Rachel Boyer, rachel.boyer@sierraclub.org
Berkeley, Calif.-- Today, a group of 12 environmental and green building organizations sent a letter to the 29 restaurants who make up the California Restaurant Association (CRA) asking them to drop the lawsuit against the City of Berkeley’s ordinance that phases gas hookups out of new buildings.
In July of 2019, the City of Berkeley unanimously voted to restrict expanding the use of gas in buildings to reduce air and climate pollution, improve access to affordable clean energy sources, and limit the expansion of the dangerous gas line infrastructure in our neighborhoods. Gas pollution from buildings accounts for 17 percent of California’s greenhouse gas emissions and household gas appliances (water heaters, stoves, etc) increase asthma rates by 42 percent among the youth and elderly.
In November of 2019, the CRA sued Berkeley in federal court over its landmark ban on gas infrastructure in newly constructed buildings. Then in January, the City of Berkeley submitted a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Now this letter has a simple request for the restaurant owners; tell the CRA to drop the lawsuit.
The CRA and local Berkeley restaurants chose not to engage in the public process that preceded the law, and are now positioning themselves alongside fossil fuel executives instead of the Berkeleyans who fought for support this building code.
Sierra Club Senior Campaign Representative Matt Gough released the following statement:
“Public Health protections, affordable housing, and climate change mitigation are the pillars of Berkeley’s ordinance to move off of dangerous and dirty gas in homes and buildings. The California Restaurant Association is ignoring the science of climate change and the will of the people of Berkeley in exchange for expensive gas industry propaganda and misinformation. The lawsuit against the city of Berkeley is legally dubious; the ordinance is well within the city’s power to protect its residents from the threats of gas pollution and volatility, does not impact any existing restaurants in Berkeley, and during the lengthy public engagement process the CRA never spoke up or engaged. The Sierra Club, and over 600,000 members of the organizations listed on the letter, call on the board members’ restaurants of the CRA to demand the organization drop the lawsuit against the city of Berkeley immediately, and engage in a meaningful conversation about the future of energy and electrification that benefits both residential and commercial customers alike.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.