CT's Multi-State Pact to Limit Emissions Is Good News for Biden Environmental Team
/For leading members of the incoming Biden administration’s environmental team, Monday’s announcement from states in which they’ve spend portions of their lives and careers had to be good news.
The who:
Gina McCarthy, a former head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Environmental Protection, and undersecretary of policy for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. She will be National Climate Advisor, operating from the White House.
Brenda Mallory, an environmental lawyer and Waterbury native, named by the President-elect as his nominee to chair the Council on Environmental Quality.
The what: Governor Ned Lamont (D) of Connecticut, Governor Charlie Baker (R) of Massachusetts, Governor Gina Raimondo (D) of Rhode Island, and Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) of the District of Columbia announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) committing to a groundbreaking, multi-jurisdictional program that pursues systematic and substantial reductions in motor vehicle pollution – the largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions –and re-invests $300 million each year across these jurisdictions in cleaner transit, modern infrastructure, and healthier communities.
The bipartisan Transportation and Climate Initiative Program (TCI-P) will guarantee Connecticut at least a 26 percent reduction in carbon emissions from transportation from 2022 to 2032, and is anticipated to generate annual revenue of up to $89 million in 2023, increasing to as much as $117 million in 2032, according to officials.
Connecticut intends to re-invest these funds in equitable and cleaner transportation options, creating an employment program across transit, construction, and green energy, and a catalyst for infrastructure development through the next decade and beyond.
“Engaging in this way with my fellow governors and Mayor Bowser accomplishes goals we have set for Connecticut for years,” Governor Lamont said. “Participating in the TCI-P will help grow our economy through a fresh injection of capital to provide for jobs and new infrastructure. This collaboration will cut our greenhouse gas emissions, and it will make our urban centers healthier, after decades of being adversely impacted by the emissions being released by traffic every day.”
McCarthy was in Massachusetts state government before being tapped by former Governor M. Jodi Rell, a Republican, in 2004 to serve as Commissioner in Connecticut. She led Connecticut’s environmental protection agency for four years, and then was appointed by President Barack Obama to lead EPA. In 2017, McCarthy was appointed by Democratic Governor Dan Malloy to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Green Bank.
“Connecticut has always taken pride in our leadership role when it comes to climate, and when we can combine that with a stronger economy, fast transit systems, and regional cooperation, that’s a win for all of us,” Lamont added.
Mallory was appointed General Counsel for the White House Council on Environmental Quality under President Obama and spent more than 15 years at the Environmental Protection Agency, where she rose to the highest ranking position of principal deputy general counsel. She earned her undergraduate degree from Yale University.
Connecticut will designate an equity advisory body with diverse representation and community involvement to advise on developing criteria to identify overburdened and underserved communities, provide recommendations for investments, and assist with developing metrics to evaluate the success of those investments.
The program comes at a time when the impacts of climate change continue to be felt across the state, the region, and beyond. Transportation is responsible for 38 percent of GHG emissions in Connecticut. Exposure to air pollution exacerbates lung and heart ailments, causes asthma attacks, and increases the risk of a stroke and other serious health conditions. Prolonged exposure to air pollution may make it more difficult to recover from diseases like COVID-19, according to a recent Harvard School of Public Health report.
Officials noted that with this week’s signing of the TCI-P MOU, there will be opportunities for the public and stakeholders to provide feedback during the development of the TCI-P Model Rule and, in some jurisdictions, legislative and regulatory processes.
