Res No 167-15-14506RESOLUTION NO.167-15-1 4506
A Resolution of the City of South Miami,Florida,("City")supporting the
EPA's Clean Power Plan rule asa way of significantly reducing greenhouse
gas emissions that threaten the South Florida region through climate change
and sea level rise and opposing any requests that the Clean Power Plan rule
be stayed during any periods of legal challenge or litigation and authorizing
Mayor Stoddard to issue a Declaration in support of this Resolution.
WHEREAS,TheMayorandCity Commission recognize that greenhouse gas
emissions from human activity have been proven bythe best science tobe heating the
oceansandatmosphere,acceleratingsealevelrise,andacidifyingthe planet's oceans;and
WHEREAS,all of South Florida,including theCity of South Miami,is threatened
existentially by sea level rise induced by global warming;and
WHEREAS,On May 1,2012,theCity Commission unanimously approved a
resolution sending a letter toU.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Administrator
Lisa P.Jackson,supporting the EPA's increased efforts to reduce greenhouse gas
pollution under the Clean Air Act;and
WHEREAS,On August 3,2015,the President and EPA announced the Clean
Power Plan -http://wsvw2.epa.gov/cleanpowerplan/clean-power-plan-final-rule ;and
WHEREAS,the Clean Power Plan isa historic and important stepin reducing
carbon pollution from power plants,andone that takes real action to limit human-induced
climate change;and
WHEREAS,the Clean Power Plan was shaped by years of unprecedented
outreach and public engagement,resulting inafair,flexibleplan,designed to strengthen
thefast-growingtrend toward cleanerandlower-pollutingAmericanenergywithstrong
but achievable standards for power plants,and customized goalsforstatestocutthe
carbon pollution that is driving climate change;and
WHEREAS,theCleanPowerPlanprovidesnational consistency,accountability,
andalevel playing field,while reflecting each state's energymix;and
WHEREAS,theCleanPowerPlanfurthersinternational cooperation onstemming
climatechangebyshowingothernationsthattheUnitedStatesiscommittedtoleading
global efforts to address climate change.
NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI,FLORIDA,THAT:
Section 1.Theaboverecitalsarefoundtobetrueandcorrectandarehereby
adoptedby reference as if incorporated andsetoutinfullinthisresolution.
Res.No.167-15-14506
Section 2.TheCity Commission herebyexpressesitsstrongestsupportforthe
federalClean Power Plan ruleandstronglyopposesanyandallrequeststhattheClean
PowerPlanrulebestayedduringanyperiods of legalchallengeorlitigation.Mayor
PhilipK.StoddardisherebyauthorizedtosigntheattachedDeclarationonbehalfofthe
City of SouthMiamiopposinganyandall petitions/motions tostaytheimplementationof
the Clean Power Plan.
Section 3.The City Clerk is hereby directed to convey this resolution to EPA
Secretary Gina McCarthy,and individually toall United Statesand Florida State
Legislators representing theCity of SouthMiami,tothe Miami-Dade County Mayor,to
members of the Miami-Dade County Commission,andtoall cities in Miami-Dade
County.
Section 4.If any section clause,sentence,or phrase of this resolution isfor
any reason held invalid or unconstitutional byacourt of competent jurisdiction,the
holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution.
Section 5.This resolution shalltakeeffect immediately upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this _6th day of October 2015.
ATTEST:
Page 2 of2
APPROVED:
VlAYORMA
COMMISSION VOTE:4-0
Mayor Stoddard:Yea
Vice Mayor Harris:Absent
Commissioner Edmond:Yea
Commissioner Liebman:Yea
Commissioner Welsh:Yea
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Petitioner,
v.
UNITED STATES ENVIROMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY,
Respondent.
Docket No.
DECLARATION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI
IN OPPOSITION TO MOTION FOR A STAY OF EPA'S CLEAN POWER PLAN
I,Philip K.Stoddard declares asfollows:
1.Iamthe Mayor of theCity of South Miami andI have first-hand knowledge of
the facts set forth below.
