Environmental Stewardship Advisory CommitteeComments on Proposed 2015-2018 Term of Council Priorities Appendix A, Section 5June 15, 2015

Overview

This document contains feedback from the Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee (ESAC) on the section of the Proposed 2015-2018 Term of Council Priorities (TCP) that falls under the Environment Committees purview. For each Strategic Objective & Initiative, we considered whether the Performance Measures were a) appropriate given stated objectives, and b) sufficiently ambitious for a four-year timeframe. We also provided recommendations where we assessed that a Strategic Objective or Initiative could be strengthened. In summary, we identified room for strengthening those Objectives, Initiatives, and Performance Measures pertaining to forest cover, climate change and air quality, stormwater management, waste diversion, and renewable energy.

Detail

ES1 - Support an environmentally sustainable Ottawa

Strategic Objective & InitiativeComments

17 - Combined Sewer Storage Tunnel (CSST)Thermal energy (heating, cooling, water heating) can be transferred from sources of water with sufficient quantity and flow, for single (PowerPipe) and district (Torontos Deep Lake Water Cooling) sites. We suggest that the Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel install heat transfer pipes, and retrofits to water storage and transmission facilities should assess the addition when located near ICI load centres (to minimize transmission). Performance measure could quantify the level of pipe installed, the thermal contribution, and the resulting GHG emissions reduction.

18 - Water Environment Strategy Phase 2No additional comments

19 - Increase Forest CoverThis initiative mentions the partnership with Ecology Ottawa in order to have 1 million trees planted; however there are no specifications as to when tree planting activities initiated or will initiate. It would be helpful to clarify these targets (e.g. being explicit that most of the 1-million target will be delivered by volunteers and conservation authorities) as well as give indication of start and end dates.

We also suggest that the City consider landowner programs to encourage tree planting on private property.

20 - Air Quality and Climate Change Management PlanThe performance measures listed are insufficient for tracking progress against the AQCCMP. We note that the TCP gave quantitative measures for the Green Municipal Fleet Plan and the Green Building Policy, and that data seems to have been already collected and analyzed for the AQCCMP (p.2). As such, we suggest including a) measurable targets of environmental quality (e.g. maximum concentrations of air pollutants, emissions from landfills, tonnes of CO2 removed from the atmosphere) and/or b) proxy indicators of success that reflect the full range of measures available (e.g. number of vehicles fined for idling, tonnes of waste diverted from landfill, % of commuters using alternative transportation).

Further, the funding of the Green Municipal Fleet Plan and the Green Building Policy appears to be lumped together with that of the AQCCMP under item 20. We recommend indicating how funding will be split between these plans (p.87 of TCP).We also note that certain items appear in the AQCCMP but not in the TCP:1. Adoption or implementation of a complete streets policy2. Implementation of vehicle telematics for Municipal Fleet3. Investigation of opportunities to use City community centre parking lots outside of the Greenbelt to serve as Park and Ride or designated carpooling locations4. Monitoring of the Idling By-Law5. Green municipal fleet plan6. Bike and Ride amenities at designated community facilities (trial at Bob McQuarrie)7. Replacement of vehicles at their optimal life cycle

We recognize that the AQCCMP is a 20 year plan with actions recommended for only the first five years. It would be helpful however to clarify whether and when initiatives that are not included in the TCP will be carried out (e.g. after 2018).

21 - Stormwater Management (SWM) Retrofit Master PlanWe welcome and support the completion of a city-wide SWM Retrofit Master Plan. As part of this plan we recommend considering the adoption of stormwater fee discounts as a type of incentive program for property owners. Reducing runoff from private property decreases burdens on the city stormwater system. A reduction in service demands can be reflected to property owners through fee discounts. For example, in 2012 the City of Kitchener approved the stormwater credit policy, which provides credit to property owners who use Best Management Practices to reduce the quantity and improve the quality of stormwater runoff entering the municipal stormwater system.

(Also see comments on ES1-17)

22 - Renewable Energy StrategyWe recommend the following for this objective:1. Amend objective to quantify and predict energy supply and demand for the three distinct energy sources of electricity, thermal and transportation2. Direct staff to liaise with the provinces Integrated Regional Resource Plan on future supply & demand of electricity3. Define what is included / excluded under the term renewable energy4. Direct staff to identify potential regulatory and fiscal changes for citizens who adopt green power, green heat or green fuel technologies5. Direct staff to consult on a potential to shift towards greater use of renewable energies (as the Vancouver and G7 motions)6. Lobby the province to allow feed-in tariff (FIT) systems to be used as a backup energy supply7. Establish a task force to examine district heating in downtown, as per the Musee des civilisations8. Undertake energy mapping to inform program options 9. Examine the potential for local improvement charges (LIC) to finance retrofits10. Examine potential to add cogeneration capacity to municipal facilities (e.g.: sewage treatment plant)11. Develop a policy on electric vehicle stations12. Examine a transition to biofuels for the city fleet13. Implement green /cooling measures to reduce the heat island effect14. Retrofit municipal facilities with LED lighting where practicable

Relevant performance measures would include:1. Compile a list of community partners and their potential roles by Q4 20152. Baseline the current level of renewable energy capacity and output3. Identify current impediments to adoption of renewable energy by level of jurisdiction

ES2 - Reduce long-term costs through planned investment and staging of diversion and conservation strategies

Strategic Objective & InitiativeComments

24 - Waste Diversion in Parks, Buildings and Grounds Services OperationsAn opportunity exists to create waste diversion beyond parks and City buildings (see additional comments).

25 - Energy Management and Investment Strategy (2015-2019)No additional comments. We understand that the City is seeking to increase the number of rooftop solar installations on its buildings and welcome the initiative.

26 - Large Diameter Watermain ProgramSee comments on ES1-17.

Additional comments on ES2

Consider adding a strategic initiative to renew commitment to reducing waste generated and improving waste diversion rates by referring to Waste Master Plan. Specifically, for residential waste collection, we recommend improving access to the green bin program for high density residential buildings by removing barriers for establishing the program in existing buildings and making organic separation and storage facilities a mandatory requirement of new development approvals. We also suggest increased support of home composting (supplying bins, etc.), particularly in rural areas, to save on the costs of diverting organics from landfill.

FS1 - Demonstrate sound financial management

59 - Water and Wastewater Rate Structure ReviewNo additional comments. We understand that the City is currently looking into the adoption of stormwater fees separate from wastewater fees and welcome the initiative.