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Council on Environmental Quality Blog

  • Turning your GreenGov Ideas into Action

    Posted by Cammie Croft on November 4, 2009 at 4:29 PM EDT

    This past Saturday, the GreenGov Challenge came to a close – with over 14,000 federal and military personnel submitting over 5,300 ideas and casting more than 165,000 votes.  When we first launched this program, we weren’t sure what kind of response we’d receive.  But it’s safe to say that this outpouring of participation by the federal community has shattered our expectations.

    We’d like to give a shout out to all those across government who helped promote this initiative – from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to the U.S. Coast Guard -- and of course, a special thanks to the thousands who shared their brightest ideas and voted for the best ones.

    Even though voting has ended, the GreenGov Challenge isn’t over.  Tomorrow, some of the top ideas will be presented to the Steering Committee on Federal Sustainability, a group comprised of a senior official from each agency who is responsible for delivering each agency’s sustainability plan.  The meeting will be streamed live on Whitehouse.gov/GreenGov starting at 3:30pm EST.

    Be sure to tune-in to learn how we’re taking this bottom-up approach to greening government to the next level.

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  • GreenGov Challenge: A Special Message from the Vice President

    Posted by Cammie Croft on October 29, 2009 at 10:10 AM EDT

    In less than 72 hours, the GreenGov Challenge will come to a close – so if you’re a federal employee or one of our brave men and women in uniform, you don’t have much time left to share your clean energy ideas and vote for your favorites.  To lead the Challenge out with a bang, Vice President Joe Biden recorded this special message just for you.  Take a look:

    Download Video: mp4 (40MB) | ()

    As the Vice President says, “We’re counting on you to help us meet our goals, to help us set the right example, and to help us make our government as clean and green as possible.“ Take the GreenGov Challenge today and help green our government!

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  • Federal Agencies Enter an Agreement Regarding Transmission Siting on Federal Lands

    Posted by Council on Environmental Quality on October 28, 2009 at 1:03 PM EDT

    Today, Obama Administration officials released a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by nine Federal Departments and Agencies to make it faster and simpler to build transmission lines on Federal lands. The goal of the agreement is to speed approval of new transmission lines, reduce expense and uncertainty in the process, generate cost savings, increase accessibility to renewable energy and jump start job creation.

    The MOU has been signed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, the Council on Environmental Quality, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and Department of the Interior.

    The agreement will cut approval time off the normal Federal permit process and help break down the barriers to siting new transmission lines by:

    • Designating a single Federal point-of-contact for all Federal authorizations;
    • Facilitating coordination and unified environmental documentation among project applicants, Federal Agencies, states, and tribes involved in the siting and permitting process;
    • Establishing clear timelines for agency review and coordination; and
    • Establishing a single consolidated environmental review and administrative record.

    Instead of applicants going to multiple agencies, a single lead agency will coordinate all permits and approvals.  The new process will keep applications on track by requiring agencies to set and meet clear deadline and improve transparency by creating a single record to be posted on line. The MOU does not alter the authority of any participating agencies, and all existing environmental reviews and safeguards are maintained fully. 

    Read the Memorandum of Understanding

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  • Humbled in the Wetlands: Ocean Policy Task Force in New Orleans

    Posted by Nancy Sutley on October 26, 2009 at 4:27 PM EDT

    Last week, I joined fellow members of the Ocean Policy Task Force in New Orleans for a Public Meeting to continue our ongoing discussion of ocean and coastal environmental issues, this time with a focus on the Gulf Coast Region. At the meeting on Monday, we heard a wide variety of comments from local residents and gained valuable insight into the central issues affecting the region that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina just over four years ago. In addition to being there in person, we were able to virtually link all five Gulf states thanks to the Gulf Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers, and had the benefit of live participants from Corpus Christi, TX; Tampa, FL; Dauphin Island, AL; Ocean Springs, MS as well as New Orleans, LA. The lessons learned from this trip once again highlight the need for a national policy that ensures the protection, maintenance, and restoration of our oceans, coasts, and marine ecosystems.

