Questions for municipal politicians

From: ay500@chebucto.ns.ca
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
Cc: sillyteacup@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 13:58:30 -0300
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Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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Information from the Federation of Canadian Muncipality home page:  Questions 
for  muncipal gov reps
 http://www.fcm.ca/

  
MUNICIPAL POLICY ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Do you have a policy statement on environmental issues?
Is it predicated on a sustainable development approach?
Do you involve citizens, the private sector, environmental groups and others in 
the environmental planning for your municipality?

As recommended in the World Commission on Environment and Development, we must 
be committed to sustainable development, that is, we must pursue a course which 
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future 
generations to meet their own needs. We must integrate economic and 
environmental considerations in decision-making. Municipalities must take an 
integrated and sustainable approach to future planning in such areas as waste 
management,water quality and supply, land use and development, energy 
efficiency, transportation, and economic development.

  WASTE MANAGEMENT

Do your policies follow the hierarchy of the Rs?
Do you prioritize the promotion and funding of your waste management programs?

  DOES YOUR MUNICIPALITY:

Have a waste diversion target of 25% by the year 1992 and 50% by the year 2000 
based on the hierarchy of the Rs (using 1988 as the base year);
undertake waste audits of their own operations;
have procurement policies that:

       a) favour purchasing products and services that reflect waste reduction, 
reuse and
       recycling; and

       b) restrict the amount of excess packaging;

undertake waste reduction programs, providing information, advice, incentives 
by-laws to alter waste generating behaviour or reduce the amount of waste 
requiring treatment or disposal;
ban the dumping in your landfill site by commercial haulers of materials that 
are reusable or recyclable;
have tipping fees at your landfill site(s) reflect the full costs of disposal in 
order to 
encourage waste reduction and provide revenue during the life of the landfill to 
cover the costs of closure, maintenance and replacement of the site; 
have waste collection user fees; and investigate opportunities for landfill gas 
management.

  SEWER, WATER AND WASTE WATER

  DOES YOUR MUNICIPALITY:

       have sewer use by-laws controlling chemical discharges into sewers;

       in keeping with the principle of user/polluter pay, obtain from the 
industrial discharges,

       costs of enforcing municipal sewer discharge controls that target these;

       encourage household hazardous waste collection systems operated by either 
the private or public sectors;

       promote, through public education programs, the use of alternatives to 
existing toxic products; 

       pursue efforts and encourage other municipalities to control storm-water 
pollution at the source;

       charge water user fees and sewer surcharges that reflect the true cost of 
current service and provide resources for upgrading water and waste water 
infrastructure;

       pursue efforts to control stormwater pollution at the source;

       encourage household hazardous waste collection systems operated by either 
the private or
       public sectors; 

       undertake a water audit of its operations;

       have a water conservation policy;

       have a public awareness program designed to encourage efficient use of 
water and industry
       by consumers;

       have water pricing practices that discourage overuse as well as marginal 
cost decreases for
       higher volumes consumed;

       have by-laws that require low flush toilets and urinals in new 
developments;

       use and encourage xeriscaping to conserve water through creative 
landscaping;

       have a rebate program to encourage participation in municipal water 
efficiency programs;

       discourage water use, through surcharges and restrictions, during peak 
periods; and

       encourage the use of water from other sources for non-potable use.

  LAND USE AND HOUSING

  DOES YOUR MUNICIPALITY:

       have an urban development plan to restrict urban sprawl and use 
intensification to diminish
       pollution;

       through a review, certify that its land use plan has negligible 
environmental impacts and that
       bio-diversity is protected;

       through its by-laws, ensure that housing opportunities within the 
existing stock are being
       maximized; 

       review its building codes/standards with a view to reducing waste and the 
use of
       nonrenewable and toxic materials.

       review its building codes/standards with a view to reducing waste and the 
use of
       non-renewable and toxic materials; and

       ensure that municipal policies and programs protect lands of particular 
ecological or
       environmental significance.

  AIR

  DOES YOUR MUNICIPALITY:

       encourage household hazardous waste collection systems operated by either 
the private or
       public sectors; 
      
have a policy target of 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by the year 
2005; 
       participate in climate change campaigns such as FCM's 20% Club or 
Canadian Cities for
       Climate Protection; 
       
encourage municipal fleet managers to increase fuel efficiency of their fleet 
and increase
       the use of alternate fuels; 
       
ensure that infrastructure required to support alternate modes of transportation 
such as
       walking and cycling is adequate; 
       
undertake energy audits of its own facilities; 
       
participate in Public Energy Canada; 
       
have policies that favour public transit over automobiles; 
       
encourage and promote the use of public transit via appropriate tax measures; 
      
 support the shift to more energy efficiency means of transportation; and 
       
renounce the use of products which require CFCs in manufacturing or operation. 

  ENERGY

  DOES YOUR MUNICIPALITY:

       have an energy conservation program for its operations; 
       
have information and education campaigns to encourage the public to conserve 
energy; and 
      
belong to the FCM 20% Club that encourages efforts to reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions
       within their own operations and their community as a whole. 

Rochelle Owen

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