Baltimore Climate Action Plan Update

Thank you for your hard work and for sharing these docs for commenting!

Are these "deep dive" costs and savings shared anywhere, perhaps in an appendix?

Perhaps not a proposed edit to this page, but a general would-like-to-know: where can one find the Stormwater Management Plan?

Is there room in this organic waste diversion policy enhancement to include composting things other than food scraps, such as yard waste? It kills me that we bag and (I assume) burn our autumn leaves, grass clippings, etc. - talk about unnecessary CO2 emissions! Even woody waste that can't be composted could be turned into mulch or wood chips if there were a place to bring it. Or if this program already exists, it needs to be better promoted.

its

add comma here

Cover said October and footer says December

spelling: Caribbean

Is this second plus sign a typo? I haven't seen two plus signs, but I know there are enough variations on this acronym that I could just be unaware of the two plus signs version.

Transportation needs to be built out in communities that lack access but overall the whole system needs to be more frequent and efficient.

In other cities with water issues preventing things from going into the waste water is more of a focus than I see here. For example, there are places where the culture is only for human waste to go into waste water. Other actions could change the energy that goes into waste water treatment that are upstream or at the drain.

What role do the existing heat management tools play in this? There's the tree equity mapper and many other tools related to heat and cooling. What role will retaining green space and tree canopy play in this heat mapping plan?

Identify the Red line as a priority in this plan.

Place dedicated Bicycle Lanes on roads that are NOT major access roads (ie. Center St that connects to I-83 and 28th St that connects to I-83) so that cars and trucks spend less time idling on clogged roads.

Time the traffic lights in Baltimore City so that vehicles can move through the City more efficiently, spending less time idlying at lights.

T H E M A J O R F L A W is increasing the capacity of our electrical grid. None of these goals is achievable if everyone has an electric car, but the grid shuts down when everyone plugs in their car. 80% of homes in Baltimore City heat with gas or oil. The grid and delivery requirements to heat with electric are huge and this problem is not addressed in this proposal. What is the cost of upgrading the grid and who pays the cost?

Other historic information suggests that the Piscataway tribe centered around the Susquehanna River, not in Baltimore. Mention of the Lubee tribe, which was centered in North Carolina, has no relevance to this history of land on which Baltimore City sits. These are distractions from the main point of this document.

I take exception to this document starting with a "Land Acknowledgement". You are putting forward a document to address the climate. It occurs to me that the history of the land has no relevance and only serves as a distraction to the stated goals of putting this plan forward. If you are doing climate plan, stick to the topic at hand. This serves only to distract and detract from the topic at hand.

is the planning department making the case for reparations? Is this a policy decision within the pervue of the Planning Department???

Land Use decisions we make today play a role in our future...not our past.

"City" should be capitalized since you are refering specifically to Baltimore City and not just any generic city.

What action in this plan is this element of the story associated with? -Baltimore City Public Schools

As noted earlier, safe transportation for students (MTA, bike, pedestrian) should be specifically called out here. -Baltimore City Public Schools

Add EV chargers accessible to staff, possibly at a discounted rate.- Baltimore City Public Schools

Consider adding EV chargers that are accessible to City employees.- Baltimore City Public Schools

Add a specific action related to students and transportation. This plan does not include actions that address student transportation needs, including MTA, Safe Routes to Schools, and bike and pedestrian safety. Since City Schools students represent a large percentage of MTA ridership, they should receive specific consideration. - Baltimore City Public Schools

Where do retaining forest patches fit into the thinking about heat management? Data shows that forests are better at cooling communities than any other tree type. Protecting existing forests is crucial to protecting communities from increased temperatures. Additionally, creating new forests in communities that do not have them is also crucial. Currently, there are city-owned forested land that is not protected either on school property or in the sale department and the park forests are not necessarily protected from development. How can addressing this be built into a heat management plan?

Does this exist for city agencies already? If so perhaps model the community version on one that's based on the more comprehensive action tool.

Comment of Antoine M. Thompson
Executive Director
Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition
Before the Baltimore Department of Planning
Baltimore Climate Action Plan 2023
October 31, 2023

Dear Baltimore Department of Planning,

My name is Antoine M. Thompson, Executive Director of the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition (GWRCCC). Our Coalition is one of the 80 Clean Cities Coalitions around the country supported by the US Department of Energy. We are a public-private partnership composed of representatives of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the District government, regional governments, national trade associations, public and private companies and public utility companies. We are headquartered in the District of Columbia and have programmatic responsibility for the region including District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Maryland.

I am writing to express my support for the 2023 Climate Action Plan (CAP) proposed by the City. Personally, I have been engaged in the clean transportation and environmental policy work for more than 20 years, including being a New York State Senator and the former chair of the NY Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation championing green initiatives, climate justice, and expanding access to investments in public transit.

First of all, the GWRCCC strives to ensure a just and equitable future for all members of the community, leaving nobody behind, especially those in lower income communities that are most vulnerable to environmental hazards. A clean future in all sectors strongly aligns with the goals of the GWRCCC, which is why I commend the continuous efforts of the City of Baltimore in addressing environmental disparities.

The plan’s emphasis on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable transportation showcases a proactive approach on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fostering a cleaner environment. This plan not only benefits the city but also sets a positive example for others and aligns with the ambitious goals of the City of Baltimore, and the GWRCCC.