2.The City of South Miami ishometo -14,000 residents,anda thriving downtown
commercial areaon US-1,serviced directly by Metrorail linkto downtown Miami andthe Miami
International Airport.
3.The Cityis located one-mile west of Biscayne Bay,and bounded bya major canal
onthe southern edge that connects directly to Biscayne Bay,and bisected bya second canal that
connects to the first one.
4.The City of South Miami (hereafter "the City"),likeall of South Florida,facesan
existential threat fromsealevelrise that is exacerbated by continued climate change.
Page 1 of 5
5.Canalareas of the City are extremely lowin elevation,already contained within
FEMA flood zones,prone to storm flooding,and destined to become increasingly vulnerable to
riverine flooding and storm surge as sea level continues torise.
6.According todata recorded bythe Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric
Science (RSMAS)atthe University of Miami,Biscayne Bayhas experienced almost fiveinches
of sealevelriseinthe past five years alone.
7.In 2015,the City contracted asealevelrise vulnerability study that revealed
increasing vulnerabilities tosepticsystems,roads,bridges,and residential properties.
8.Ongoing threats totheCityfromtherising water tableincludeslowed drainage
duringand following rains,increased floodrisk,saltwater intrusion intoour groundwater and
soils,displacement of ourdrinking water supply,failure of residential septicsystems.
9.Increased area flooding fromsealevelrisewillrequiretheCitytoinstall
additional sewage infrastructure toallowfor replacement of allseptic systems with municipal
sewer system (currently 2/3 of residences areon septic).
10.Increased flood threat causedbysealevelrisewillrequiretheCityto elevate
roadsin low-lying areasandto rebuild allbridgesboth higher andwith greater clearance to
handle flood waters.
11.Increased area flooding fromsealevelrise promises to directly disrupt regional
transportation and commerce,threatening jobs,education systems,andthetaxbase that supports
local government.
12.Increased area flooding fromsealevelrise promises toharmtheCityby
interfering with finance markets,specifically,increasing thecosts of private insurance,hindering
theability of local home-buyers toobtain30-yearmortgages,and preventing local government
from bonding necessary infrastructure projects.
Page 2 of5
13.Flooding of low-lying residential neighborhoods willrequiretheCityto condemn
properties,demolish homes,and restore theseareasto function as estuaries and parks soasto
avoid slum and blight that will harm the rest of theCity.
14.Change in finance markets andloss of low-lying neighborhoods (currently
holding the highest home valuation of anyinthe City),will harm the City's tax baseand
interferewiththe City's ability to provide municipal services including police protection and
parks programs.
15.Increased temperatures fromglobal warming are already being experienced
locally,extending the seasonal demand forair conditioning,and placing an additional financial
burden on area residents.
16.TheCity of South Miami hasbegunboth Adaptation and Mitigation strategies to
address the consequences of climate change induced sealevelrise.
17.The City's Comprehensive Planlimits construction inflood zones.
18.TheCity completed aStormWater Master Planand updated that plan in2012.
19.TheCityhas budgeted andspent millions of dollarsto reduce the City's storm
threatrating through drainage improvements inthelowestareas of theCity.
20.This year,funding forCity drainage improvement and sewer upgrades was
allocated directly tothe City bytheState Legislature butthe City's line-items were vetoed by
Governor Scott,placing the financial burden directly on City residents.
21.TheCityhas initiated engineering studiestoreplace residential septicsystems
with municipal sewer hookups that willbeless vulnerable tofailure caused bysealevelrise-
mediated flooding and rise in the water table.
Page 3 of5
22.Cityresidentspaythebulk of theirpropertytaxestoMiami-DadeCounty,which
has begun a multi-billion dollar redesign of theentire County-wide sewer system,desalination
projects to provide drinking water,anda groundwater modeling study.
