Share your input on Strategies and Actions at the Mayor's Climate Action Strategy Workshop

Mayor Regina Romero and City staff invite you to participate in this second and final workshop to share your input on Strategies and Actions at the: 

Tucson Resilient Together - Climate Action Strategy Workshop

Sat, November 12, 2022, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM MST

Tucson Convention Center 200 Level Meeting Rooms 260 South Church Avenue Tucson, AZ 85701

In 2020, Tucson declared a Climate Emergency, committing to achieving carbon neutrality across City operations by 2030. To reach this goal, Mayor Regina Romero and the Tucson City Council directed City staff to develop a climate action and adaptation plan centered on a just and equitable transition, equity-centered community engagement, and best practices with respect to greenhouse gas emissions mitigation and climate adaptation.

The City contracted with Buro Happold in January 2022, a design engineering and integrated consultancy with vast experience in developing climate action and sustainability plans for governments and municipalities around the world, to develop this plan. The consulting team also features Living Streets Alliance, who advocate for complete and safe streets across Tucson and are leading community engagement efforts, Autocase Economic Advisory, a leading economics firm, and faculty from the Drachman Institute at the University of Arizona.

At our last workshop in May, we announced the name of our climate action and adaptation plan: Tucson Resilient Together. At that time, we engaged in a community-wide conversation on what a climate-resilient future looks like for you Tucsonans. That conversation has informed what this plan should prioritize and whose voices must come through the most in its development and implementation.

Since May, we have engaged seven community organizations as partners in the development of this plan, each representing cross-sections of the frontline communities that will be most affected by climate change.

• Arizona Youth Climate Coalition
• International Indian Treaty Council
• Local First Arizona
• NAACP Tucson Branch
• Paisanos Unidos
• San Xavier Co-Op Farm
• Southside Worker Center

In partnership with the Mayor’s Office and Living Streets Alliance, these community organizations have led community dialogues through the summer and have helped host pop-up events across Tucson to engage residents directly on the issues of climate change and community resilience.

We have the privilege of being joined by these groups again for this second and final public workshop on Tucson Resilient Together. Trained facilitators from our community partners will guide conversations on the strategies and actions being evaluated for this plan, These conversations will directly shape the climate action and adaptation roadmap that will be included in Tucson Resilient Together when it is adopted at the end of this year.

Workshop Agenda

• 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. | Doors Open: Light refreshments, mingling, settling in
• 9:00 - 9:15 a.m. | Opening: Welcome and introduction
• 9:15 - 9:35 a.m. | Context-Setting: Presentation from consultant team
• 9:35 - 11:55 a.m. | Workshop: Review and provide feedback on specific actions
• 11:55 - 12:00 p.m. | Closing: Statements and adjournment

If you have any questions about Tucson Resilient Together or this workshop, please send an e-mail to climateactionplan@tucsonaz.gov.

Accessibility

We recommend accessible parking in Lot B off Granada between Cushing and Congress if you are attending an event in the Ballrooms or Exhibit Halls.

Spanish Interpretation

Full programming will be available in Spanish. Spanish-speaking table hosts will be present to facilitate discussion, and there will be live Spanish interpretation throughout the event.

COVID-19 Measures

Per Tucson Convention Center regulations, facial masks are required upon entry to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Transportation and Parking Options

The Tucson Convention Center is accessible by Sun Tran bus and Sun Link streetcar (nearest stops include SL/Granada/CushingNW on S Granada Ave and Broadway/Granada on E Broadway Blvd).

Parking is available in Parking Lot B accessible via Granada. Note: Lot C has limited parking space due to construction. Please do not park in surrounding neighborhoods.

REGISTER:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tucson-resilient-together-climate-action-strategy-workshop-tickets-444782655897

Support City Council's water conservation efforts and urge them to get rid of turf in front of businesses too

"Nonfunctional" grass along Speedway east of Craycroft Road, an example provided by Tucson City Councilman Kevin Dahl's office. Courtesy of Shannon Jenkins

Water conservation measures on tap - Tucson.com  by Tony Davis Oct 22, 2022 
Here are the water conservation actions the Tucson City Council took at its meeting Tuesday, Oct. 18.

All were unanimously approved measures directing Tucson Water to return with formal proposals later.

1) The council wants staff to produce in 90 days a proposed ban on ornamental, "nonfunctional" grass in new developments, mainly those for businesses and multi-family housing. The council also wants a plan to phase out such turf in existing developments.

2) In six months, the staff is supposed to produce a new rate structure for businesses in which they would pay higher rates as their water use rose — a system already in effect for single-family homeowners.

3) The council set a January public hearing on a proposal to raise everyone's water rates by 5.5% annually from fiscal year 2023-24 through fiscal year 2026-27.

