Res No 176-15-14515RESOLUTION NO.176-15-14515
A Resolution of the City of South Miami,Florida,("City")authorizing the
City Attorney to take action to support the Clean Power Plan ("Plan")and to
oppose any attempt to stay the Plan and authorizing the City Clerk to
transmit to local governments a copy of the City's Clean Power Plan
Resolution and requesting their support of the Plan and opposition to stay of
the Plan.
WHEREAS,attheCity Commission meeting heldon October 6,2015,the Mayor
andCity Commission passed a resolution supportingthe EPA's Clean Power Plan asa
way of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions that threaten theCityand South
Florida region through climate change andsealevelriseand opposing any requests that
the Clean Power Plan be stayedduring any periods of legal challenge or litigation;and
WHEREAS,all of South Florida,including theCity of South Miami,is threatened
existentially by sea level rise induced by global warming;and
WHEREAS,each state hasa unique mix of electricity-generation resources,
technological feasibilities,costs,and emissions reduction potentials;and
WHEREAS,the Clean Power Plan establishes state-by-state targets for carbon
emissions reductions,and offers a flexible framework under which states may meet those
targets by allowing each state to combine any of the options ina flexible manner to meet
their targets;and
WHEREAS,the support of other municipalities and counties in South Florida for
the Clean Power Plan will help build momentum and show South Florida's commitment to
tackling the effects of climate change.
NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI,FLORIDA,THAT:
Section 1.Theaboverecitalsarefoundtobetrueand correct andarehereby
adoptedbyreferenceas if incorporated andsetoutinfullinthisresolution.
Section 2.TheCityCommissionherebyauthorizestheCityClerktosendcopies
of theCity'sresolutioninsupportforthefederalCleanPowerPlantoallmunicipalities
andcountiesinSouthFloridaandtorequesttheirsupportandtheirauthorizationtoadd
theirnamestoletters of support,includingtheproposedletterdraftedbytheBroward
County Attorney's office,acopy of whichisattached,andtoprovideinformation
regardinghoweachlocalgovernmentanticipatesits jurisdiction willbeaffectedby
climatechange,thethingstheyaredoingtomitigatethoseeffects,includingthecost of
themitigation,andtheplanstheyhaveforfuturemitigation.
Section 3.TheCityAttorneyisherebyauthorizedtoincludetheCity of South
Miamiinanymotiontointervenefiledbyanyofthe interested partieswhosupportthe
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Res.No.176-15-14515
Clean Air Plan ("the Plan")andwho oppose astay of thePlan,including the motion
proposedtobefiledbytheAttorneyGeneralfortheState of NewYorkon behalf of New
Yorkandotherstatesandmunicipalities.Inaddition,if allowedbyLawandrules of
Court,theCityAttorneyisauthorizedtoaddthe city's nametoanamicus brief tobefiled
byMichaelBurger,Executive Director fortheSabinCenterforClimateChangeLawat
Columbia Law School,or others,on behalf of numerous local governments in support of
the Clean Air Plan.
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 shallnot affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution.
Section 5.This resolution shalltake effect immediately upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 27thday of October 2015.
ATTEST:
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APPROVED:
COMMISSION VOTE:
Mayor Stoddard:
Vice Mayor Harris:
Commissioner Edmond:
Commissioner Liebman:
Commissioner Welsh:
4-0
Yea
absent
Yea
Yea
Yea
aSouth'1 Miami
THE CITY OF PLEASANT LIVING
Office of the Mayor
October 27,2015
Gina McCarthy
EPA Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency 1200
Pennsylvania Avenue,N.W.
Washington,DC 20460
Re:Clean Power Plan Rule
Dear Administrator McCarthy:
We,the undersigned elected representatives of Southeast Florida,write toyouto express our strong
support fortheClean Power Plan,thenew Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA")rule restricting
power plant carbon dioxide emissions pursuant to§111(d)of the Clean Air Act,42 U.S.C.§7411(d).
Theruleiscriticaltothecitizens of Florida.Anydelayin implementing theruleposesaseriousthreat
tothe health,safety,and welfare of our residents.
WebelievetheCleanPowerPlan,whichwillreducegreenhouseemissionsfromfossil-fueledpower
plants,willmitigatetheharmthatclimatechangeishavingonFlorida'sfragileenvironment.That
harmincludesdamagedcoastalareas,disruptedecosystems,moresevereweatherevents,andlonger
andmore frequent droughts.
