Rensselaer County Executive Kathleen Jimino will serve on an EPA advisory board.  Around 300 miles separate Washington D.C. from Troy, N.Y., but Rensselaer County Executive Kathleen Jimino is hoping to decrease the distance between federal environmental goals and local governments.

Jimino recently accepted an appointment to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Local Government Advisory Committee. Founded in 1993, the committee provides advice and recommendations to help the EPA develop stronger partnerships with communities across the country and improve environmental protection on the municipal, county, state and federal levels.

“The Environmental Protection Agency has a tremendous impact on the future of the various communities in our area that will be significantly impacted by their previous and future decisions. From the dredging of the Hudson River to brownfield clean up and redevelopment, as well as numerous other projects, my goal will be to ensure that our local opinions are heard and duly noted,” Jimino said of her appointment.

The Local Government Advisory Committee has 30 members representing local and state governments, as well as environmental interest and labor groups. Members serve an unpaid two-year term, after which they may be reappointed twice. Jimino’s term will run until May 2009. The committee maintains workgroups on water, solid waste, watersheds, coastline and military issues, as well as a subcommittee that focuses on small communities of fewer than 2,500 residents.

The committee is charged with making recommendations to the EPA on a wide range of environmental topics, such as regulatory reform, pollution prevention, new technologies, performance management and improving coordination between the various levels of government. The committee also seeks to engage towns, villages and counties across the country to better plan for a more environmentally sustainable future, including investing in sewer and water infrastructure, expanding recycling programs, reducing emissions from vehicle fleets and sharing new techniques.

In addition, the committee recommends changes to the EPA to allow communities flexibility in meeting environmental regulations without compromising performance, and helping local governments find funds to deal with the challenge of financing necessary infrastructure.

“Balancing the need to protect our vast natural resources against the need to grow our economic base to keep taxes affordable is vital to maintaining the quality of life we enjoy,” Jimino added.

Newsletter Issue

• Ecopolitics Monthly --- August 2007