4) Tucson Water will return in six months with proposed ordinances requiring low-water-use fixtures and separate irrigation meters for new businesses and apartment complexes.

5) The utility will also develop an ordinance mandating rainwater harvesting or other forms of "green infrastructure" in new subdivisions. Tucson Water says it could take up to two years to develop such an ordinance but that it will try to move faster.

6) In six months, Tucson Water will produce a detailed analysis of a "net zero" plan that would require all new development to show that it will reduce someone else's water use so the new development won't increase the utility's total use.

Ornamental grass may be banned in areas:

https://arizonadailystar-az.newsmemory.com/?publink=079fd4a2f_1348683

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Yes! Its about time! We really need to get rid of all the unnecessary turf in front of businesses too. Please, contact your City Council members to show support and to urge them to get rid of turf in front of businesses.

Mayor Regina Romero Mayor.Romero@tucsonaz.gov or (520) 791-4201

Ward 1 Council Member Lane Santa Cruz ward1@tucsonaz.gov or (520) 791-4040

Ward 2 Council Member Paul Cunningham ward2@tucsonaz.gov or (520) 791-4687

Ward 3 Council Member Kevin Dahl ward3@tucsonaz.gov or (520) 791-4711

Ward 4 Council Member Nikki Lee ward4@tucsonaz.gov or (520) 791-3199

Ward 5 Council Member Richard Fimbres ward5@tucsonaz.gov or (520) 791-4231

Ward 6 Council Member Steve Kozachik ward6@tucsonaz.gov or (520) 791-4601

Protect our Democracy with your vote on the Propositions

Vote to Save our Democracy:

What You Need to Know About Arizona's Ballot Propositions

Election Day, Nov. 8, is fast approaching. Early ballots are arriving in mailboxes all over Arizona.

There are propositions on the ballot...

• that were referred to the ballot by the Arizona Legislature that weaken our democracy and rights as Arizonans.
• Five of the legislative referrals are Constitutional Amendments.

The No’s are:

Prop 128, Prop 129, Prop 130, Prop 131, Prop 132, Prop 309

Prop 128: Weakens the Voter Protection Act that gives Arizonans’ the constitutional right to enact citizens’ initiatives. It gives the legislature the ability to get rid of citizens’ initiatives after they have already been passed.

Prop 129: Limits citizens’ initiatives to a single subject and everything needs to be in the title of the initiative. There may be several points to an initiative. For example, an education funding bill might include several areas to be funded such as maintenance of buildings, teachers’ pay, books, and include where the money is coming from. That title would be too long to fit on a petition form.

Prop 132: A super majority is needed to pass a citizen’s initiative (60%) when all other bills require a majority. (In today’s political climate, it is almost impossible to get a super majority.)

Prop 309 adds additional, unnecessary levels of voter identification for mail-in ballots (birthday and voter ID number). This will require more processing and work for the recorder’s office. This bill also eliminates some forms of ID for in-person voting. Only a photo ID will be accepted.

Prop 131 creates the position of lieutenant governor (who is chosen by the governor, not by voters) in an attempt to cement a line of succession from lieutenant governor to governor for the party in power. If the governor leaves for a post in Washington or is impeached, his choice runs as an incumbent (though they haven’t actually been elected by the people. This is also more government.

Other props to consider:

Prop 209: Interest Rate Limit on Debt from Healthcare Services and Collection Exempt Property and Earnings Increase Initiative. Reduces maximum interest rates on medical debt from 10% to no more than 3% per year; increases exemptions from all debt collection for certain personal assets, including a debtor’s home, household items, motor vehicle, and bank account from debt collection; decreasing the amount of disposable earnings subject to garnishment to no more than 10% of disposable earnings but allowing a court to decrease the disposable earnings subject to garnishment to 5% based on extreme economic hardship.

Prop 211: Voters Right to Know/Stop Dark Money. Campaign Finance Sources Disclosure Initiative Requires additional disclosures and reporting by entities and persons whose campaign media spending and/or in-kind contributions for campaign media spending exceeds $50,000 in statewide campaigns or $25,000 in other campaigns, including identifying original donors of contributions of more than $5,000 in aggregate; creating penalties for violations of the law; and allowing the Citizens Clean Elections Commission to adopt rules and enforce the provisions of the law.

Prop 310: Establishes a Fire District Safety Fund; increasing the Transaction Privilege (Sales) and Use Tax by one-tenth of one percent from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2042 to pay for the Fund; and distributing monies from the Fund to fire districts on a monthly basis.

Prop 308: In-State Tuition for Non-Citizen Residents Measure. Allows any Arizona student, regardless of immigration status, to be eligible for in-state tuition at state universities and community colleges if they graduated from, and spent at least two years attending, an Arizona public or private high school, or homeschool equivalent; allowing any Arizona student, regardless of immigration status, to be eligible for state financial aid at state universities and community colleges.

