Mayor Gray to Sign Sustainable DC Act!

DC Mayor Vincent Gray is set to sign the Sustainable DC Act of 2012 on Wednesday, January 16^th, 2013 at 10:00 am. The specific location is still being finalized.

The Sustainable DC Act will benefit the District in each of the three legs of sustainability: economy, equity, and environment. The legislation wil help promote energy efficiency and renewable energy, urban agriculture, and will keep dangerous chemicals out of our rivers. Highlights of the Sustainability Act include: 

• Additional funding for two existing DC programs that are key for energy efficiency and renewable energy: the EnergyStar Benchmarking Program and the Renewable Energy Incentive Program;
• Reducing the use of fertilizers by increasing the buffer between fertilized areas and waterways to help clean our rivers and streams;
• Making it easier to keep bees, which is valuable for agriculture and gardens and providing educational opportunities; 
•  Separating the location of children-occupied facilities and drycleaners that use chemicals with dangerous health effects; and 
• Providing assistance to low-income and elderly households to access weatherization services and energy system retrofits to tune-up heating systems and hot water heaters.

Background on the Sustainable DC Act

In July 2011, Mayor Gray announced his intention to make DC the greenest, healthiest, and most livable city in the nation. Through the winter of 2011 and spring of 2012, a group of residents, local businesses and institutions, and local and federal government, developed a plan to make this vision a reality.  For more information on Sustainable DC check out: http://sustainable.dc.gov/