Title
An Ordinance amending and supplementing the Allegheny County Code of Ordinances through the creation of a new Chapter 720, entitled "Energy Resources," in order to establish County policy for the use of energy resources derived from property owned by Allegheny County.
Body
WHEREAS, Allegheny County owns various properties and holds the rights to those properties in trust for the People of Allegheny County;
WHEREAS, it has been discovered that several of the properties owned by the County contain deposits of materials such as natural gas that have inherent value as sources of energy that could be utilized by the County or other entities; and
WHEREAS, it is the judgment of Council that any naturally occurring deposit having inherent value remains the property of the people of Allegheny County, and should be managed in a fashion that does not deprive them of the benefit of the limited resource; and
WHEREAS, members of the Chief Executive's staff have asserted that the Administration is in the process of developing a comprehensive analysis of such resources that are owned by the County; and
WHEREAS, a reduction in the County's carbon footprint, which can be achieved through a variety of means, including increased reliance on combined cycle gas power generation, solar power, hydroelectric power sources, and wind power, is environmentally responsible insofar as it reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and will also greatly reduce the County's dependence upon oil derived from foreign sources; and
WHEREAS, no statutory policy for the management of naturally occurring resources currently exists, and it is the judgment of Council that a uniform policy needs to be established to ensure that the County's residents ultimately realize the benefit of extracting natural resources from County-owned property; and
WHEREAS, regulating the use of County land, facilities, and other property is the duty of Allegheny County Council, as established by Arti...
Click here for full text