New York: More than 50 city and county governments from 28 states, together with The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM), the National League of Cities (NLC), and the mayors of Dallas, Knoxville, and Orlando announced the signing April 1 of legal statement, known as an amicus brief, explaining why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan is critical to the safety and economic security of local communities across the United States. The brief was authored by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School, and filed in federal court on Friday, April 1st.
The signatories represent a diverse geographic, economic, and political mix and include Miami Beach, Miami and other southeast Florida cities; Tucson; Salt Lake City; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Houston; Jersey City; Pittsburgh; and Boston. Twenty-three of the signatories are local governments within states that have joined the lawsuit against the EPA. In all, the signatories represent 51 localities -- home to more than 18 million Americans -- and more than 19,000 additional cities, villages and towns that are part of the USCM and NLC networks.
"The nation's mayors are pleased to join in the defense of the Clean Power Plan, which is an essential part of our nation's ability to respond to climate change," said Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, President of The U.S. Conference of Mayors. "This Plan will significantly cut carbon pollution from U.S. power plants; we must implement it now. Mayors know cities have the most to gain, as well as the most to lose in this debate because climate change and rising sea levels threaten the physical structure of our cities. Cities have been combating climate change for over a decade through our Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, but we need a national response."
City and county governments are the first line of defense in weather disasters and climate impacts, which grow increasingly frequent and severe as greenhouse gas emissions cause the climate to change. Many cities are already experiencing – and paying for – damage caused by climate change. The amicus brief provides examples:
Faced with flooding propelled by rising sea levels, Miami Beach is investing $400 million in an adaptation strategy that includes pumping stations, raised roads, and seawalls. Rising seas likewise put Miami at risk for "losing insurability," and threaten drinking water supplies across southeast Florida.
The 2011 Texas heat wave not only filled hospital emergency departments in Houston but also burst pipes and water mains, draining 18 billion gallons of drinking water and with it millions in revenue for the city. Disruptive heat waves in Grand Rapids, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh have caused electricity brownouts and blackouts; in Arlington County, Evanston, Dallas, Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City they have compromised an airport runway, buckled roads and warped rails.
The full brief is available at https://web.law.columbia.edu/climate-change/document-login/document-access.