Sustainable Arlington

Wed., March 1, 7-8:30 pm on Zoom

The slides and a recording will be posted to the CEFC page on the town website: https://www.arlingtonma.gov/town-governance/boards-and-committees/clean-energy-future-committee

The Town of Arlington Clean Energy Future Committee (CEFC) invites community members to a public forum on the opt-in Specialized Stretch Energy Code, which is the subject of Warrant Article 10 at this spring’s Annual Town Meeting. 

All are invited. There will be an opportunity for questions, and Ian Finlayson, a principal drafter of the Specialized Code, will be available to help answer them.

Read the official town notice here.   

[updated 3.1.2023.]

Feb. 27: Bald Eagle Poisoning. Arlington's resident breeding female bald eagle--part of the first pair to nest here in Arlington in approximately a half-century since DDT was banned--was rescued with signs of rodenticide poisoning. She is in critical condition and being treated at New England Wildlife Center. 

Almost nobody likes a rat ... except the species that eat them, including owls, hawks, bald eagles, foxes, coyotes and occasional pet cats and dogs.

photos:  Adria Arch (sign); Save Arlington Wildlife (bait box)

In the quest to control rats, we humans have come up with rodenticides, powerful poisons that kill in various ways and, often, kill unintended species, causing a slow, lingering death. The unintentional killing of our wild predators eliminates not only the animals that die but also the future generations they could have reared. 

As many Arlington residents know, we have recently lost four great-horned owls in Menotomy Rocks Park to Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs). Read more here and also here. 

A number of Arlington businesses use SGARs (placed outdoors in black plastic boxes), including Whole Foods Arlington, the business closest to Menotomy Rocks Parks. On February 19, a demonstration was held at Whole Foods Arlington over their use of SGARs to increase public awareness and to ask Whole Foods to use other, less harmful methods of rat control. See article here.  

The Town of Arlington now prohibits use of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticide on town properties.

On January 4, 2023, Arlington Town Manager, Sandy Pooler, signed a new policy prohibiting the use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGAR). This policy applies to all Town-owned property, including buildings, grounds, parks, open spaces, and the public right of way, and shall be adhered to by all employees of the Town of Arlington, as well as third party vendors and contractors providing services at Town-owned property. Read the full news release here.

Learn more at: Save Arlington Wildlife

Big oil companies foresaw decades ago that their industry would wreck our climate. Now, it's in the news. Learn more at this Cambridge Forum event.  Register here.

Investigative climate change journalist and author, Geoff Dembicki; Vice President and General Counsel of the Center for Climate Integrity, Alyssa Johl; and Lead Scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, Dr. Delta Merner will discuss the findings and the liability of those companies.

Envision Arlington Annual Town Survey 
Until March 1, residents can provide feedback on voting options, parks and open space, services to veterans, and more. Take the Annual Town Survey at ArlingtonMA.gov/Survey.  

Since 1991, this annual survey has collected residents' input to inform Town departments and commissions as they make important decisions. Please take time to fill out the survey online.  Paper surveys are available if needed.

Town Communication Survey 
Resident feedback guides the direction of Town communications.  Let them know how they're doing and your preferred method for hearing from them. Take the Town Communication Survey at ArlingtonMA.gov/Connect. 

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SD2330. An Act relative to the future of clean heat in the Commonwealth 

See House Bill SD3954.  This legislation supports a swift, just transition off fossil fuels.  Priorities include support for:

• low- and- moderate-income customers 
• existing employees who work on gas pipeline infrastructure to support their transition to a comparable job working on thermal pipes or other aspects of a non-emitting renewable thermal infrastructure project or other non-combusting sources of thermal energy
• heat pumps and other heating technologies that use non-emitting, renewable energy

HD4047. An Act relative to intervenors and utility work 

This legislation would require gas companies to:

• pay for trees damaged or killed by construction work or gas leaks, saving communities considerable money.
• provide information essential for municipal government plannning when requesting a grant of location to repair or replace gas pipe