ECRI Meeting Date:
Monday, May 4, 2020
ECRI Public Meeting Monday, May 4
Featuring presentation on
Green Justice Zones
by Court King
Climate Justice Policy Associate
City of Providence
Online: 5:30 - 7 PM
(the regular monthly ECRI meeting, only different)
Please register to receive a Zoom link (for video and phone call-in conference).
AGENDA for ECRI Meeting of May 4 Everyone Welcome
- Welcome and Introductions
- President’s Report
- Approval of March Minutes
- Office Report
- Policy Report
- Presentation about Green Justice Zones
All the documents that would be in a printed packet are on this page.
If you prefer, you can download and read the draft March minutes as a document and the legislative agenda as a separate spreadsheet.
- Draft Minutes of March ECRI meeting for approval:
- Environment Council of Rhode Island
- Membership Meeting
- March 2, 2020, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
- DOA Conference Room A
- Attendance: Laura Landen, Paige Therien, Peter Trafton, Susan Korte, Victoria Leytin, Paul Beaudette, Polly Barey, Katherine Gibson, Eugenia Marks, Kai Salem, Avi Shapiro, Judee Burr, Greg Gerritt, Everett Pope, Priscilla De La Cruz, Dana Goodman, Peter DiPippo
- Agenda:
-
Welcome
-
Introductions
-
Approval of February minutes
-
Office report (Greg Gerritt)
-
President's report (Priscilla De La Cruz)
-
Speakers: Peter DiPippo, RI Department of Health’s Environmental Public Health Data
- Reports
- Pol Comm and Climate Crisis Campaign (Kai Salem)
- Reports from ECRI fiscal agency projects\
- Green Infrastructure Coalition
- Minutes:
- Welcome
- Introductions
- Approval of February Minutes
Peter Grafton moves to approve the minutes, Sue seconds. All vote in favor. February minutes are approved.
- Office Report (Greg)
- Current balances: ECRI $31,585.50 Ed Fund $40,806.16
- Compost conference has currently brought in $2,511 and will take place next week, 65 registrations and 11 exhibitors right now but lots come in right at the end
- Tisdale raffle starts now, Tickets are $5 each. The drawing will be at the May Meeting.
- The Video Festival was a great event, 135 attendance, and we netted $185. The NWF Magazine interviewed Greg about the festival and that will be in the magazine.
- We are working on the annual meeting for June 1. Working on food and tour. Fundraising will being after the compost conference. Tickets will be on sale at the end of April.
- Greg represents ECRI on the Equity & Inclusion Committee
- President’s Report
- Priscilla and NWF regional coordinator Zach applied to NWF for a capacity-building grant. We didn’t receive the award, but the NWF created a special award for us and granted us $10,000. They hope that we can use this as a matching grant and start to seek other funders. They also want to give us some staff time to assist with our planning efforts.
- Priscilla engaged with the People’s Institute about equity trainings in New England. She encourages ECRI members to go through this training. It is important for ECRI’s work.
- Court King will be presenting on behalf of the PVD Office of Sustainability at our next meeting
- Priscilla will be away from March 10-20. See Kai with policy-related questions and Greg for office-related questions.
- Speakers:
- Peter DiPippo, RI Department of Health’s Environmental Public Health Data
- Discussion of what environmental public health is
- RI Department of Health is working on “precision public health” – mapping environmental risk factors and doing targeted interventions
- Delivering the right health outcomes to the right populations at the right time, with data analysts, GIS specialists, epidemiologists, doctors and more (multi-disciplinary team)
- Discussion of environmental public health tracking – using data to deliver health outcomes
- They have worked on the Burrillville power plant, the Port of Providence, a number of different cancer exposures
- The tracking network follows a number of different datasets, from the environment, population health data, and health effects – there is a secure data side and there is a public data side. When researchers need the data, they call DOH and DOH packages the data for use with security in mind.
