinesses

employeesatisfactionandretentionratescomparedtoindustrystandards

amountofrenewableenergygeneratedbygreenbuildings

cost per square foot of public greenbuilding projects and savings in annualoperationscosts

Harder to measure, but equally impor-tant, are more subjective indicators of

success,suchasperceivedlocalqualityoflife,healthandwell-beingofbuildingoc-cupants,aestheticcontributionsofgreenbuildingsandcommunitypride.

The sustainability of building materials,and even whole buildings, can also bequantitatively measured through life-cycleassessment.Life-cycleassessment

isananalyticalprocessthroughwhichaproduct,inthiscaseabuildingmaterial,isevaluatedthroughoutitsentirelifeforitsenvironmental impact. This includes thenatural resources used, pollution gener-atedandanyenvironmentaldegradationinvolvedinitsproduction,shipment,useandeventualdisposal.

Fortunately, simplied models andcomputer-based systems have beendeveloped to assist in this process, andlife-cycleassessmentshavealreadybeencompleted for many construction prod-ucts. Similar tools exist for calculatingspecicimpacts,suchasgreenhousegascontributions, and can easily be locatedthroughWebsitessuchastheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncilsResourcespage.

RecommendedResources:EPAinformationongreenbuildingwww.epa.gov/opptintr/greenbuilding

U.S.GreenBuildingCouncilwww.usgbc.org/resourcesw w w . u s g b c . o r g / D i s p l a y P a g e .aspx?CMSPageID=1779

AGreenPlaybookforLocalGovernmentswww.greenplaybook.org/

CaliforniaSustainableBuildingToolkitwww.ciwmb.ca.gov/Greenbuilding/

Toolkit.htm

ASourcebookforGreenandSustainableBuildingwww.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/

FieldGuideforSustainableConstruction

www.p2pays.org/ref/41/40904.pdf

Building Design and Construction Net-workwww.bdcnetwork.com/

GreenBuildingForumwww.greenbuildingtalk.com/
http://www.greenbuildingtalk.com/http://www.greenbuildingtalk.com/


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GreenerBuildingswww.greenerbuildings.com/

Materials and Products

EPA Comprehensive Buildings and Con-structionResourcesPagewww.epa.gov/epp/pubs/products/ construction.htm

GreenSpec-listed green building prod-uctswww.buildinggreen.com/menus/index.cfm

Building Materials Reuse Association Na-tionalDirectorywww.buildingreuse.org/directory/

EPAComprehensiveProcurementGuide-linesmaterialsupplierdatabasehttp://cpg.epa.tms.icfi.com/user/cpg_search.cfm

GreenBuildingPages,anonlineresourcesandgreenproductlocatorwww.greenbuildingpages.com/

Forest Stewardship Council sustainableforestproducts/greenbuildingWebsitewww.fscus.org/green_building/

The ENERGY STAR qualied productsdirectory lists energy ecient buildingtechnologies(e.g.,heating,cooling,elec-trical,insulationandwindows).www.energystar.gov

Greenguard Environmental InstitutesGreenguardProductGuidew w w . g r e e n g u a r d . o r g / D e f a u l t .aspx?tabid=12

GreenSealslistsofenvironmentallycerti-edproducts(windowsanddoors)www.greenseal.org/findaproduct/index.cfm

EPAsWaterSenseProgramWebsitehasadirectoryofwaterecientproducts.www.epa.gov/watersense/

TheSouthCoastAirQualityManagementDistricts green solvent database has in-formation on non-toxic substances (e.g.,solventsandadhesives).www.aqmd.gov/rules/cas/prolist.html

EPAoerslife-cycleassessmentresources,including the Life-Cycle Assessment101tool.www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/lcaccess/lca101.htmlwww.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/lcaccess/resources.html#EPA%20Documents


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Green Building Case Study:Portland, OregonGreen Building Campaign Reaps Rewards

Portlandhasestablisheditselfasanationalleaderingreenbuilding.With36LEEDcertiedbuildings,PortlcurrentlyrankswithcitiessuchasChicagoandSeattle,whichareknownfortheirleadershipingreenbuilding

distinguishedbythelargenumbersofgreenbuildingstheycontain.

In2001,PortlandadoptedaresolutionmandatingLEEDcerticationforallcity-fundedconstructionandmrenovationprojects.ThispolicyalsoformalizedtheeortsofPortlandsnewlyformedOceofSustainableDeopment,prescribingproactiveengagementwiththepublicandgreenbuildingstewardship.AlsodevelopedtheGreenInvestmentFund,toprovidegrantsforgreenbuildingprojects.

In2005,Portlandadoptedanotherresolutiontostrengthenthepreviouspolicy,increasingtherequiremennewcityconstructionprojectstoLEEDGoldcertication,andalsorequiringexistingcitybuildingstobebrouguptoLEEDSilvercertication.

Portlandhasacomprehensiveoutreachprogram,andoersfreetechnicalassistancetothoseinterestedinpa

patinginitsboominggreenbuildingeconomy.ThroughitsOceofSustainableDevelopmentanditsWebthecityoersanabundanceofinformationandorganizesregularoutreacheorts.

Greenbuildingownershavereportedlowerenergybillsand,inmanycases,reducedoperationandmaintenacosts.Portlandisnowreapingthefruitsofitsbustlinggreenconstructioneconomy,withtheinfrastructurerinplaceforcontinuedsuccessineortstowardsustainabledevelopment.

ForfurtherinformationonPortlandsgreenbuildingprogram,goto:www.portlandonline.com/OSD/index.cfm?c=ebeibGreenBuildExpo:www.greenbuildexpo.org/About/archives.htmlLEEDProjects:www.usgbc.org/LEED/Project/CertiedProjectList.aspx?CMSPageID=247


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MeasuringSuccessSome specic indicators of succesgreenprocurementare:

amount of post-consumer recyproductsused(e.g.,ocesupplies,bsuppliedbyvendors,etc.)

numberandvolumeofcleaningpuctspurchasedfromanapprovedgrsupplier

use of non-toxic carpets, paintssealants

percentageofenergy-ecientligh

equipment and heating/air condiingsystems

percentageofwater-ecientxtureservicesrenderedforgreeneventspurchasesfromgreenfoodsuppliers


ForfullaccesstoallthetoolsavailpleasevisitEPAsEPPWebsitewww.epa.gov/epp/tools/index.htm

EPAs Comprehensive ProcuremGuidelinesSupplierDatabaseisaseaable guide to providers of everythfrombicyclerackstosignage.http://cpg.epa.tms.icfi.com/user/csearch.cfm

EPAs EPP Assistant allows users

quantify and prioritize their greenchasing eorts through a life cyclesessment.http://pie.earthster.org/

Green procurement buying environ-

mentally friendly products wheneverpossible is one of the easiest strate-giestoimplementatthelocallevel.Itcan be done incrementally as equip-ment or supplies are purchased andcontracts are renewed. A key advan-tageofgreenprocurementisthattheprinciples are applicable at almost ev-erylevelofcommercialactivity,fromasingle-personhouseholdtothelargestorganizationintheworld.In1993,EPAintroducedtheEnvironmentally