    CEQ Chair in New Orleans

    NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco (facing camera, seated in center), CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley (facing camera, seated on right) and Rear Admiral Mary Landry (seated front right corner) take an airboat tour of the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. October 20, 2009. (by NOAA)

    On Tuesday, we toured the Gulf Coast region to get a first-hand view of the issues. We took an aerial tour of New Orleans’ 9th Ward, coastal wetlands and barrier island chains, and the Mississippi river, followed by an airboat tour of the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge and its unique habitats and diverse plant communities. Our trip allowed us to see both the bird’s eye view of the Gulf from the air, and actual restoration efforts on the ground. The Obama administration is working to strengthen the wetlands and barrier islands that are the first line of defense for the Gulf Coast – a priority that, while critical to this region’s physical protection, is also critical to our environment and to our economy.

    It was a truly pleasure to return to New Orleans so soon after my visit the week before. Before the President’s town hall, I had the opportunity to meet with leaders from the community engaged in coastal restoration efforts and to witness first-hand the degree of environmental degradation plaguing the region. I also visited the Central Bayou Bienvenue wetlands restoration site, which is utilizing wetland assimilation of wastewater effluent to restore approximately 10,000 acres of the critical cypress wetlands that have historically served as a natural defense against storms.

    Standing on the viewing post of Bayou Bienvenue and seeing the extent to which the wetlands have disappeared was a humbling experience that reinforced my belief in the importance of this, and other coastal restoration projects. As the President said during the Town Hall, it is inspirational to spend time with the citizens there who have persevered in the face of the tragedy that was Katrina and are steadfast in their resolve to rebuild. The Obama Administration is committed to enhancing the environmental and economic sustainability of New Orleans and coastal Louisiana, and we recognize that coastal wetland restoration is a key path toward achieving this type of long-term resiliency. I would like to thank the individuals who provided us with valuable insight on the restorative work being accomplished there, and I look forward to continue to work with this region in the future.

    Nancy Sutley is the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality.

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  • Good ideas from good people; GreenGov Challenge rounds final turn with nearly 6,000 sustainability suggestions

    Posted by Secretary Ray LaHood on October 26, 2009 at 11:42 AM EDT

    Cross-posted from the Department of Transportation's Fast Lane blog.

    This is the final week of the GreenGov Challenge, and I urge everyone to view some of the remarkable sustainability ideas submitted thus far by government and military employees.

    And for those readers who are government or military employees, I urge you to share your suggestions. Though nearly 6,000 have been submitted thus far, that good idea in your mind right now could rewrite the way the Federal government reduces energy use, conserves water, reduces waste, and supports clean technology.

    Includes Video
    read the rest
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  • Green Economy Means Green Jobs at Home

    Posted by Secretary Gary Locke on October 23, 2009 at 1:49 PM EDT

    Viewing this video requires Adobe Flash Player 8 or higher. Download the free player.
     



    Yesterday Energy Secretary Steven Chu and I had the opportunity to talk to a number of business and government leaders at the White House about how critical it is for America to play a leading role in the clean energy economy.

    Despite the headlines that focus on what other countries are doing abroad, little prevents us from taking the lead in the business of clean energy. In fact, much of the energy technology being used around the world has its roots in the United States – but companies in other countries have often taken the lead in bringing those innovations to market.

    There is simply no reason why this should be. We have all the smarts and all the resources we need to build light-weight car batteries or find a cheap and effective way to store power from the wind and sun here in America – we just need the willpower to act.

    China is investing over $9 billion a month in clean energy and efficiency industries – not just to meet their own domestic energy and climate needs, but to satisfy the energy needs of the entire world.

    If we don’t get our act together, we're going to be watching the capital, the businesses and the well-paying jobs end up in China – rather than in communities across America. We simply cannot allow ourselves to wake up 10 years from now asking how Shanghai became the Silicon Valley of clean energy.

    President Obama has asked every cabinet agency to play a role in promoting clean energy. Several agencies within the Commerce Department are playing a leading role in this effort:

    Building a green economy isn't going to be easy, but if government and businesses work together, America can and will be a world leader in clean energy.

    Gary Locke is Secretary of Commerce

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