“Spring '18 Climate Emergency Mobilization:” Policy Questionnaire

Dear Councilmember,

We are a national movement (www.theclimatemobilization.org) committed to eliminating all

Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) within ten years by means of a WW II-scale mobilization. In
response to our request, Montgomery County (MoCo) Council declared a climate emergency on Dec.
5,thset goals of eliminating 80% of GHG by 2027 and 100% by 2035 and called for a “massive global
mobilization to restore a safe climate and build a sustainable economy.” Thank you.

Now, as a growing coalition called the “Spring '18 Emergency Climate Mobilization:”,
the MoCo Chapter of The Climate Mobilization, 350 MoCo, Maryland Women's Alliance for
Democracy and Justice, MoCo Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions and a growing number of
MoCo climate groups and activists are requesting Council to take the following actions to begin that
mobilization this Spring, before the Primary Election. Please note that some of these are bills and
resolutions seeking lead or co-sponsors while some are simple expressions of support (e.g. initiatives
for greener buildings and divestment from fossil fuels. ) If no Councilmember is listed for proposed
legislation or for more information on the expressions of support, please contact us. After each item, we
would appreciate your indicating your support by circling Y for Yes, N for No or U for Undecided.
Please return your responses April 10th and we will circulate your response or lack of response within
our coalition, the larger climate movement in the County and the public.

Implementation of on the Dec. 5th Emergency Resolution:

1.Office of the Climate Emergency Mobilization. Dealing with the climate emergency will require a
detailed implementation plan. While the Climate Protection Plan was a forward-thinking document, it
is not adequate as the basis of a new plan, given how much has changed in 10 years. The 80% GHG
reduction goal will require reductions of at least 8% a year, four times faster than the previous target of
80% by 2050. As most County residents and employees have little idea of the climate emergency and
the scale and speed of the transformation that needs to be occur right here in the County, the Office
should also include a program of Public Awareness and a Climate Summit. Therefore, will you support
the inclusion in the 2019 budget of an Office of Climate Emergency Mobilization reporting directly to
the County Executive with a budget of $1 million for staff, public awareness and professional
assistance to develop the Climate Emergency Mobilization Plan. This is our top priority. (Leventhal,
Berliner and Hucker have filed a narrower bill 10-18responding to our request on this on topic; we will
seek amendments to match this description.) Y/N/U
2.

2.County Council incorporation of Emergency Climate Mobilization goals into the budget
process. Will you use the budget review process to ensure that each department and agency budget
advances the County's new green house gas reduction goals? Y/N/U
3.

3.Climate Test. To ensure that all of County government contributes to advancing

climate goals will you support the creation of a methodology that can be applied
to evaluate the impact of any major proposed plan, regulation, investment or
operational decision on county climate goals, to be implemented throughout the
county within 90 days. Y/N/U

4.Climate Emergency Mobilization Citizens Advisory Board. Will you support the creation of a
such a Board to assist the Council and Executive in developing and implementing a plan to achieve the
county’s greenhouse goals? Y/N/U

First Steps Towards a “80% by 2027” Plan:

Tighten Up Buildings: Since roughly half of MoCo's currently-measured GHG still results from
residential and commercial buildings, we must eventually eliminate all GHG from new construction
and decrease emissions dramatically from existing buildings. As specific first steps, will you urge
County staff to explore the following areas for possible legislation:

1, Commercial buildings: Encourage the County staff and the energy benchmarking stakeholders group
to: a. explore state approval to substitute a criterion which specifically measures GHG emissions, such
as Zero Energy Performance Index (ZEPI), as the trigger for the existing property tax credit; b.
reconsider full or partial re-commissioning after current benchmarking and c. explore the range of other
alternatives open to the commercial sector. Y/N/U

2. Residences: To increase participation in existing, but currently underutilized state programs, for
rentals or purchases of residences, explore with utilities and other interested parties the inclusion of a
postcard with every the rental or purchase agreement, addressed to Empower MD, with an ‘opt out’
option, seeking any free audit and information such as the ‘Quick Home Energy Checkup.’ Y/N/U

Electrify Vehicles. The other half, roughly, of GHG currently measured by the County comes from
internal combustion engines for transportation. Eventually, MoCo will have to eliminate fossil-fuel
vehicles and replace many with electric vehicles, as well as greatly expand public transportation
options and smart growth. As first steps, I will support the following:

1. Landlords of multi-family buildings must provide charging stations if a tenant requests it, in return
for a reasonable monthly charge. (Riemer drafting a bill) Y/N/U.