23.TheCityhas initiated aseries of Climate Mitigation projects including initiatives
for financing and group pricing on rooftop solar installations,green fleet conversion,and plans to
replace energy-inefficient municipalbuildingswithmoreefficientones.Therate of solar
adoptionhasdoubled,with residents reportinghighreturnoninvestment.The City's greenfleet
initiative has already returned budget savings.TheCity recognizes that the Clean Power Plan
willprovideadditionalincentivesforrenewableenergyandother mitigation measures,consistent
with the City's own initiatives.
24.The City recognizes that greenhouse gas emissions from human activity have
been proven bythe best science tobe heating the oceans and atmosphere,accelerating sealevel
rise,and acidifying the oceans.
25.On May 1,2012,theCity Commission unanimously approved a Resolution #91-
12-13648 which instructed the City to send a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa P.Jackson,
supporting the EPA's increased efforts toreduce greenhouse gas pollution under theCleanAir
Act,a copy of that resolution is attached as Exhibit A.
26.On October 6,2015,theCity of SouthMiami unanimously passed Resolution #
167-15-14506 expressing its strongest supporting the EPA's Clean Power Plan ruleasa way of
significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions that threaten the City through climate change
andsealevelrise.A copy of Resolution #167-15-14506 is attached as Exhibit B.
27.The City has joined other cities and counties in South Florida facing similar
global-warming-related threats insendingaletter[orletters]toEPA expressing opposition to
Page 4 of 5
requests for administrative staysoftheCleanPowerPlan.Acopyofthat/thoseletter(s)is/are
attached to this declaration as Exhibit C.
28.Because of theurgentthreatstotheCityandourregionposedbysealevelrise,
theCitystandsinstrongoppositiontoanyrequeststhatthe EPA's CleanPowerPlanrulebe
stayed during the period of legal challenge or litigation.
Underpenalty of perjuryunderthelaws of theUnitedStates,Iherebydeclarethatthe
foregoing facts are true and correct.y ^
By:^t&J&JL-
Page 5 of5
ILIP K.STODDARD
MAYOR
EXHIBIT A
RESOLUTION NO:91~12"13648
A Resolution of the City of South Miami to the Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator LisaP.Jackson in support of reducing greenhouse gaspollution
under the Clean Air Act
WHEREAS,the decade from 2000 to 2010 was the warmest on record1,and 2005 and 2010 tied
for the hottest years on record2;and
WHEREAS,the current level of C02 in the atmosphere is approximately 392 parts per million3
(ppm);and
WHEREAS,oneofthe world's leadingclimatescientists,Dr.JamesHansen,statedin2008:"If
humanity wishestopreserveaplanetsimilartothatonwhich civilization developed andtowhichlifeon
Earthis adapted,paleoclimate evidence and climate change suggestthat CO2 will need tobe reduced
from its current 385 ppm toat most 350 ppm4;and
WHEREAS,theEnvironmentalProtectionAgencydeterminedthatcurrentandfuture
greenhouse gas concentrations endanger public health5,and according to the Global Humanitarian Forum
climate change isalready responsible every yearfor some 300,000 deaths,325 million people seriously
affected,and economic losses worldwide of U.S.$125 billion6;and
WHEREAS,eextreme weather events,mostnotablyheatwavesandprecipitationextremes,are
striking with increased frequency7,with deadly consequences for people and wildlife;in the United States
in 2011 alone,arecord14weatherandclimatedisastersoccurred,includingdroughts,heatwaves,and
floods,that cost at least $US 1 billion each in damages and loss of human lives8;and
WHEREAS,climatechangeis affecting food securitybyloweringthe growth andyieldsof
important crops9,and droughts,floods and changes in snowpack are altering water supplies10;and
WHEREAS,scientistshaveconcludedthatby2100asmanyasatenth of allspeciesmaybeon
the verge of extinction due to climate change11;and