- RI Department of Environmental Public Health data has a Technical Advisory Group, they welcome members from groups like ECRI
- Examples: Study of nitrate levels in water, saw a spike in Middletown; Recent study of percent of expected rate of lung cancer in Warwick, thinking through causes including toxic waste sites and airport pollution; using remote sensing to analyze farms and overlay health impacts; high resolution environmental data related to tree cover and urban health; data on lead service lines
- Peter takes questions.
- Reports
- Pol Comm – Climate Crisis Campaign and Coffee Hour (Kai Salem)
- ECRI’s Policy Committee voted on almost 50 bills at the last meeting.
- Voted to support Plastic Waste Reduction Act – statewide bag ban.
- Selected only one bill as a priority this year to focus the environmental community – it is the Act on Climate 2020 bill, requiring mandatory emissions reductions (100% by 2050)
- Kai reads the list of bills ECRI PolComm has voted to Support (bill numbers listed here): S2165; H7399; S2003; H7306; H7163; H7164; H7261; S2191; H7216; S2235; H7307; S2068; H7425; H7471; S2194; H7165; S2082; H7259; H7210; H7426; S2112; H7174; H7052; S2215; H7406; S2195; S2110; H7083; H7245; S2426; H7348; S2469; S2108; H7866; S2043; H7110; H7217; H7308; H7305
- Kai moves to approve ECRI’s support for these bills listed and to make the Act on Climate 2020 bill ECRI’s priority bill for 2020, Eugenia seconds the motion. 9 votes in favor, zero against, Peter Grafton and Paul Beaudette abstain. The motion is approved.
- The next PolComm meeting is next week
- This Thursday is the House Environment Hearing, Climate Crisis Campaign is organizing people at the statehouse
- Climate Crisis Campaign: had first day of action, had first climate advocate training with 60 people, second climate advocate training is coming up on March 16, 7pm followed by second monthly week of action
- In april – third climate advocate training and ECRI’s Lobby Day
- To help, share the website widely, encourage people to sign onto the campaign, and encourage people to donate to the campaign: riclimatecrisis.org
- Providence Environmental Task Force
- No report
- Reports from ECRI fiscal agency projects
- Green Infrastructure Coalition
- Grant from the RI Foundation - $75,000
- Energize Coalition
- No activity
- School Recycling
- No activity
- Announcements
- Paul moves to adjourn, Judee seconds. All in favor. Meeting adjourned at 7:04pm
Office Report for May 2020 ECRI meeting
Current Balances ECRI $30986.91 Ed fund office account $43588.67
Tisdale raffle winners Noreen Inglisi, Elise Torello, Lisa Petrie, Sandy Bockes, Barbara Pavone Prizes are on their way to all winners
Raffle took in $755 with total expenses of $765. Sold 151 tickets but missed 7 weeks of ticket selling so not bad to about break even. Next awards will be given next January with applications beginning in October.
Compost Conference was cancelled. Refunds are being sent to all who request, many folks have turned registration fee into a donation to the Ed fund. Will end up with a profit, though smaller than it would have been if the conference could have gone on.
Annual meeting Monday June 1 at 5 PM on ZOOM. Registration will begin in about 1 week.
The theme for the 2020 ECRI Annual Meeting is how do we use lessons being shown to us by societal reaction to the COVID – 19 pandemic to lead society, specifically Rhode Island, to a place with better air quality, local commerce, walking/biking opportunities, equitably distributed city green space, and job opportunities that support healthy lives in all RI communities.”
The event will be a panel discussion With Marcela Betancur Director of the Latino Policy Institute at RWU, Amelia Rose Executive Director of Groundwork RI, and James Vincent President RI chapter of the NAACP
It will be moderated by Joanna Detz Executive director ecoRI News
The event will be free though we are asking for donations, and if your organization wishes to be a sponsor or advertiser, please contact Greg Gerritt at the ECRI office.
