On Tuesday, September 27, your Chamber’s Energy and Sustainability Committee hosted two guest speakers to discuss non-attainment, sustainability and how San Antonio can change to pass the EPA’s new and more aggressive air pollution standards. Guest speakers included Nick Jones, the clean cities coordinator for Alamo Area Clean Cities Coalition at the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) and Doug Melnick, City of San Antonio Chief Sustainability Officer.
Nick Jones discussed the mission of AACOG, which is to enhance the quality of life of all residents of the Alamo region. and focused on the Clean Air act and how the new EPA standards for pollutants will affect the city of San Antonio. He said that while San Antonio is a major contributor to the state’s pollution, much of the emissions are transported from other areas, calling for a regional strategy.
The new EPA standards of 70 parts per billion (ppb), previously 75 ppb, put San Antonio just outside the new regulations. We are currently at 76 and are looking to implement strategic initiatives to meet the new EPA standards. If the city doesn’t reach the new standard, we will be classified as a marginal nonattainment area and have until 2020 to meet new standards and provide emission statements and emission inventory up until then.
Doug Melnick followed by presenting the city’s Employees Commuter Benefits Policy to help meet these new EPA standards, listing the four main commuter benefit options. These include: excluding transit vanpool cost from taxable income, employer provided vanpool subsidy or transit pass, employer provided transit, and employer provided commuter benefit. Many cities like San Francisco and New York have offered similar benefit options but are geographically different than San Antonio.
In November the city plans to engage the community to get feedback from all stakeholders who may be affected by this policy. Melnick said that this policy would only affect big companies with 1,000 or more employees. Feedback on this policy will be presented to City Council for consideration.
The Chamber is partnering with the City to engage the business community.
For more information on the Chamber’s Energy and Sustainability Committee, contact Stephanie Reyes.
