ProGov21 Policy Library

Contracts for Burning Trash in Incinerators Should Not be Awarded

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) -

Source American Sustainable Business Council

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

There is no good business case for trash incineration. Burning trash is the most expensive form of electricity generation, creates pollution that raises health costs to the public, destroys valuable resources, and produces the fewer jobs than comparable capital projects. The trash...

2008 King County Proposed Ordinance 107: Sustainable Development & Green Building

Type Act or Session Law

Year 2008

Level County

State(s) Washington

Source King County Council

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

This ordinance continues King County’s requirement to use green building and sustainable development practices in all capital projects that the county plans or grants funds for. Green building and sustainable development practices are those that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce...

2018 New York City Local Law Int. 0868-2018 Building Water Management

Type Ordinance

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source New York City Council

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Housing, Health

This local law would require building owners to provide tenants with water filtration pitchers that are certified to reduce lead concentrations in water, install water filtration or treatment systems that are certified to reduce lead concentrations, or take a sample annually from...

Healthier Streets: How Superblocks and Congestion Pricing Can Help Reduce Air Pollution in Washington, D.C.

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level City or Town, State

State(s) -

Source Journal of Science Policy & Governance

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Transportation & Mobility

The report outlines the current air pollution and transportation issue in Washington, D.C. which looks to reduce the use of cars and their impact on air pollution and smog in the city. The concentration of air pollutants in DC makes it a top 20 city with the highest smog in the United...

Global Scenarios for the Century Ahead: Searching for Sustainability

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2010

Level State, National

State(s) All States

Source Tellus Institute

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Food

This report explores the challenge of sustainability by considering four different scenarios that may emerge in the future: Market Forces (in which policy prioritizes economic growth and free trade), Policy Reform (which assumes a large-scale implementation of reform policies aimed...

Net Zero Energy Roadmap for the City of Burlington, Vermont

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) Vermont

Source City of Burlington, Vermont

Policy Areas Community Development, Energy, Transportation & Mobility

Pollution and energy inefficiency are exacerbating the global climate crisis, but cities can pass local policies to address these issues. The City of Burlington, Vermont launched the net-zero-energy program in 2018 to eliminate fossil fuel use by the ground transportation and heating...

Common Mistakes in Drafting Smokefree Indoor Air Ordinances

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2004

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Americans For Nonsmokers's Rights

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Community Development, Public Spaces, Health

This report serves as a resource for developing smoke-free indoor air laws and is a companion piece to the Prohibition of Smoking in all Workplaces and Public Places model ordinance. The report outlines common errors to avoid while developing and drafting an ordinance that prohibits...

Local Policies for Environmental Justice: A National Scan

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source The New School

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health

While local zoning codes and land use policies historically have been tools for segregating people and concentrating pollution in low-income communities and communities of color, community-based advocacy can transform these same tools into means for addressing cumulative burdens borne...

Transforming the Trash in Urban America

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2013

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Partnership for Working Families

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Community Development

By introducing new systems for managing trash, cities can move toward zero waste and capture a range of worker, community, and environmental benefits. In particular, through implementing sustainable recycling programs, local governments can utilize trash management systems to fight...

Fueling the Fire: Why Any Fossil Fuel Industry Bailout Will Be Disastrous for Communities of Color

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town, State, National

State(s) All States

Source Partnership for Working Families

Policy Areas Civil Rights, Environment & Natural Resources, Health

Environmental racism and the subsequent chronic exposure to air pollution has been identified as one of the biggest contributing factors to higher rates of severe illness and death from COVID-19 within Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities. Fossil fuel plants are among the top...

Rivers & Roads: Opportunities to Better Integrate Green Infrastructure and Transportation Projects in Atlanta, GA and Toledo, OH

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) Georgia, Ohio

Source American Rivers

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement

When rainwater hits hard surfaces like roads and parking lots, it runs along the surface till it flows into a storm drain, river, or stream. Known as stormwater runoff, this water picks up pollutants such as heavy metals, brake linings, and deicing salts which contaminate local waters....

Adaption Toolkit: Sea-level Rise and Coastal Land Use

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2013

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Georgetown Climate Center

Policy Areas Energy, Community Development, Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources

Climate change is happening. Past greenhouse gas emissions have committed us to decades of rising temperatures and seas. Recent studies, factoring in ice-sheet melt, estimate that we may experience an average of up to 6 feet of sea-level rise across the globe over the next century....

