Last night at the LCDC meeting, Supervisor Andrea McGimsey gave a great presentation on the risks of energy sources that we use, and the techniques we as a county can use to mitigate and manage those risks. The presentation was informative, and stirred some local pride within me when I found out that Loudoun County is a nationally-recognized leader in energy planning thanks to the hardworking efforts of our Democratic Supervisors.

I’ve long been an advocate for a measure already used MDOT, VDOT and our neighbors in PG County: Don’t mow on Air Quality Action Days. It should be relatively straightforward for the County to prohibit its landscapers from running powered landscaping equipment on Code Orange and Code Red days. In doing so, the County can lead by example, and perhaps influence the policies and contracts of the multivarious Home Owners Associations in Loudoun to implement similar clauses in their landscaping agreements.

A second idea follows from the first: Allow liberal teleworking on Air Quality Action Days. I have an agreement with my employers to work from home on Code Red and Orange days. With the major telework programs already in place, it seems logical to extend an air quality policy option that would allow employees who can to work from home when driving to work would exacerbate an already dangerous air quality day.

If you agree with these ideas, please follow below the fold for a draft letter you can send to our elected officials.Below is a sample letter you could write to our elected officials. The best way to implement good policy is to write our elected officials with specific ideas. They’re always happy to hear from their constituents, and you would be surprised how much can get done by simply engaging with our leaders.

The address for our Board of Supervisors is:

Supervisor [Name]

P.O. Box 7000

Leesburg VA 20177

Thank you for your service to Loudoun County. Reducing our environmental impact is critically important to preserving the quality of life we have here, and I’m proud that my local government is taking action to lead on this issue with programs like the County Energy Strategy.

In the spirit of sharing ideas, I wanted to write today and offer my two small suggestions that might help further mitigate the impact of our activities on our local environment.

1. No Code Orange and Red Day Mowing – I believe that my elected leaders should take steps to eliminate mowing and other powered landscaping on days when the air quality is bad. Our government has enough purchasing power to impact the market for powered landscaping services, and should be using that power to implement contract terms with its landscaping vendors prohibiting powered landscaping on code red and orange air quality days. I understand this may lead to grass growing a bit taller than it might otherwise, but that’s a price I’m more than happy to pay to help mitigate my neighbors asthma.

2. Teleworking on Code Orange and Red Days – In a County that prides itself on a 21st century economy and workforce, it seems logical to allow liberal telework on days when keeping cars off our roads is critical to air quality. If this were implemented government-wide for all employees with the capacity to work from home, it would make a difference for our neighbors with asthma, if nothing else. We have snow days because its dangerous to drive, why not air days because it is dangerous to breathe?

Thank you for your consideration, and all you do.