March 12, 2008
County Executive Ken Ulman signed a bill Monday creating the Office of Environmental Sustainability, which will serve as a contact and resource point for residents, businesses and institutions looking to become environmentally sustainable.
"It's one thing to talk about environmental thoughts and policies, but by institutionalizing this office we are demonstrating that protecting our environment is not just a priority of this administration, it's a priority throughout County government as well," Ulman said in a statement.
Also addressed at Monday's signing was the next phase of Howard's environmental plan.
The county plans to develop a countywide greenhouse gas emissions inventory, which will measure emissions from five sectors: electricity and natural gas, vehicular transportation, agriculture, solid waste, and wastewater treatment. Once the inventory is completed, the county will move forward on a climate action plan - a communitywide strategy for reducing emissions to the levels set forth in the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement signed by Ulman in 2007.
"The challenge is to understand what our carbon footprint is now so we can prioritize where we need to focus first to drive the number down," Joshua Feldmark, who was named the county's environmental director, said in a statement. Feldmark has held the administrator's job on an interim basis for the past year.
The county also announced that at least three communitywide meetings will be held in which residents, members of county institutions and business representatives will be invited to discuss environmental issues.
"In order to be successful we need to make some drastic environmental changes," Ned Tillman, chairman of the new Environmental and Sustainability Advisory Board, said in a statement. "But we need to establish these benchmarks first, or we won't know how we are doing. If we're successful, it will enhance the health, quality of life and business climate for all of Howard County."
