Month: April 2013

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April 22, 2013January 6, 2023News Releases

City Opposes Genetically Engineered Salmon

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City of Seattle
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/22/2013

Councilmember Richard Conlin

City Opposes Genetically Engineered Salmon

Seattle -- Seattle City Council adopted a resolution today opposing the commercial production of genetically engineered (GE) salmon.  A proposal is currently before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that would allow GE salmon commercial production. The Mayor concurred with the resolution.

The City's action supports a bipartisan coalition, supported by Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, which is seeking to ban the genetically engineered fish or require it to be labeled as transgenic. More than 400,000 fishermen, environmentalists, food safety advocates and others have written to the FDA with concerns about the FDA's preliminary finding that this project should be allowed to proceed.

"This is a threat to the livelihood of Northwest and Alaska fishermen," said Councilmember Richard Conlin, sponsor of the resolution. "I'm also deeply concerned about potential health concerns related to consuming genetically engineered salmon.  That's why we felt the need to act."

AquaBounty Technologies Inc., is seeking permission from the FDA to alter Atlantic salmon with genes taken from the Pacific Chinook salmon and the eel-like Ocean Pout. Adding these growth genes from other species causes fish to produce growth hormones continuously, allowing them to grow larger and faster than natural salmon.

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is also alarmed about this proposal. Chairman Brian Cladoosby, said, "Genetically engineered salmon pose a grave threat to the environment and to the health of the general population. We strongly believe that it would be an error for the FDA to accept the unsupported "guarantee" that all genetically engineered fish can be contained and not adversely impact people, the wild salmon species and the environment. "

"Salmon are an important part of Seattle's environment, our heritage, and our economy," said Mayor Mike McGinn. "I stand with fishermen, environmentalists and food safety advocates to protect salmon and the public from genetic modification."

[View in Council Newsroom]

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April 22, 2013January 6, 2023City Clerk

Action Summary, Monday 4/22/13

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The following is a summation of Council actions at today’s 2 p.m. Full Council meeting.   No Absences. FULL COUNCIL: 1. Resolution 31443 (PDF Version) ADOPTED AS AMENDED (9 – 0) Stating the City of Seattle’s opposition to any action by the Food and Drug Administration to approve genetically engineered salmon. LIBRARIES, UTILITIES, AND CENTER [...]

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April 22, 2013January 6, 2023Councilmember Bagshaw, Councilmember Burgess, Councilmember Godden, Councilmember Harrell, Councilmember Licata, Councilmember O'Brien, Councilmember Rasmussen, News Releases

City Council to host Town Hall Meeting on Climate Action

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/22/2013

Council President Sally J. Clark
Councilmember Sally Bagshaw
Councilmember Tim Burgess
Councilmember Richard Conlin
Councilmember Jean Godden
Councilmember Bruce Harrell
Councilmember Nick Licata
Cou...

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April 22, 2013January 6, 2023Councilmember O'Brien, News Releases

City Council Introduces Climate Action Plan on Earth Day

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City of Seattle
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4/22/2013

Councilmember Mike O'Brien
Council President Sally Clark
Councilmember Richard Conlin

City Council Introduces Climate Action Plan on Earth Day
Plan provides pathway to carbon neutrality by 2050

Seattle -- Seattle City Council introduced Seattle's Climate Action Plan today, outlining the City's path to meeting its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The Plan focuses on three sectors where the City of Seattle can have the greatest influence in reducing carbon emissions: transportation and land use, building energy and solid waste. The Plan also includes a section on how the City should prepare for the impacts of climate disruption we currently experience, as well a section on actions individuals can take to reduce emissions through purchasing decisions.

"Taking climate action is not about austerity. It is about creating great places to live, work and play today and for future generations," said Councilmember Mike O'Brien, Chair of the Energy and Environment Committee. "This Climate Action Plan provides a vision for a city that is vibrant, economically prosperous and socially just." 

"The strong actions in this plan are evidence of the high value that the Seattle community places on sustainability," said Jill Simmons, Director of the Office of Sustainability and Environment. "Throughout the planning process, we heard from individuals and organizations who encouraged us to be bold and think long-term."

Seattle's Office of Sustainability and Environment has been developing the Climate Action Plan since 2011, engaging grassroots sustainability groups, environmental leaders and business and community members from across the city. The City also formed Technical Advisory Groups in each sector addressed in the Plan and convened a Green Ribbon Commission to recommend specific climate actions.

"With its natural beauty, strong economy and commitment to equity, Seattle is an amazing place to live. The Climate Action Plan lays out clear path to ensuring Seattle remains a great place to live and raise a family, while also doing its part to combat climate change," said Doris Koo, Co-Chair of the Seattle Green Ribbon Commission. 
"Even before the first Earth Day in 1970, Seattleites have taken pride in our city's commitment to protecting the environment through innovative thinking, hard work and zeal," said Seattle City Council President Sally J. Clark. "I'm proud we can introduce our Climate Action Plan on Earth Day, 2013, as yet another milestone in our city's dedication to making a difference for the planet."

The Climate Action Plan includes specific short- and long-term actions the City needs to meet its ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. For example, the transportation sector accounts for 40% of Seattle's greenhouse gas emissions, but the biggest challenge Seattle faces to reducing emissions in this sector is funding. The plan calls for new funding sources like extending the Bridging the Gap levy and securing local authority for a motor vehicle excise tax (MVET) to help improve bus service and reliability, invest in improvements that make it easier and safer to walk or bike and take steps to build out the region's light rail system. The plan also calls for supporting the adoption of low carbon vehicles and fuels.

In the building energy section, the Plan calls for accelerating Seattle's work to make energy use more visible to consumers by switching to smart meters, providing better energy performance information to building owners and users and generally helping people better understand and manage their energy consumption. Additionally, the Plan calls for getting the right mix of policies and incentives to spur retrofitting in Seattle's housing stock and commercial buildings.

"We have already seen the impact of a changing climate. We must act now to slow down the rate of climate change, and to respond to the issues as our climate is affected," said Councilmember Richard Conlin. "Together we can rise to this great moral challenge, take practical steps in the right direction, inspire others to emulate our example and build a positive future for Seattle."

"Seattle residents and businesses are leaders in the fight against climate change," said Mayor Mike McGinn. "I appreciate the hard work done by our citizen committee to craft recommendations for our updated plan and look forward to the Council's process for adopting the strongest possible Climate Action Plan. I thank Councilmembers O'Brien and Conlin for their leadership in this effort."

The Climate Action Plan will be discussed in two Energy and Environment Committee meetings--Tuesday, April 23 and Tuesday, May 14--and will also be the topic of a public town hall on Tuesday, May 7 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at University Heights Center.

The Climate Action Plan can be viewed online at: http://www.seattle.gov/environment/climate_plan.htm

[View in Council Newsroom]

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April 19, 2013January 6, 2023Councilmember Licata

Micro-Units Are Coming; No They Are Here

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Are micro-units (aka trademarked as aPodments) the answer to providing affordable housing in Seattle or are they a threat to the quality of life in residential neighborhoods? So, what are Microunits? They sprung up about 4 years ago, when some innovative developers discovered that they could build new housing projects that provided very small living [...]

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April 19, 2013January 6, 2023Councilmember Rasmussen

The Next Steps Towards a Safer NE 75th Street

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Please join SDOT at one of three upcoming  meetings on April 23rd, 25th or May 1st to give your input on how to make NE 75th street and the surrounding area safe for all. SDOT unveiled a new website for the NE 75th Street Road Safety Corridor Project, which includes a project outline, easy projects, and the next steps. Please […]