Stephen Passacantilli, a North End civic leader, Boston Public Schools parent, and former staffer to City Councilor Sal LaMattina has released his Environmental Platform. Passacantilli is running for District 1 City Councilor, which includes the neighborhoods of East Boston, Charlestown, and the North End.
Passacantilli said, “Protecting our environment is a global obligation that calls for innovative and determined local action. The City of Boston should always lead the way when it comes to promoting sustainability, protecting public health, combating climate change and preserving our natural resources for future generations.”
He continued, “As a City Councilor, I will lead the way in creating a healthier, cleaner and more sustainable future for our District, our city and beyond. Our top priorities must be making sustainability a way of life and protecting our neighborhoods from the perils of climate change and sea level rise.”
Passacantilli’s Environmental Platform includes:
• Developing a coastal protection plan that features man-made and natural infrastructure to help neighborhoods and citizens withstand growing flood risks.
• Engaging neighborhoods to educate the public on the very real effects of climate change, identify local flood risks, adapt planning and zoning processes to include consideration of climate issues, and develop smaller-scale mitigation plans.
• Working towards a goal of fully sustainable neighborhoods through programs that seek to dramatically reduce waste and emissions and encourage recycling and energy efficiency.
• Expanding community composting throughout all neighborhoods within the District with increased availability for residential drop-off sites and a pilot program for opt-in composting for restaurants and other businesses.
• Making city recycling resources available and prominent at all large-scale events, such as feasts, parades, concerts and waterfront activities.
• Vastly increasing the number of charging stations for electric vehicles. According to the City’s own maps, there are currently only two EV charging stations in District 1, both at Logan Airport. If we want citizens to drive more emissions-free electric vehicles, the City must address this dramatic lack in EV charging infrastructure. I will explore partnerships with utility companies to introduce public charging sites from light poles and at city owned properties.
• Retrofitting municipal buildings and schools to reduce carbon emissions through increased use of solar arrays and renewable heating and cooling systems.
• Require all newly purchased non-emergency city vehicles to be hybrid or electric by 2020.
• Pressing the Boston Planning & Development Agency to require all new development in the city adhere to a minimum of LEED Silver standards.
• Utilizing vacant, under-used and other city properties to create renewable energy production.
A cleaner environment is also critical for the health and well-being of our citizens and the livability of our neighborhoods. As City Councilor, I will:
• Press for a renewed and updated health study of Logan Airport and surrounding neighborhoods to determine once and for all the long term and short term health impacts of the airport, including asthma and cancer rates.
• Collaborate with statewide and local environmental groups to reclaim and clean neglected and contaminated waterways and marshlands.
• Advocate for more trails and routes to expand possibilities for walking and cycling, with a special emphasis on safe routes to schools for children.
• Fight to have at least 1,000 new trees planted throughout the neighborhoods of the District and to pursue a redevelopment and greening of the streetscapes in East Boston, including Chelsea and Bennington Streets.
Many know Passacantilli from his years of public service across Boston. He is a lifelong resident of the North End where he has been deeply involved as past president of his local civic association and through local charities and community organizations like North End Against Drugs (NEAD) and the North End Beautification Committee. Passacantilli is also an active Boston Public Schools parent and serves on the board of the Gavin Foundation.
Passacantilli and his wife, Renee, are raising their two children, Grace and Evan, just around the corner where he grew up in the North End.