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Legislative Agenda Proposals for Discussion at May Meeting
| Bill Number | House/Senate? | Sponsor | Short Description | Issue Area | Committee | Hearing Date | Oppose/Support/Neutral | GEC Priority Level | ECRI Priority Level | Lead Advocate | Corrolary Bill Number | Long Description | |
| S2165 | Senate | Euer | Act On Climate 2020 | Climate & Energy | Environment | Support | Priority | CLF | H7399 | Mandatory GHG emissions reductions; amendments of RRI | |||
| H7399 | House | Blazejewski | Act on Climate 2020 | Climate & Energy | Environment | Support | Priority | CLF | S2165 | Mandatory GHG emissions reductions; amendments of RRI | |||
| S2003 | Senate | Ruggerio | Plastic Waste Reduction Act | Plastics & Waste | Environment | Support | Not identical to House; ban single use plastic bags. Preempt local ordinances but does have stitched handle language. | ||||||
| H7306 | House | McEntee | Plastic Waste Reduction Act | Plastics & Waste | Environment | 2/6 | Support | Not identical to Senate; ban single use plastic bags. 5 cents per paper bag. No preemption language--just sets a policy floor. | |||||
| H7163 | House | Single Use Plastic Straws | Plastics & Waste | Environment | Support | ||||||||
| H7164 | House | Disposable food service containers (polystyrene foam) | Plastics & Waste | Environment | Support | ||||||||
| H7261 | House | Donovan | Balloons (latex and mylar) | Plastics & Waste | Environment | Support | |||||||
| S2191 | Senate | Sosnowski | Balloons (latex and mylar) | Plastics & Waste | Environment | Support | |||||||
| H7216 | House | PFAS bill -- sets statewide groundwater quality | Toxics | Support | |||||||||
| S2235 | Senate | PFAS bill -- sets statewide groundwater quality | Toxics | Support | |||||||||
| H7307 | House | PFAS in food packaging | Toxics | Support | |||||||||
| S2068 | Senate | Satchell | PFAS in food packaging | Toxics | Support | ||||||||
| H7425 | House | McNamara | Ban on Neo Nics pesticide | Toxics | Support | Audubon | Neo nics are a class of pesticides that are extremely harmful to pollinators and birds. | ||||||
| H7471 | House | Cortvriend | Climate change education resolution | Support | RIEEA | Similar bill to last year, | |||||||
| S2194 | Senate | Lynch Prata | OSCAR | Climate & Energy | Environment | Support | STB | H7165 | Establishes the Ocean State Climate Adaptation and Resilience Fund. Enables municipalities and the state to apply for grants to improve public safety and community climate resilience for coastal habitats, as well as river and stream floodplains. | ||||
| H7165 | House | Vella-Wilkinson | OSCAR | Climate & Energy | Finance | Support | STB | S2194 | Establishes Ocean State Climate Adaptation and Resilience Fund (OSCAR) which provides grants to fund projects that adapt infrastructure on public lands to address impacts of climate change. | ||||
| H7171 | House | Abney | Budget | watch list | |||||||||
| S2082 | Senate | Archambault | Penalties on careless motorists for injuring vulnerable road users | Support | RI Transit | ||||||||
| H7259 | House | McNamara | Penalties on careless motorists for injuring vulnerable road users | Support | RI Transit | ||||||||
| H7210 | House | Donovan | Require assembly approval before development of State House lawn | Support | RI Transit | ||||||||
| H7280 | House | Tobon | Community remote net metering expansion | WATCH LIST | |||||||||
| S2109 | Senate | Sosnowski | Community remote net metering expansion | WATCH LIST | |||||||||
| H7426 | House | Speakman | Solar Siting | Support | Audubon/TNC | ||||||||
| S2112 | Senate | Coastal Adaptation Trust Fund | Climate & Energy | Environment | Support | Establishes the RI coastal adaptation trust fund. The trust enables the state and its cities and towns to apply for grants to fund projects that invest in measures that adapt infrastructure on public lands to address the impacts of climate change. | |||||||
| H7174 | House | Blazejewski | Climate & Economic Development Planning; adds climate to mission of economic planning council | Climate & Energy | Small Business | Support | Adds climate change/sea-level rise/coastal resiliency to data analysis. Changes number of members of the economic development planning council from 17 to 19 by adding the directors of environmental management and coastal resources council. | ||||||
