Politics & Government

City Adopts Environmental Sustainability Policy

One goal of the policy is to obtain LEED certification for all city facilities.

The Hyattsville City Council voted in favor of an environmental sustainability policy that would commit the city staff and administration to managing Hyattsville "in a way that practices and promotes responsible environmental stewardship."

The policy was drafted by the Hyattsville Environmental Committee with the help of some city staff and has been in the works for several months, said Councilman David Hiles (Ward 2) at a Sept. 20 council meeting.

Alan Mattlage is a member of the committee and supports the environmental policy.

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"I think it's the sort of thing that cities … all around the world are adopting," he told the council.

The policy seeks to address issues of:

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*Site – locations for projects;

*Energy;

*Materials – using recycled and environmentally friendly products;

*Water – protecting waterways and minimizing their pollution;

*Air – minimize air pollution;

*Operations and Maintenance – designing facilities with materials that are low in toxicity; and

*Education – let residents know about ways they can preserve the environment.

The policy also includes an objective to obtain LEED certification for all engineering, design, construction, deconstruction, maintenance and operation of city facilities.

Environmental committee member Jim Groves said the policy is just a starting point.

"I think this is the mark of a good policy, in that it does not go beyond reality and is still able to clearly lay out what is not acceptable," he said. "I think of this policy as not a blue print, but rather a road map on how to get there."

The full policy is available at www.hyattsville.org.


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