CITY OF SAN FRANCISO
PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE RESOLUTION

Introduced by San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin, District 3
Resolution supporting the precautionary principle and requesting the Department of the Environment to prepare and submit legislation proposing the adoption of the precautionary principle as a general City policy and integrating a precautionary principle approach into the City's existing process for the purchase of commodities for the Board of Supervisor's consideration.

WHEREAS, the Precautionary Principle dictates that where threats of serious or irreversible damage to people or natural systems exist, lack of full scientific certainty relating to cause and effect shall not be viewed as sufficient reason to postpone measures to prevent the degradation of the environment or protect human health. The precautionary principle requires a careful analysis of available alternatives using the best science and selection of the alternative presenting the least potential threat to human health and natural systems; and selecting the alternatives that minimize human impacts to human health and the environment often results in long-term cost savings; and

WHEREAS, the United States has endorsed the Precautionary Principle in international and other statements such as the Rio Declaration of the 1992 United Nations Conference on the Environment and the Persistent Organic Pollutant Treaty; and

WHEREAS, the city of San Francisco has adopted a number of successful environmental ordinances applying a precautionary principle approach to specific City purchases and activities including the Integrated Pest Management Ordinance, the Resource Efficient Building Ordinance, the Healthy Air Ordinance, and the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Ordinance; and

WHEREAS, the Precautionary Principle mandates full disclosure by manufacturers and suppliers so that the most protective standard can be applied in the comparison of potential alternatives allowing the City to make informed and protective decisions; and

WHEREAS, utilizing the Precautionary Principle to select products and services that minimize negative impacts to human health and the environment, will use San Francisco's significant purchasing power to create markets for alternative products thereby driving manufacturers to engage in research and development towards the production of additional innovative alternative products; and

WHEREAS, adopting the Precautionary Principle in purchasing practices will enable the City/County of San Francisco to lead by example and to demonstrate to residents and commercial entities that adopting similar practices will achieve significant protection of local natural resources; and

WHEREAS, In January 2002, the Commission on the Environment formed an Ad Hoc Precautionary Principle Committee to consider and develop recommendations for the full Commission, Board of Supervisors and the Mayor on whether and how the City should endorse and implement the precautionary principle; and

WHEREAS, the Commission on the Environment's Ad Hoc Committee has held regular meetings and has received hundreds of letters and comments supporting the precautionary principle; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Board of Supervisors supports the precautionary principle as a City-wide policy; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That specific integration of a Precautionary Principle approach to the purchase of all commodities by the City is an appropriate first step to implementing the precautionary principle in San Francisco due to the City's annual purchasing power of over $600 million and the tangible results that can be achieved through changes in the City's purchasing decisions; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board requests that the Department of the Environment work with the Commission on the Environment, other City departments and commissions, the public, City vendors and industry representatives to consider and evaluate the benefits, costs and feasibility of implementing the precautionary principle in San Francisco as described above; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board requests that, consistent with this process, the Department draft and submit for the Board's consideration proposed legislation (1) adopting the precautionary principle as a general City policy, including a definition of the policy as applied to the City; and (2) enacting a specific integration plan to apply the precautionary principle to the City's purchase of commodities which complements existing City purchasing requirements and policies; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board urges the Department of the Environment to report to the Board on possible integration of the precautionary principle to other specific City activities.