WHEREAS,the world's land-basediceisrapidlymelting,threateningwatersuppliesinmany
regions and raising sea levels12,and Arctic summer sea ice extent has decreased to about half what it was
several decades ago13,with an accompanying drastic reduction in sea-ice thickness and volume14,which is
severely jeopardizing ice-dependent animals ;and
WHEREAS,sealevelisrisingfasteralongtheU.S.EastCoastthanithasforatleast2,000
years16,is accelerating in pace17,and could rise by one to two meters in this century,threatening millions
of Americans with severe flooding18;and
WHEREAS,forfourdecades,theCleanAirActhasprotectedtheairwebreathethrougha
proven,comprehensive,successfulsystem of pollutioncontrolthatsaveslivesandcreateseconomic
benefits exceeding its costs by many times19;and
WHEREAS,withtheCleanAirAct,airqualityinthiscountryhasimprovedsignificantlysince
1970,despitemajorgrowthbothinoureconomyandindustrialproduction;and
WHEREAS,between 1970and1990,thesixmain pollutants coveredbytheCleanAirAct—
particulate matter and ground-level ozone(both of which contribute tosmogand asthma),carbon
Page1 of4
Res.No.91-12-13648
monoxide,lead,sulfur and nitrogen oxides(the pollutants that cause acid rain)—were reduced by
between47percentand93 percent,and airborne lead wasvirtually eliminated;and
WHEREAS,theCleanAirActhas produced economicbenefitsvaluedat$2 trillion,equivalent
to30 times the cost of regulation;and
WHEREAS,theU.S.SupremeCourt ruled in Massachusetts vs.EPA (2007)that greenhouse
gases are "air pollutants"asdefinedbythe Clean AirActandthe Environmental Protection Agencyhas
theauthoritytoregulatethem;and
WHEREAS,climatechange threatens toputmuch of South Florida underwater inthenext
century;and
WHEREAS,TheCity of South Miami prides itselfonbeinga leader inthefight against climate
change and for clean air,having signed the Mayors'Climate Protection Agreement,andworkingto
promote tree canopy;
NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI,FLORIDA:
Section1.Climatechangeisnotan abstract problem forthe future oronethatwillonlyaffect
far-distant places but rather climate change is happening now,we are causing it,and the longer wewaitto
act,themoreweloseandthemoredifficultthe problem willbetosolve;andwe,theCity of SouthMiami
Commission,on behalf oftheresidents oftheCity,doherebyurgethe administrator ofthe Environmental
Protection Agency,Lisa P.Jackson,and President Barack Obama tomoveswiftlyto fully employ and
enforcetheClean Air Act todoourparttoreduce carbon inouratmospheretonomorethan350partsper
million.
Section2.TheCityClerkshall forward acopy of this resolution toLisaP.Jackson of the
EnvironmentalProtection Agency andPresidentBarackObama.
Section 3,This Resolution shalltake effect uponadoption.
Passed and adopted this J_stday ofMay 2012,
ATTEST:
&fi CLERK
READ AND APPROVED k&Vff¥Oi
LANOiiAQ^I^ALITYMD
THEREOFJ
APPROVED-
MAYOR
COMMISSION VOTE:5-0
MayorStoddard:Yea
Vice Mayor Liebman:Yea
Commissioner Newman:Yea
Commissioner Harris:Yea
Commissioner Welsh:Yea
Page 2 of4
ENDNOTES
1 PressRelease,National Aeronautic Space Association,NASA Research Finds LastDecade was Wannest on
Record,2009Oneofthe Warmest Years (Jan.21,2010),www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/jan/HQ__10-
017__Warmest_temps.html.
2 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,NOAA:2010 Tied for Warmest Year on Record,
www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/20110112_globalstats.html (last visited on 3/30/12).
3Co2now.org,What the World Needsto Watch,http://co2now.org (last visited on 3/30/12);Earth System Research
Laboratory ofNOAA,Trendsin Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide,www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/(lastvisitedon
4/2/12).
4 J.Hansen et al.,Target atmospheric CO2:Where should humanity aim?,Open Atmos.Sci.2,217 (2008),
http://pubs.giss.nasa.gov/abs/ha00410c.html.
