Infrastructure Policy

April 1, 1993 Resolutions

Number: 1993-06

 

WHEREAS, billions of dollars of public monies will continue to be spent on roads, bridges, sewers, drinking water facilities and other infrastructure projects; and

WHEREAS, infrastructure construction can and has had immense environmental impacts on wildlife and fisheries habitat, air and water quality, farmland and open space; and

WHEREAS, infrastructure placement has contributed to urban sprawl and the deterioration of many urban centers; and

WHEREAS, limited available public monies make infrastructure projects and other spending decisions critical because of their immense construction and maintenance costs;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 11-14, 1993, in Crystal City, Virginia, urges that such policies be focused on: (1) maintaining and revitalizing existing urban centers rather than facilitating sprawl; (2) recycling vacant factory buildings and land inside developed areas; (3) favoring mass transit rather than new roads; (4) upgrading current wastewater plants and sewers rather than building new plants and sewer extensions; and (5) other policies that minimize environmental impacts of infrastructure projects; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that infrastructure policies emphasize the following priorities:

  1. Funding for transportation be used to promote energy conservation, reduce traffic congestion and repair and maintain existing roads and bridges, instead of building new roads;
  2. Funding for water supply be directed at correcting lead-contaminated supply lines and fixtures;
  3. Funding for wastewater treatment be used to supplement the State Revolving Loan Fund to finance correction of combined sewer overflow problems and upgrading from primary to secondary treatment. Such expenditures should be based on the States’ priority lists;
  4. A portion of funding for wastewater treatment and public water supply systems be targeted at rural, low income communities;
  5. Funding for wastewater treatment promote water conservation as a means of reducing communities’ water treatment and supply costs;
  6. Funding for housing and buildings be used to conserve energy and reduce exposure to lead-contaminated paint through programs such as replacing old windows.