Key activities since the Sustainability Committee’s meeting on May 23, 2022, are listed below.
DCD Planning Staff
- Over 65 County employees have volunteered to be G3 Champions (Green Government Group). On June 7, the G3 Champions were presented to the Board of Supervisors. The Board was enthusiastic about the G3 Champions. For June-July, the G3 Champions are focusing on electric vehicles. This includes learning more about EVs, encouraging County staff to take a survey on electric vehicles, and looking at how EVs can be deployed in the County fleet.
- Sustainability staff hosted the quarterly Energy Efficiency Collaborative for Contra Costa County city staff on June 6, 2022. County staff provided updates on BayREN programs and presented on the County’s all-electric ordinance. Staff from 13 of the 19 cities in the County attended.
- The Federal government authorized funding to begin planning work for economic transition. The federal omnibus appropriations package (H.R. 2471) includes $750,000 for this purpose. Details on how the funding will be transmitted to the County are pending.
- Staff continued work on the ongoing updates to the Climate Action Plan and General Plan.
- In May and June, Healthy Lands, Healthy People, the carbon sequestration feasibility study funded through a grant from the California Department of Conservation, hosted a series of focus groups in person and online. The focus groups and a survey regarding carbon sequestration best practices are being led by the University of California Cooperative Extension. The Contra Costa Resource Conservation District (CCRCD) is analyzing carbon sequestration opportunities in agriculture lands in Contra Costa County and developing a carbon farm plan for an urban farm in North Richmond. Rincon Consultants is performing the technical analysis, which will be informed by the focus groups, surveys, and analysis by CCRCD.
Health
- Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) has the following report:
- CCHS has joined Practice Green Health as of May 2022. Practice Green Health is a health sector membership origination, affiliated with Health Care Without Harm, focused on reducing the carbon footprint of the health care industry.
- CCHS joined other health care organizations in pledging to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, part of the National Academy of Medicine Climate Network and the White House Earth Day 2022 Pledge.
- To date over 250 Portable Air Filters have been requested via the AB 836 Clean Air Grant program, across multiple city and school jurisdictions in Contra Costa County.
- CCHS participated in an exploratory conversation with the California Department of Public Health related to proposed state funding to craft a Regional Climate-Health Action Plan. The Governor has proposed $25 million in one-time funding in the FY 2022-23 budget to support this effort. Another $10 million has been proposed for the State to capture much improved climate-health data via syndromic surveillance.
- CCHS also provided input to the County Health Executives Association of California related to AB 2076, a bill proposed to compliment health data collection related to extreme heat.
Library
- The County Library has launched seed libraries at a number of branches where community members can share and trade seeds.
- Each summer the Library partners with 511 Contra Costa to promote the use of public transportation in conjunction with of our Discover & Go museum pass service. During the month of June, the Library gave away 500 transit passes that enabled 500 free, energy efficient trips and free passes to 22 cultural destinations.
- Each month the UC Master Gardener program gives an online webinar on sustainable gardening practices.
- The Library partners with Sustainable Contra Costa and hosts quarterly online climate careers chats for teens.
- Ride & Drive Clean will present an online public presentation about everything related to electric cars for consumers on September 1st.
- The Library hosted two Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) Home Upgrade workshops, one in English and one in Spanish.
- Upcoming, the Library will be hosting in-person Fixit clinics and bike repair workshops.
Public Works
- Public Works is working to launch the Sustainability Fund for investments in County facilities that support Climate Action Plan goals.
- Begin planning for installation of EV chargers at various County department buildings to allow greater opportunities to replace internal combustion engine County fleet vehicles with EV’s.
- Administrative Bulletins 507 and 508 have been updated to require purchase of Zero Emission Vehicles (battery electric, hydrogen, plug-in hybrid with battery range of at least 30 miles) unless justification based on operational need is approved by the County Administrator’s Office.
- Public Works has identified several programs that can help the County meet the goals of the Distributed Energy Resources plan and broader climate action goals. Public Works staff presented at the last Sustainability Committee on May 23 related to this work., specifically participation in PG&E’s Demand Response and Marin Clean Energy’s Strategic Energy Management programs.
- Updating and editing the Environmental Purchasing Policy based on recommendations from the Hazardous Materials Commission on PFAS and chemically treated wood
- Public Works continues implementation of the Vision Zero Action Plan and the Active Transportation Plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors.
- Public Works submitted several grants related to Active Transportation projects that also benefit the Vision Zero efforts. The grants are part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act recently passed by the federal government. Public Works submitted seven projects for Active Transportation funding and one project for the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. The projects submitted thus far include:
Active Transportation Program- Cycle 6 funding
- Pacifica Avenue 2-Way Cycle Track
- Port Chicago Highway Road Diet (Planning Study)
- San Pablo Avenue Complete Streets/Bay Trail Gap Closure
- Appian Way Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements
- Carquinez Middle School Trail Connection
- 4th Street Crosswalk Enhancements
- Market Avenue Complete Street
Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity
- San Pablo Avenue Complete Streets/Bay Trail Gap Closure
Ongoing
- Staff participated in professional learning opportunities regarding environmental justice, carbon sequestration, climate resilience, communication and facilitation strategies, race and equity, and related.
- Staff participated in regional activities.
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