5 U.S.Environmental Protection Agency,Endangemtent and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases
underSection202(a)of theCleanAirAct,74FederalRegister 66496-66546 (Dec.15,2009)(tobecodifiedat40
C.F.R.ch.1),http://epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html (lastvisited4/2/12).
6 Global Humanitarian Forum,The Anatomy ofa Silent Crisis (2009),
www.eird.org/publicaciones/humanimpactreport.pdf,p.1 ofpdf.
7 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to
Advance ClimateChangeAdaptation(SREX)(2012),http://ipco-wg2.gov/SREX/;U.S.Global Change Research
Program,GlobalClimateChangeImpactsintheUS:GlobalClimateChange (2009),
http://www.globalchange.gov/public^tions/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/full-report/globa
D.Coumou and S.Rahmstorf,A decade of weather extremes,Nature Climate Change (2012),
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE1452.
8 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,Extreme Weather 2011,http://www.noaa.gov/extreme2011/(last
visited April 2,2012);Press Release,World Meteorological Organization,2011:world's Kf1 warmest year,warmest
year withLa Niria onrecord,second-lowest Arctic sea ice extent (2012),
www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/gcs_2011_en.html.
9 D.B.Lobell et al.,Climate Trends andGlobal Crop Production Since 1980,Science 333,-616 (July 29,2011),
www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2011/05/04/science.1204531.abstract;U.S.Global Change Research Program,
GlobalClimateChangeImpactsintheUS:Agriculture (2009),www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-
assessments/us-impacts/full-report/climate-change-impacts-by-sector/agriculture.
10 U.S.Global Change Research Program,Global Climate Change Impacts in the US:Water Resources (2009),
www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific^
sector/water-resources.
111.M.D.Maclean andRJ.Wilson,Recent ecological responses to climate change support predictions of high
extinction risk,PNAS 108,12337 (2011),http://www.pnas.org/content/108/30/12337,summary at
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110711151457.htm.
12 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),Climate Change 2007:Synthesis Report (2007),
http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publicationsjpcc__fourth__assessment report_synthesis reporthtm,pp.30,
49 of pdf.
13 J.Stroeve et al.,Arctic Sea Ice Extent Plummets in 2007,EOS 89,2 (January 8,2008),
http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2008/2008EO020001.shtml,p.13 of pdf.
14 Polar Science Center,Arctic Sea Ice Volume Anomaly,version 2,
http://psc.apl.washington.edu/wordpress/research/projects/arctic-sea-ice-volume-anomaly/(lastvisitedApril 3,2012);
R.Kwok and D.A.Rothrock,Decline in Arctic sea ice thickness from submarine and ICESat records:1958-2008,
Geophysical Research Letters 36,L15501 (2009),http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2009/2009GL039035.shtml.
Page3 of 4
15 Center for Biological Diversity and Care for the Wild International,Extinction:It's Not Just for Polar Bears (2010),
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/progra^
16 A.C.Kemp et al.,Climate related sea-level variations overthepast two millennia,PNAS 108,11017 (2011),
http://www.pnas.org/content/108/27/11017,summary at
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011 /06/110620183242.htm.
17 M.A.Menifield etal.,An Anomalous Recent Acceleration of Global SeaLevelRise,Journal of Climate 22,5772
(2008),http://journals.ametsoc.Org/doi/abs/10.1175/2009JCLI2985.1.
18 B.H.Strauss,Tidally adjusted estimates of topographic vulnerability tosea level rise and flooding for the
contiguousUnitedStates,Environmental ResearchLetters7(2012),http://iopscience.iop.Org/1748-9326/7/1/014033,
summaryat http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120314111738.htm.
19 For CleanAirActfacts,see
Center forBiologicalDiversity,TheCleanAirActWorks (2011),
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/climate_law institute/global_warming_litigation/clean_air_act/pdfs/CleanA
irActWorks_032011.pdf;and
U.S.EnvironmentalProtection Agency,TheBenefitsandCostsoftheCleanAirAct,1970to1990 (1997),
http://www.epa.gov/air/sect812/;and
U.S.Environmental Protection Agency,TheBenefitsand Costs oftheCleanAirAct,1990to 2010 (1999),
http://www.epa.gov/air/sect8121.
