[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 51 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 51

  To reduce the heat island effect and associated ground level ozone 
                   pollution from Federal facilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 5, 2011

   Mr. Connolly of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was 
      referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To reduce the heat island effect and associated ground level ozone 
                   pollution from Federal facilities.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Heat Island and Smog Reduction Act 
of 2011''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Parking lots, dark-colored rooftops, and lack of tree 
        canopy in urban areas causes the ``heat island'' effect, 
        wherein urban areas are significantly hotter than surrounding 
        rural areas due to solar heat being collected by components of 
        the built environment.
            (2) According to the EPA, this heat island effect can raise 
        afternoon-to-evening temperatures of urban areas by up to 22 
        degrees Fahrenheit compared to surrounding rural areas.
            (3) Higher air temperatures in urban areas lead to higher 
        levels of ground level ozone pollution, commonly known as smog.
            (4) In hot weather, each additional degree Celsius in heat 
        causes approximately a 5-percent increase in smog pollution, 
        according to Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory studies.
            (5) Negative health impacts of smog include increased 
        incidence of asthma, throat irritation, scarring of lung 
        tissue, emphysema, and premature death.
            (6) The urban heat island effect increases electricity 
        demand associated with air-conditioning; conversely, heat 
        island mitigation through increased tree canopy can reduce air-
        conditioning costs by up to 50 percent, creating potential cost 
        savings through lower Federal energy bills.
            (7) According to the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, 
        the urban heat island is responsible for 10 to 15 percent of 
        peak electric demand, so mitigating the urban heat island 
        effect will improve the reliability of the power grid by 
        reducing peak demand.
            (8) Urban heat island temperatures can be lowered by 
        increasing tree canopy and by using paving and roofing 
        materials with higher solar reflectivity.
            (9) Many metropolitan regions that include substantial 
        Federal property, including the National Capital Region, fail 
        to meet air quality standards for ozone.

SEC. 3. HEAT ISLAND REDUCTION PLANS FOR FEDERAL PROPERTIES AND 
              FACILITIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than April 1, 2012, each Federal 
department or agency shall develop a heat island reduction plan for all 
Federal property and facilities that are--
            (1) under the possession or control of such department or 
        agency; and
            (2) located in an area that is designated under section 
        107(d) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7407(d)) as being in 
        nonattainment with respect to the national ambient air quality 
        standards for ozone.
    (b) Contents.--Each heat island reduction plan under this section 
shall include measures--
            (1) to maximize tree cover on Federal property; and
            (2) to increase solar reflectivity through techniques such 
        as using roofs with high solar reflectivity (cool roofs), 
        vegetated roofs, and paving materials with higher solar 
        reflectivity.
    (c) Annual Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Administrator of 
the General Services Administration shall submit to the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 
report assessing the progress of Federal departments and agencies in 
developing and implementing heat island reduction plans under this 
section.
                                 <all>