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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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