Politics & Government

Mayoral Candidates Offer Environmental Stances at Forum

Mayoral candidates tackled questions on recycling, parks, climate change and more.

By David Ertischek

Nine Boston mayoral candidates opined on carbon emissions, public transportation and how to make the city as environmentally friendly as possible during a Boston Green Mayor forum held at Suffolk University on Tuesday.

Co-moderated by Doug Foy of Serrafix, Inc., and Derrick Jackson of the Boston Globe, candidates were given one minute each in the first round to answer the same questions, then followed by questions with one minute responses for individual candidates with 30-second responses allowed to retort. The third round involved more questions that were supposed to be rapid fire.

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The mayoral candidates in attendance were: Felix Arroyo, John Barros, Dan Conley, John Connolly, Rob Consalvo, Charlotte Golar Richie, Mike Ross, Bill Walczak, and Marty Walsh.

Candidates were asked what would be the first two things they would do as mayor to best protect Boston from the economic affects of climate change?

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“The first thing is to look at construction,” said state Rep. Martin Walsh, D-Dorchester. “The new mayor has to be a lot greener.” Walsh said he’s worked to develop and create several green projects including the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center in Charlestown, LEEDS-certified buildings in Dorchester, and Project Hope on Dudley Street. He added developers should keep in mind of super storms like Hurricane Sandy when creating new projects.

“The most important thing is to be loud and a strong advocate for public transportation,” said Bill Walczak, who stood up and showed the audience his bicycle helmet and said he biked to the forum held at Suffolk University’s Law School.

Walczak emphasized his strong advocacy for the environmental as an early supporter of the bottle bill, a park advocate and the founder of the Boston Greenspace Alliance. He said the city should implement Boston’s Climate Action Plan to reach its stated 2020 goal of a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions starting from Earth Day in 2011.

“(Climate change) is here,” said District 8 City Councilor Mike Ross. “For me, that means moving fast with zoning changes to make sure that along the coast we are protected and safe.” Ross added that areas with more asphalt blacktops and fewer trees have increased temperatures, which lead to health disparities in those areas like higher asthma rates.

Charlotte Golar Richie said she’d convene a “task force or summit of all key stake holders together and start anew.” She said she’d like to create a Boston 2050 task force to look ahead.

“The next mayor hires a new BRA (Boston Redevelopment Authority) director, who has to have experience with alternative energy and climate change,” said District 5 City Councilor Rob Consalvo, who said his number one environmental priority would be affecting change through the zoning code and working with the Inspectional Services Department and BRA to make Boston carbon neutral by 2050.  He added Boston should cut its greenhouse gases, and utilize energy from windmill and solar farms in the future.

“We need to honor our 2010 emission goals,” said At-Large City Councilor John Connolly. “I want 100 megawatts of solar power by 2020. Zero-net energy use from municipal buildings in Boston by 2020.”

Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley said the creation of short-term disaster plan is needed to deal with super storms. He also said a long-term plan for development of the waterfront area, “…and how we construct buildings on the waterfront” is needed. He said as mayor he would work with scientists, engineers and developers, “to talk about how we build for the next 100 years.”

John Barros talked about joining a local community group when he was only 14-years-old to address brown fields in the Dudley Square community. He also helped start Alternatives for Community and Environmenta (ACE).  Barros suggested creating a neighborhood-by-neighborhood evaluation of “vulnerability climate problems,” and that all city departments should plan with greenhouse goals in mind.

“We have to look at old buildings and see if they’re built for super storms,” said At-Large Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo. “What’s causing (climate change) is the C02 levels and how we transport things. There are renewable resources like solar and wind.” Arroyo also highlighted his filing a hearing order this week, to “explore divesting City of Boston funds from fossil fuel companies to promote awareness and continue reducing the City’s greenhouse gas emissions.”

Candidates were next asked what steps they would take as mayor to propel Boston to carbon neutrality.

Ross had the floor first to respond and talked about his work during his first term as city councilor with ground water issues. “It’s what the city is built on, then we realized it was going away... a few people came to me… they said our pilings are drying up.” Ross said he worked with Mayor Thomas Menino’s administration and stakeholders to fix the issues of ground water, and while it was a small issue, “it’s a good example of seeing something, pushing something through and getting it done.”

Golar Richie said she’d focused on two things: housing and transportation to reduce emissions.

Conley said he’d push to reach the city’s 2020 emission goals sooner.

Barros suggested having neighborhood green ribbon committees.

Candidates then responded to how they would improve air quality in Boston, emphasizing that the American Lung Association gave Suffolk County a “C” in air quality.

“We need to build the capacity of the city to be moving towards electricity and renewable energy,” said Walczak. “We need to be investing in transit to get more cars off street and investing in the MBTA system and get more people out of their cars… diesel trucks on I-93 spew diesel soot into my neighborhood of Dorchester.”

Ross raised the issue of idling vehicles, and said he’d deputize meter maids and traffic enforcement officers to ticket idling vehicles.

Conley said he’d like a clean air action plan for the Boston Harbor, and to encourage diesel trucks to switch to clean engines.

Golar Richie specifically mentioned the upcoming 2014 Boston contracts with sanitation and bus companies. “All these business have the opportunity to be more efficient and environmentally-friendly,” said Golar Richie, adding that Boston should only buy hybrid vehicles when appropriate.

Arroyo championed city council legislation that he filed that would require construction vehicles to reduce diesel fumes by 40%, which has not passed the council.

Connolly agreed with addressing idling vehicles, as well as securing more hybrid vehicles. He also would like to expand bicycle tracks and protections for bicyclists throughout the city.

Consalvo discussed the struggle that exists in certain places like the Hyde Park train yard, where workers say they’re beholden to federal standards, which are lower when it comes to emissions than Massachusetts’ standards. He said there are trains constantly idling at the location.

Barros suggested evaluating the timing of traffic lights, “Seems simple, but it can help with air quality.” He added the city had promised to plant 100,000 trees in recent years, but has not followed up on that commitment, which he would like to do.

Candidates then tackled the issue of recycling in Boston, and how to improve Boston’s recycling rate.

Barros went first and was the first candidate to suggest pay-as-you-throw programs for recycling.

Arroyo said he helped lead efforts to bring single-stream recycling to public schools and parks, and said, “Where there’s a trash can, there should be a recycling can.”

Connolly said he supports closing the bottle bill loophole, which fails at the state level, and that he’d like see it as a ballot initiative. He added he’d like to see a pilot program for pay-as-you-throw and see how it goes.

Walczak said he’s not in support of pay-as-you-throw programs, which he said do not work in poorer communities and lead to more dumping.  He said the bottle bill needs to be expanded, too.


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