City Joins Peers In Condemning Backward Steps On The Environment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 30, 2017

For more information, please contact:

Jacqui Bauer, Sustainability Coordinator, Economic & Sustainable Development Department, 812-349-3837, bauerj@bloomington.in.gov

City Joins Peers In Condemning Backward Steps On The Environment

Bloomington, Ind. - On Tuesday, the City of Bloomington joined 74 cities and 41 million Americans across the country in condemning the Trump administration's rollback of environmental policies. These critically important measures include the Clean Power Plan and fuel efficiency standards, and funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and Energy Star.

"This new executive order is absolutely a move in the wrong direction," said Mayor John Hamilton. "At a time when we face some of our greatest challenges in history in terms of climate, infrastructure, and population growth, this administration is throwing caution to the wind."

The executive order, signed Tuesday, threatens or eliminates environmental protections, from increased fuel standards for vehicles to a moratorium on mining on federal lands. In anticipation of the order, City officials worked with colleagues from Los Angeles to New York to develop a letter condemning the president's action as part of the Mayors' National Climate Action Agenda (MNCAA).

The letter states that "America's cities will continue to lead the way in moving forward in protecting our residents from the disastrous effects of climate change, and creating a thriving 21st century economy."

As part of its commitment to the MNCAA, the City will continue to enhance efficiency in its facilities and encourage residents to do the same through programs like Solarize Bloomington, which offered residents the opportunity to install solar at a discount. In addition, the City will launch an environmental planning process later in 2017 to develop community-wide goals and further reduce the city's environmental footprint.

The full text of the letter is located at https://medium.com/@ClimateMayors/.

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