How the scores are computed:

Council members earn positive marks by casting pro-environment votes and for co-sponsoring bills that have not reached the floor by June 30, 2009. Five bills have been identified as “weighted” legislation. Members receive three points for supporting these important bills and one point for supporting each other legislative item listed in this scorecard. For the full text of all of these bills, visit www.council.nyc.gov [1].

Green Buildings and Energy Efficiency

Existing commercial and residential buildings account for much of the city’s energy consumption and 79 percent of its overall greenhouse gas emissions. A concerted effort to support conservation and efficiency in existing buildings is needed in order to reduce New York City’s mammoth appetite for energy and help combat climate change. To encourage this, Speaker Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg have proposed a groundbreaking package of green buildings legislation. These bills would provide building owners with relevant tools to assess the current energy efficiency of their buildings and complete equipment upgrades while conducting other renovations.

• Green Buildings Package:

1. Energy Efficiency (Intro. 476, Mark-Viverito) would equip building owners with tools to assess the energy and water efficiency of their buildings. Current efficiency and consumption information will enable owners to take steps to reduce their energy and water use, as well as their greenhouse gas emissions. Council Member Mark-Viverito introduced the legislation on Nov. 11, 2006. A hearing was held on June 26, 2009 and the bill remains in the Committee on Environmental Protection. (weighted bill)
2. Upgrade Lighting (Intro. 973, Recchia) would require owners of large buildings to upgrade all lighting no later than Dec. 31, 2022, and proposes that upgrades be done along with other building renovations. It was introduced on April 22, 2009, and referred to the Committee on Environmental Protection. A hearing was held on June 26, 2009. (weighted bill)
3. Energy Audits (Intro. 967, Gennaro) would require large buildings to undergo energy audits every 10 years and undertake improvements to central systems that reduce energy use and the cost of operating the building. It was introduced on April 22, 2009 and it remains in the Committee on Environmental Protection. A hearing was held on June 26, 2009. (weighted bill)
4. Energy Code (Intro. 564, Garodnick) would adopt a New York City Energy Code modeled on the New York State Energy Code. This bill sets standards for energy performance of new buildings and closes a major loophole in the existing state code by requiring that renovations covering less than fifty percent of a building be compliant with the code. This legislation was introduced on April 23, 2007 and a hearing was held on June 26, 2009. (weighted bill)
   

• Air Conditioners (Intro. 264, Brewer)/ Local Law No. 38 prohibits commercial establishments from unnecessarily opening their doors while air conditioning is on, in an effort to conserve energy and reduce strain on the electric grid. The legislation provides for escalating civil penalties for successive violations and specifies the Department of Consumer Affairs as the enforcing authority. Intro. 264 was approved by City Council on Aug. 14, 2008 and signed in to law by Mayor Bloomberg on Sept. 3, 2008.

Sustainable Transportation

New York City is the most transit- and pedestrian-friendly city in the United States. Use of mass transit reduces greenhouse gas emissions, controls traffic congestion and contributes significantly to the economic viability of the region. The Council’s recent initiatives to promote the use of sustainable transportation by approving congestion pricing must be supplemented with improved mass transit capacity and improved cycling accommodations.

• Congestion Pricing (Res. 1346, Quinn) called on the state Legislature to implement the congestion pricing plan proposed by the New York City Congestion Mitigation Commission. The resolution was approved by the Council on March 31, 2008. (weighted bill)
  
  
• Bicycle Storage (Intro. 871, Yassky) would require building owners and managers to allow for bicycle entry into their buildings and provide safe bicycle storage, thereby promoting a healthy and emissions-free mode of transportation. This legislation was introduced on Nov. 13, 2008 and had a joint committee hearing held by the Committee on Transportation and Committee on Consumer Affairs.  
  

Smart Growth and Sustainability

In order to accommodate a growing population with expanding energy needs while remaining fiscally responsible, New York City’s sustainability initiatives must be framed within the context of economic growth. The 7,600 acres of contaminated land in the five boroughs represent a tremendous opportunity to connect brownfield redevelopment efforts with a smart-growth agenda. Redeveloped property would provide affordable housing, more open space and transit-oriented development. An effective smart-growth agenda must encompass a variety of interconnected planning issues and enable communities to develop comprehensive and proactive growth-management plans that encourage economic growth while protecting the environment.

• Brownfields (Intro. 21, Gennaro) codifies the Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) within the Mayor’s Office of Operations and within the Department of Environmental Protection. This office is charged with developing brownfields policy, coordinating the city’s brownfield remediation efforts, supporting community planning and involvement, and managing brownfield incentive programs. The bill was introduced on Feb. 1, 2006 and after two hearings held by the Committee on Environmental Protection, it was approved by the Council on April 22, 2009 and signed into law by the mayor on May 11, 2009.

• Sustainability Goals (Intro. 395, Gennaro)/ Local Law No. 17 codifies the Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability, and focuses on establishing sustainability goals for the city in areas such as climate protection, air quality, energy efficiency and conservation, water quality, waste reduction and recycling, toxins and hazardous materials, transportation and open space, land use and natural resources. It requires that each goal be accompanied by measurable indicators and 5-, 10-, and 20-year targets. The bill was introduced on July 19, 2006. It was approved by Council on April 30, 2008 and signed into law on May 6, 2008.
  
  
• Pay Stubs (Intro. 702, Lappin)/ Local Law No. 31 requires that the pay stub of each city employee receiving direct deposit be made available electronically and be accessible through a secure password-protected Web site. The bill was introduced on Feb. 13, 2008 and approved by the Council on June 29, 2008.
  

Air and Water Quality

Clean air and water are crucial for maintaining local ecosystems and public health. Efforts to limit air pollution include implementing congestion pricing, encouraging bicycling and expanding mass transit. In addition to these goals, New York City should require ferries to use ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel to further reduce local air pollution, specifically soot.

Improperly managed stormwater runoff leads to flooding and sewer backups that threaten New York City’s clean-water supply. These effects can be mitigated by expanding current sustainability initiatives to include an investment in landscape designs that mimic natural systems and retain or detain rainfall.

• Diesel Fuel (Intro. 169, Gerson) would require the use of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and the best available technology for reducing the emission of pollutants by diesel fuel-powered private ferries. The bill specifies that the ferry operator shall “primarily consider the reduction in emissions of particulate matter and secondarily consider the reduction in emissions of nitrogen oxides associated with the use of such technology.” The bill was introduced March 1, 2006, and referred to the Committee on Environmental Protection on March 1, 2006. It has not had a committee hearing.

• Stormwater (Intro. 628, Gennaro) relates to the development and implementation of a sustainable stormwater management plan. It requires that the city’s current tree-planting programs be designed to maximize the capture and retention of stormwater. The bill was introduced on October 17, 2007 and referred to the Committee on Environmental Protection. A hearing has not been scheduled for this bill.

Oppose

• Air Monitors (Intro. 650, Vallone) mandates that chemical and radiological detectors be operated “only with the knowledge of appropriate city agencies” and stipulates that “the possession and deployment of atmospheric detectors should be regulated by the issuance of permits.” The broad nature of these provisions unduly hampers atmospheric monitoring efforts for academic and scientific purposes. Two hearing were held on this legislation, which was introduced on Nov. 15, 2007. The bill remains in the Committee on Public Safety.