This is a crucial election for Arizona and the United States. Your votes for candidates and propositions are very important. Please, know the candidates and the facts before you vote.

Honoring Professor Thomas Meixner by following his call to protect our water

I was shocked and heart-broken to hear that Professor Thomas Meixner was shot in his office at the U of A. This is such a great loss for our community. In addition to losing a respected professor and hydrologist, Tucson has lost a champion for our precious water. 

While I didn't know him well, I would see Thomas at the LID meetings where we would discuss the latest on green stormwater infrastructure. He patiently fielded questions from this amateur water advocate. He always made me feel like a colleague.  A few years back, I asked him for suggestions of water issues to bring to Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick during Sustainable Tucson's Environmental Advocacy meeting. By the next morning, he shot off the following information to me. I am so grateful to him for making these issues so easy to understand and present. 

The two actions he proposed to safeguard our water were to codify the Waters of the U.S. Rule into law and to overturn the 1872 Mining Law that defines hardrock mineral extraction as the "highest and best" use of public lands - tying the hands of federal and local governments when U.S. or foreign mining interests want to mine in our area, using or polluting much of our groundwater. 

A great way to honor Professor Meixner would be to continue his fight for water by reaching out to your Members of Congress and asking them to protect our water by supporting those two actions.

Here is our presentation:

At Thomas' recommendation, I went over the importance of the Cienega Watershed in Rep. Kirkpatrick’s district. Preserving this region was obviously one of his passions.

(Below is Thomas presenting on the topic with Mead Mier.) 

It is important to preserve the Cienega Watershed because it includes five of the rarest habitat types in the American Southwest:

• Cienegas (marshlands)
• Cottonwood-willow riparian forests
• Sacaton grasslands
• Mesquite bosques
• Semi-desert grasslands

Cienega Creek is one of the few remaining perennial streams in Arizona, providing:

• Critical habitat for wildlife (threatened & endangered species).

• Historically important ranching operations. 

• Important cultural/ archaeological resources.
• An attractive visitor destination, for its scenic landscapes, natural beauty, and cultural heritage.
• Water source for Tucson Metropolitan Area. It provides 20% of Tucson’s ground water.

Challenges: Dewatering of Cienega Creek and wetlands through development, mining, and climate change threatens endangered species. 

Waters of the US Rule

The 2015 Waters of the US Rule extended the Clean Water Act to protect tributaries that feed navigable rivers. All of these waterways are connected. If you aren’t protecting the streams, you aren't protecting the bigger rivers. 

This is the map I used to show how the water flows to Tucson.

The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers are implementing Executive Order 13778 which directs federal agencies to rescind the Waters of the U.S. which included rivers that don't flow year around. Tucsonans rely on both surface water and groundwater derived by infiltration or runoff, as well as Colorado River water. History has shown that pollutants entering dry riverbeds can contaminate our drinking water. Changes in standards for the Clean Water Act would be particularly consequential in Arizona. While other states have the authority to protect the quality of streams not subject to the Clean Water Act's jurisdiction, Arizona does NOT. In Arizona, state legislation forbids state agencies from exceeding the federal regulatory framework.  Therefore, any reduction in scope of federal jurisdiction may have the effect of exempting certain areas from water quality protections at the state level.

- From Letter by C.H. Huckelberry.  Pima County Administrator.

EPA data showed that 94 percent of streams in Arizona were protected by the Waters of the U.S. rule.  These streams are small but they feed into the Gila and Santa Cruz rivers. 

If the protections of the Clean Water Act are reduced to perennial waters, the vast majority of Arizona's streams will have no water quality protections at all. Essentially pollution becomes legal unless the state steps in. The state means the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - which advertises that it sped up the permitting process for businesses and reduced "burdensome" laws and regulations - 48 of them. 

The Waters of the US Rule affects most of Tucson’s rivers (because most are not perennial). For example, without the Waters of the US rule, there is little to stop the operators of the Rosemont mine from dumping tailings and other pollutants into Davidson Canyon where they eventually would make their way into Cienega Creek and Tucson’s water supply. 

The Waters of the U.S. rule needs to be codified into law rather than being an EPA rule that any acting president can change at will. 

Another needed protection is the overturning of the 1872 Mining Law that defines hardrock mineral extraction as the “highest and best” use of most public lands, tying the hands of federal and local governments when U.S. or foreign mining interests want to mine our public lands. 

The federal government treats mining as a right on public lands - one that trumps other uses. That means they allow mining even if it threatens special places such as Grand Canyon or pollutes important water sources such as the Colorado River. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hardrock mining is the number one polluter in the country and has contaminated the headwaters of 40 percent of our western watersheds. It allows mining interests to take hardrock minerals such as copper, gold, silver and uranium from our public lands without paying any royalties to the American taxpayer.  