2019 New York City Local Law Int.1138-2018 Inspecting Water Tanks

Type Ordinance

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source New York City Council

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health

This local law requires the department of health and mental hygiene to review documentation of annual inspections of water tanks where harmful bacteria are found. It also requires the department to post the results of the documentation review on its website....

Congestion Pricing in the United States: Principles for Developing a Viable Program to Advance Sustainability and Equity Goals

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Eno Center for Transportation

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement, Transportation & Mobility

This report outlines principles that should be considered when creating congestion pricing programs, including establishing a clear and equitable vision for the program, creating a strong connection between revenue raised by the program and spending, establishing transportation options...

Responding to Water Stagnation in Buildings With Reduced or No Water Use: A Framework for Building Managers

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source American Water Works Association

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health

Stagnation within building water systems is the condition in building plumbing when water is not being used and water remains still within the plumbing network. During stagnation, water quality issues may develop. The purpose of this document is to help building managers assess and...

A Rain Ready Nation: Protecting American Homes and Businesses in a Changing Climate

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Center for Neighborhood Technology

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Community Development, Public Spaces, Energy

As ever more destructive storms pummel our towns and cities, we are increasingly confronted by flooded homes and businesses, disruption of municipal services, overflowing streams and rivers, and compromised drinking water. Destructive weather events cost tens of billions of dollars...

100% Just Energy Platform

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2019

Level City or Town, State, National

State(s) All States

Source People's Action

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

A 100% Just Energy Economy must go beyond simply replacing fossil fuels; in order to be 100% Just, it must include other key elements, such as renewable fuels, an end to sacrifice zones, and good green jobs targeted to the communities that have survived decades of divestment. This...

Staying Green: Strategies to Improve Operations and Maintenance of Green Infrastructure in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source American Rivers

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

Polluted stormwater runoff is one of the largest growing sources of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. To mitigate this problem, green infrastructure practices can be used to manage urban runoff by capturing and infiltrating rainwater where it falls. One of the major challenges to the...

Policy Recommendations to Reinvigorate Recycling in Arizona

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level State

State(s) Arizona

Source Journal of Science Policy & Governance

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

This report reviews state legislation and interviews waste management coordinators to identify the key challenges and opportunities for improving recycling in Arizona municipalities. China’s 2018 ban on importing recyclables has disrupted recycling programs across the United States....

Banking on Green: A Look at How Green Infrastructure Can Save Municipalities Money and Provide Economic Benefits Community-wide

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source American Rivers

Policy Areas Energy, Finance & Procurement, Community Development, Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources

Green infrastructure practices provide a variety of benefits across the range of flood magnitudes. Common green infrastructure practices used to target flood management include green roofs, bioretention, water quality swales, and infiltration basins and trenches. While most effective...

Community Benefits Agreement: LAX Master Plan Program

Type Ordinance

Year 2004

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source City of Los Angeles

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance, Housing, Public Safety

This Community Benefits Agreement between Los Angeles and the redevelopers of the city's LAX airport sets forth a range of community benefits that must be provided by the Los Angeles World Airports, including benefits related to local hiring, living wage, job training, civil rights...

Natural Security: How Sustainable Water Strategies are Preparing Communities for a Changing Climate

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2009

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source American Rivers

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health

Current strategies of managing water are outdated and ineffective at addressing aging water systems and climate change. In contrast to traditional water management approaches that rely solely on pipes, levees, and dams, this report urges cities to embrace green infrastructure. Drawing...

2011 Wales Ordinance 3 Prohibiting the Extraction of Natural Gas and Oil

Type Ordinance

Year 2011

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source Town of Wales

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Public Safety

This local law bans individuals and corporations from engaging in the extraction of natural gas or oil through the processes of hydraulic fracturing or horizontal gas well drilling within the Town of Wales. Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal gas well drilling endangers the health,...

Model Ordinance Prohibiting Smoking in Outdoor Places of Employment and Public Places

Type Model Law

Year 2012

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Americans For Nonsmokers' Rights

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Public Spaces

This model ordinance prohibits smoking in outdoor places of employment, outdoor public places, outdoor residential facilities, and city or county owned property. It defines the enforcement of the law, penalties for violating the law's terms, and posting requirements for "no smoking"...

Model Ordinance Prohibiting Smoking In All Workplaces and Public Places

Type Model Law

Year 2011

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights

Policy Areas Public Spaces, Health, Environment & Natural Resources

This model ordinance prohibits smoking in public places (e.g. restaurants, health care facilities, and retail stores), places of employment, private clubs, residential facilities, and certain outdoor areas. It also grants any person in control of an establishment (i.e. owners, operators,...

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