NootherstateismorevulnerabletoclimatechangethanFlorida,surroundedonthreesidesbythe
Gulf of MexicoandtheAtlanticOcean,crisscrossedbyriversandspeckledwithlakes.Southeast
Floridaisparticularlyvulnerabletothepredictedeffects of climatechangeduetoitsextensive
coastline,flat landscape,porousgeology,and burgeoning coastal development.InSouth Florida,
Miami-Dade,Broward,andPalmBeach counties collectively have populations approaching 6million
residents.Millionsofthese residents liveonornearthe shoreline.Oursafetydependson thousands
of miles of canalsfordrainageandfloodcontrol.
Re:Clean Power Plan Rule
Extreme high tides have become increasingly frequent and dramatic dueto rising sea levels,over
topping seawalls,pushing up through storm water systems and contributing to flooding in
communities far from the waterfront and coastal canals.Kingtidesearlierthisyearweremore severe
and expansive than measured during any storm event inthelast20 years even though therewasno
accompanying rain.Emergency evacuation routeswerefloodedand businesses closed their doorsin
Broward County.Although South Miami isnotonthe coastline,weare experiencing higherlevelsof
flooding,presumably duetorisingsea levels which translate intolessabilityfor stormwater todrain
into bays and canals.
Extremehightidesaredamagingpropertyand infrastructure andhasteningbeacherosionwhich
effectsallFloridiansashurricaneinsuranceandancillarycostsfromsuchstormsriseastheresultof
lessbufferingfromthebeachecosystemsbeingincreasinglyeroded.InNovember2012,extreme
hightidesinnearbyBrowardCounty,coupledwithapersistentonshorewind,contributedtosevere
sandlossandbeachscouring,battering2,300feetofshorelineandcausingfourblocks of StateRoad
AlA,anemergencyevacuationroute,tocollapseintotheAtlanticOcean.Temporaryandpermanent
reconstruction costs reportedly exceeded $10 million.
RegionallyinSouthFlorida,ithasbeenestimatedthat$3billioninpropertyvalueisatriskwithone
foot of sealevelrise.Astormsurgecouldmagnifythisfiguresignificantly.Risingsealevelsthreaten
evacuation routes,energy infrastructure,and water and wastewater infrastructure.Fort Lauderdale,a
city of some 165,000 residents,recentlyestimatedthatupgradestotheCity'sstormwatersystem
alone,would reach$1 billion toaddressrisingsealevels.OurCityismuchsmaller,13,700 residents,
butthe impact issimilar,asrisingsealevelspreventhistoricalgravityflows of our stormwater system.
Rising seasare driving saltwater contamination into South Floridas wellfields.For
instance,modelsdevelopedincollaborationwiththeU.S.GeologicalSurvey (USGS)predict aloss
of 35 million gallonsperdayinwatersupplycapacityby2060(40%of Broward's coastal wellfield
capacity),due entirely tosealevelrise which causes salt water intrusion into drinking water sources.
Pumps to necessary replace existing gravity water control structures within the regional floodcontrol
systemare estimated toeachcost$50million.Existing pump systems arealsonow inadequate.
Modeling performed bytheUSGSindicatesthatby2060,increases in groundwater levels caused by
risingseaswillrequiresomeexistingpumpstorun24hoursadayto maintain floodcontrol
elevations.
Clearly,theeffects of climatechange onSouth Florida communities willrequire massive investments
inclean energy and innovative engineering solutionsinthe coming decades.We believe that theEPA
rulesarea significant stepinprotectingourcommunitiesandaddressingthe extremely serious
environmental and resulting economic challenges that wearefacing.
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Re:Clean Power Plan Rule
Weareaware that several statesand industry groupshave requested that EPA staytheClean Power
Planduringtheupcominglitigation,andthatitislikelythatpartiestothatlitigationwillmake
similarrequestsincourt.Theharmsourcommunitiesarecurrentlyfacing(andwillfaceinthefuture)
fromclimate change arerealand increasing.Weurgeyoutoresistany attempts tostaytheClean
PowerPlan,whichcoulddelaythe necessary cutsincarbondioxideemissions,whicharedirectly
linkedtoglobalwarmingandthus,sealevelrise.ThisPlanisacriticalandnecessarystepin
addressing avery serious and growing problem in America andthe World.
Sincerely,
Phillip K.Stoddard
Mayor
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