The 1872 Mining Law, signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, was intended to promote settlement of the West.  Written during a time when mining was done with picks and shovels, the 1872 Mining Law does not address the problems created by modern day techniques which have the ability to remove entire mountains. The law does not address or prohibit environmental damage or threats to wildlife and watersheds. It does not provide for adequate reclamation. 

It is way past time that we reform this antiquated law and adequately protect national treasures - including the Grand Canyon - important watersheds, wildlife, and the other public assets. We need a law that requires agencies to deny approval of a mining operation if it will harm human health, wildlife habitat, water resources, or sensitive lands. It should eliminate patenting of land, provide royalties to the taxpayers, and include strong reclamation standards.

- Sierra Club 

Natural Resources Committee Chair Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva has been sponsoring bills to repeal the 1872 Mining Law for years. Let's honor Professor Meixner's memory by finally getting these two important actions passed. 

More information on Waters of the U.S.:

https://www.epa.gov/wotus

More Information on Thomas Meixner: 

Arizona Daily Star - Oct. 7, 2022 

Tucson.com - Oct. 6, 2022

Trail would honor Meixner

A campaign is underway to build a new recreational trail between Patagonia and Sonoita dedicated to connecting people with the landscape around them, just like the man for whom it would be named.

The Tom Meixner trail would cross about 8 miles of hills and grassland along Arizona state Route 82 and tie into a larger trail network through an area that meant a lot to the University of Arizona hydrologist and professor.

Tell Dept. of Transportation we need strong pollution standards

 

When it comes to reducing pollution from the transportation sector, there are a myriad of solutions. From transit and rail to protected bike lanes and electric vehicles – we must use all of these strategies to meet our climate goals. Take action today: Due to new legislation, the federal government will spend billions on transportation this decade.

Tell the Biden Administration to make sure state and local leaders invest in programs that promote healthy and sustainable communities. https://addup.sierraclub.org/campaigns/ensure-states-are-tracking-and-reducing-transportation-pollution It's critical we use this money to develop programs that protect public health and tackle the climate crisis. State and city governments must be held accountable for the impacts of their transportation investments. The Biden administration is working on a standard that would require state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations to set goals to reduce transportation emissions and track progress. To reach our climate goals, the U.S. must significantly change our transportation systems. This includes electrifying vehicles of all types, as well as investing in public transit, sidewalks, and protected bike lanes. Good data are crucial for good policy. This rule will help policymakers understand how transportation investments impact climate-warming emissions. States will also focus on cleaner mobility options if they have to be transparent about the emissions from their transportation investments. Ask that the DOT deliver on a bold rule! Help us reach our goal of 5,000 comments. Make sure to include your personal reason about why this matters to you. - Rebekah Whilden. Acting Deputy Director, Clean Transportation For All, Sierra Club

Tell EPA: Keep us safe from carcinogen hiding in plastic products

There's a toxic threat hidden inside some plastic products we use every day.

It's common in toys, flooring and fabric coatings -- but it could be giving us cancer.1

A category of chemicals called diisononyl phthalate, or DINP, is added to plastic by manufacturers to make their final products softer or more flexible. We've known this family of chemicals could be harmful for a long time -- the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first suggested that it could pose a health risk more than 20 years ago.2

But now, we finally have the chance to take action against these harmful chemicals.

The EPA is considering whether to require manufacturers to report their use of DINP chemicals -- which will give us the power to avoid these hidden toxic threats. Take action today to urge the EPA to implement strict reporting requirements.

The EPA's most recent hazard assessment shows that DINP chemicals could pose a serious threat to our health.

The agency reported a reasonable link between DINP chemicals and a number of serious, irreversible health effects. These substances could cause cancer, developmental effects and damage to the liver and kidneys.3

Avoiding these chemicals as much as possible is important to stay healthy, but right now, manufacturers aren't required to report how much DINP they use.

This toxic threat is flying under the radar, but the EPA could change that. If passed, manufacturers will need to report their use of DINP chemicals to the EPA if they process, manufacture or use a certain amount.4

We have the right to know when companies making products we use every day are exposing us to chemicals that could harm our health. Add your name today.

ACTION BY - U.S. PIRG

1. "Addition of Diisononyl Phthalate Category Proposed Rule," U.S Environmental Protection Agency, last accessed September 29, 2022.
2. Douglas Fischer, "EPA seeks to add DINP plasticizer to Toxics Release Inventory," Environmental Health News, August 9, 2022.
3. "Addition of Diisononyl Phthalate Category Proposed Rule," U.S Environmental Protection Agency, last accessed September 29, 2022.
4. "Addition of Diisononyl Phthalate Category Proposed Rule," U.S Environmental Protection Agency, last accessed September 29, 2022.