Page4 of4
EXHIBIT B
RESOLUTION NO.167-15-1 4506
A Resolution of the City of SouthMiami,Florida,("City")supporting the
EPA's Clean Power Plan rule asa way of significantly reducing greenhouse
gas emissions thatthreatentheSouth Florida region throughclimate change
andsealevelriseandopposingany requests thattheCleanPowerPlanrule
bestayedduringanyperiodsoflegal challenge orlitigationandauthorizing
Mayor Stoddard toissueaDeclarationin support of this Resolution.
WHEREAS,TheMayorandCityCommissionrecognizethatgreenhousegas
emissionsfromhumanactivityhavebeenprovenbythebestsciencetobeheatingthe
oceans and atmosphere,accelerating sealevel rise,and acidifying theplanet's oceans;and
WHEREAS,all of South Florida,includingtheCity of SouthMiami,is threatened
existentially by sea level rise induced byglobal warming;and
WHEREAS,On May 1,2012,theCity Commission unanimously approved a
resolution sending a letter toU.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Administrator
LisaP.Jackson,supporting the EPA's increasedeffortstoreduce greenhouse gas
pollution under the Clean Air Act;and
WHEREAS,On August 3,2015,the President and EPA announced the Clean
Power Plan -http://www2.epa.gov/cleanpoweiplan/clean-power-plan-final-rule ;and
WHEREAS,the Clean Power Plan isa historic and important stepin reducing
carbon pollution from power plants,andonethattakesreal action to limit human-induced
climate change;and
WHEREAS,theCleanPowerPlanwasshapedbyyears of unprecedented
outreachand public engagement,resultinginafair,flexibleplan,designedtostrengthen
thefast-growingtrend toward cleanerandlower-pollutingAmericanenergywithstrong
butachievablestandardsfor power plants,andcustomizedgoalsforstatestocutthe
carbon pollution that is driving climate change;and
WHEREAS,theCleanPowerPlanprovidesnational consistency,accountability,
andalevelplayingfield,whilereflectingeachstate'senergymix;and
WHEREAS,theCleanPowerPlan furthers international cooperation onstemming
climate change by showing other nations thatthe United States is committed to leading
globaleffortstoaddressclimatechange.
NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI,FLORIDA,THAT:
Section 1.The above recitals are found tobetrueand correct and are hereby
adoptedbyreferenceas if incorporatedandsetoutinfullinthisresolution.
Res.No.167-15-14506
Section 2.The City Commission hereby expresses its strongest support for the
federal Clean Power Planruleand strongly opposes any andall requests thatthe Clean
Power Plan rule be stayed during any periods of legal challenge or litigation.Mayor
Philip K.Stoddard is hereby authorized to sign the attached Declaration on behalf of the
City of South Miami opposing any and all petitions/motions to stay the implementation of
the Clean Power Plan.
Section3.TheCityClerkis hereby directed to convey this resolution toEPA
Secretary Gina McCarthy,and individually toall United States and Florida State
Legislators representing theCityof South Miami,tothe Miami-Dade County Mayor,to
membersoftheMiami-DadeCounty Commission,andtoallcitiesinMiami-Dade
County.
Section4.If anysection clause,sentence,orphraseofthisresolutionisfor
anyreasonheld invahd orimconstitutionalbyacourt of competentjurisdiction,the
holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution.
Section 5.This resolution shalltake effect immediately upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this _6th day of October 2015.
ATTEST:
Page 2 of2
APPROVED:
COMMISSION VOTE:4-0
Mayor Stoddard:Yea
Vice Mayor Harris:Absent
Commissioner Edmond:Yea
Commissioner Liebman:Yea
Commissioner Welsh:Yea