In contrast, I urge the updated version of the 2023 CAP to make it known that climate change, specifically air pollution, is a public health risk. According to your City Health Department, Baltimore City adults currently have asthma rates about 5% higher than the national average. As we know, high asthma rates are derived from transportation emitters, and clean transportation is the solution to lowering health implications. Furthermore, utilizing an equity lens in the deployment of clean transportation vehicles is essential to ensure that underserved communities, that are disproportionately affected, have equal access to environmentally friendly transportation options. By prioritizing equity, we can promote social and environmental justice, fostering inclusive, sustainable urban development and reducing disparities in air quality and overall public health. Clean transportation goals are mentioned in the proposed plan, however, studies that are conducted by the City of Baltimore Must be cited as well.

Education is the key to empowerment. The release of a sophisticated document, such as this Climate Action Plan, may not be accessible to the communities that need it the most. Perhaps an idioticon would assist with this. Furthermore, a section, and specific plan, devoted to extensive outreach and education is vital to the successful implementation of the updated CAP. I may also comment on the plans inclusion of nuclear energy consistently listed as a feasible renewable energy source. Nuclear power is proven to be outdated, dangerous, and expensive. It further should not be listed in the same group as other clean energy groups like wind and solar.

In conclusion, by implementing the proposed strategies and remaining dedicated to sustainability, we can protect our environment, improve public health, and create a more resilient and equitable city for future generations. Thank you to the City of Baltimore for your attention to these vital issues. We stand ready to assist the City of Baltimore as it works towards our similar goals. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (202) 671-1580 or antoinethompson@gwrccc.org.

Sincerely,
Antoine M. Thompson
Executive Director

Natural Climate Solutions and green infrastructure is missing as a key strategy in the CAP. Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) will dramatically improve quality of life AND mitigate the impact of climate change in the short, medium, and long term for Baltimore. Reducing emissions needs to be done in tandem with increasing the amount of trees, wetlands, forests, and natural landscapes in Baltimore in order to reach the stated goal of carbon neutrality and improved quality of life. We believe the plan will be stronger and more effective if there is a section dedicated to the very real impact and strategies to implement green infrastructure and NCS as a tool to leverage Baltimore City’s climate action and climate change mitigation. Including important strategies such as this in an “Additional Actions” section gives the impression that their impact and significance is less important. Rather, we believe a thoughtful investment in Green Infrastructure, and NCS will impactfully improve residents’ lives, engage them in climate action, improve migratory bird stopover habitat, and importantly increase the likelihood of accessing new federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.

Seems like there should be some thinking about the relationship between the water-saving program and the stormwater reduction plan. Where does the retention of current forests and tree canopy fit Into this plan as an approach supporting stormwater reduction?

Explicitly mention the Red Line, including support for the Red Line’s development

Recommend that the language explicitly says require, instead of incentivize.

This currently does not mention how frontline communities will be centered

The description does not explicitly mention how this community action will center frontline communities. Specific outreach and engagement should also be done to landlords and/ or property management companies operating in the city, given that many low-income residents are renters and have no choice energy efficiency and retrofits to their homes.

Uplift the currently available federal funding opportunities and tax incentives specifically geared towards high energy burden communities.

There have been numerous hearings where residents have opposed recent changes happening at BGE, including rate hikes and expanding natural gas infrastructure. This should go beyond partnering, but requiring some sort of community benefits agreements or updating an MOU between the city and BGE.

The description does not explicitly mention how this community action will center frontline communities.

Recommend expanding this thinking outside of procurement of products that are green. There are many businesses the city supports that have effects on the environment and some of them are doing work on environmentally sensitive projects. Required certifications and a separate set of standards should be established for environmentally sensitive projects from stream restorations to pipe installation. This should also be considered as it relates to projects that impact public health.

Was mention of removal of greenhouse gases from the air, and by machines talked about with residents? If not, it likely should be removed from mention in the report. Direct air capture has been proven to increase certain air pollutants, which is contrasting to community concerns about air pollution in the city/ positive health benefits.

Explicitly name the need to divert waste from incineration in addition to landfill

Explicitly name the need to divert waste from incineration in addition to landfill

This definition should be changed, as it currently is inconsistent with the definition of climate justice as used by advocates in the field. One recommended definition is: “Climate Justice recognizes the disproportionate impacts of climate change on low-income communities and communities of color around the world, the people and places least responsible for the problem.”

Definition should be updated to emphasize that equity is an ongoing process and explicitly name the systems of inequity that the plan is trying to tackle. An example of language could be: “Centering equity requires that we recognize that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances. The process is ongoing, requiring us to identify and overcome intentional and unintentional barriers arising from bias or systemic structures.”

Definition should be updated to include elements of equity. An example of this could be inclusion of a phrase like: “These are communities of color and low-income, whose neighborhoods often lack basic infrastructure to support them and who will be increasingly vulnerable as our climate deteriorates. These are Native communities, whose resources have been exploited, and laborers whose daily work or living environments are polluted or toxic.”

A map or some sort of visual should also be illustrated to demonstrate who is being considered a frontline community in Baltimore.

This action seems vague and less developed than others. What is the role of partnering with nonprofits such as Blue Water Baltimore in this action? Water saving can mean a lot of things from gray water reuse at homes to curb cuts to capture water on streets and divert them into tree pits. We're not doing much of this here and the most advanced systems for this are in desert climate cities. What is the bar and what level are we trying to meet here?

Nuclear should not be considered a clean energy source in the same category as solar and wind. There are extreme negative environmental impacts of nuclear that are not seen with solar and wind. Would this also be encouraging a nuclear facility in or near the city?