2. All new construction, residential or commercial, in MoCo must be pre-wired for electric car charging
stations (not the charging station itself). (Riemer drafting a bill) Y/N/U

Solarize: In order to generate adequate clean energy, MoCo will eventually have to put solar panels on
most of the suitable roofs in the County, generating roughly a gigawatt. We will also have to generate
or purchase somewhat more than that from solar arrays—with additional power from wind and
geothermal and clean sources on the grid. As specific first steps towards this transformation, I support
the following:

1. Change zoning text to allow the installation of community solar projects that exceed the 120% on-
site energy production cap. (Hucker and Leventhal introduced ZTA 18-01) Y/N/U

2. Change zoning text to exempt commercial solar projects from the site plan process (Hucker and
Leventhal are drafting bill.) Y/N/U

3. A requirement that all newly built single family and townhouses in MoCo contain a solar option.
(Elrich is sponsor of bill 12-18) Y/N/U

4. A requirement that all new and extensively modified commercial construction have either a solar,
garden or reflective roof (Elrich is sponsor of Bill 11-18.)Y/N/U

Eliminate Fossil-Fuel Infrastructure and Investment. I will support the following:

1. Moving Montgomery County from Incineration to Zero Waste – Will you ensure that the trash
incinerator closes by the end of its current contract in 2021? Y/N/U
2. Coal and gas plant. The Dickerson Generating Station burns coal, oil and gas in Dickerson, and is the
county's largest air polluter. They promisedseveral years ago to stop burning coal by May, 2017, and
did not stop. They now report to the federal government that they plan to close the entire plant by May,
2021. Will you support all legislative efforts to close that the Dickerson Generating Station by 2021?
Y/N/U

3. The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection is working on a contract through

the Northeast Maryland Waste DisposalAuthority that would hire solid waste consultants to come up
with a master plan for the future of solid waste management in the County. The RFP encourages
continued use of incineration by studying how to operate the incinerator through 2040 and beyond and
the Authority has refused to allow zero waste experts to consult on this project. Will you ensure that the
RFP plans for an end to incineration in 2021, that the master plan follows the Zero Waste Hierarchy,
and that appropriate Zero Waste experts are hired as consultants? Y/N/U

4. Support the four provisions of the new 350MoCo Fossil Fuel Divestment Petition: Do oversight of
the Boards of the pension funds; make a timeline for divestment; stop new purchases of the worst fossil
fuel companies and consider new legislation if the Boards continue to show so little progress.
(Hearings being scheduled.) Y/N/U

5. Oppose the Potomac Pipeline.

Drawdown Atmospheric Carbon: Since global warming would increase even if we eliminated all
current GHG emissions, we call for the formation of a Drawdown Working Group to explore “initiating
large scale efforts to remove excess carbon from the atmosphere” as specified in the Dec.
5th Resolution. This should include consideration of regenerative agriculture, reforestation and
restoring waterway ecosystems among other alternatives (Seeking a lead sponsor.) Y/N/U

Reduce Consumption: Since MoCo residents generate almost as much and by some estimates more
GHG embedded in the food we eat, the stuff and services we buy and the jet planes we fly than from all
the buildings and transportation emissions currently measured by the County, we call for the formation
of a working group to raise awareness of this issue and ways to deal with it, including encouraging
County operations to become a model for the rest of the County. (Seeking sponsor.) Y/N/U

Equity: Resolution to ensure that workers displaced by the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions
and disadvantaged communities will be given special consideration (Rice and Navarro exploring.)
Y/N/U
Please return completed Questionnaire by April 10 to Jim Driscoll, Ph.D., M.B.A.,
Coordinator, MoCo Chapter of The Climate Mobilization, jimwdriscoll@yahoo.com, Facebook
:TMCMoCo, www.TheClimateMobilization.org, 9211 Topeka St., Bethesda, MD 20817, 520-250-0509