| H7052 | House | Roberts | Exempt homeowners from properly closing a cesspool as long as homeowner has taken "necessary" steps | Oppose | |||||||||
| H7331 | House | Edwards | Allow DEM to extend deadline for abandonment of a cesspool | WATCH LIST | |||||||||
| H7128 | House | Corvese | Establishes drug takeback program | Toxics | WATCH LIST | ||||||||
| S2215 | Senate | Refundable tax credit to homeowner connecting to sewer system. Incentive to do sewer over septic. | Support | ||||||||||
| H7406 | House | Refundable tax credit to homeowner connecting to sewer system. Incentive to do sewer over septic. | Support | ||||||||||
| S2195 | Senate | Gallo | Litter control and recycling--adds cigarette butts to definition of litter. | Support | |||||||||
| S2110 | Senate | Lynch Prata | Gives DEM the authority to regulate all invasives, not just freshwater. | Support | Land Trusts | ||||||||
| H7083 | House | Casimiro | Tax credits to resiliency improvements on properties | Support | |||||||||
| H7245 | House | Blazejewski | Conservation easement enabling legislation | Support | Land Trusts | ||||||||
| S2426 | Senate | DiPalma | Conservation easement enabling legislation | Support | |||||||||
| H7348 | House | Edwards | Authorizes municipalities to add a layer of protection to fee properties that they own. | Support | |||||||||
| S2469 | Senate | Euer | Authorizes municipalities to add a layer of protection to fee properties that they own. | Support | |||||||||
| S2108 | Senate | Sosnowski | Carbon pricing | Support | |||||||||
| H7866 | Senate | Handy | Appliance standards | Support | |||||||||
| S2043 | House | Satchell | Appliance standards | Support | |||||||||
| H7110 | House | Municipal aggregation exemption from last year's consumer protection bill | Support | ||||||||||
| H7217 | House | McNamara | Grants residential purchasers of solar energy systems protections and disclosures in the retail sale/lease documents. | Support WITH AMENDMENTS | |||||||||
| H7308 | O'Brien | Ban importing animals for purpose of captive hunting | Support | Very similar to H7305 | |||||||||
| H7305 | McNamara | Prohibits of importing wild animals for purpose of canned hunting | Support | Very similar to H7308 | |||||||||
| S2640 | Senate | Sosnowski | Water Resources Board bill | Watch list | |||||||||
| S2705 | Senate | Lawson | Transit pass | Support | |||||||||
| S2403 | Senate | Miller | Neonics | Support | |||||||||
| H7611 | House | McEntee | Bottle bill--10 cent deposit on bottles | Support | CLF | ||||||||
| S2513 | Senate | McKenney | Bottle bill--10 cent deposit on bottles | Support | CLF | ||||||||
| S2636 | Senate | Prohibits a covered establishment from preparing, selling, processing or providing food or beverages in or on a disposable food service container that is composed in whole or in part of polystyrene foam. | Support | ||||||||||
| S2404 | House | Miller | 100% RES | Support | |||||||||
| S2638 | Senate | Valverde | 100% Lead By Example | Support | |||||||||
| S2365 | Senate | Seveney | State fleet electrification bill | Support | |||||||||
| H7680 | House | Ajello | State fleet electrification bill | Support | |||||||||
| H7676 | House | Slater | Open space resolution | Support | |||||||||
| H7868 | House | Ruggiero | Composting facilities; | Support | |||||||||
| H7874 | House | McEntee | Gives state marine fisheries council regulatory authority over fisheries | Watch list | |||||||||
| H7930 | House | EFSA amendments | Watch list | ||||||||||
| S2637 | Senate | CRMC appointed by Governor | Support | ||||||||||
| H7870 | House | Craven | Engage stakeholders before aerial spraying for mosquitos and ticks; monitor afterwards | Support | |||||||||
| S2111 | Senate | Sosnowski | Expand definition of idling to include all engines, not just diesel | Support | |||||||||
| S2026 | Senate | Reorganizes structure of commission to study CRMC | Support | ||||||||||
| H7867 | House | Chippendale | Require DEM to pay for other engineers to conduct a wetland evaluation if they don't get to it within statutory timelines on their own. | Oppose |
Meeting Minutes File:
