Notes from KEC Legislative Breakfast 7 Mar 2011

by Kay Chase, Kalamazoo Environmental Council

These are notes from the Annual Legislative Breakfast of Monday, March 7, which took place at the Kalamazoo Nature Center

Invited lawmakers or their staff: 

State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker

State Representative Sean McCann

State Representative Margaret O’Brien

State Representative Jase Bolger (represented by staff person Paul Egnatuk)

U.S. Senator Carl Levin (represented by Paul Troost)

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabnow (represented by Mary Judnich)

U.S. Representative Fred Upton (represented by Ed Sackley)

Moderator: Sarah Reding, Kalamazoo Nature Center

Q & A

What is your top environmental priority and what will you do to advance the issue?

Schuitmaker:   Conserve energy and look at new methods; replace dirty old plants with new; hope market will drive down the price of solar and wind; cites problem of private solar entrepreneur in Galesburg who now faces huge tax bill due because the installation is subject to personal property taxes – would seek a remedy to this situation

McCann:   Serve on the DEQ budget committee and the appropriations committee; need to retain adequate funding for DEQ; sees a conundrum in expecting more from the department with less funding; concerned with ending tax credits for brownfield redevelopment

O’Brien:   No “burning issue” for her personally although she cares “passionately” about the environment and wants her children to be able to use and enjoy the state’s outdoor assets in the future; mentions sustainable alternatives and energy policy but no specifics; wants an equitable personal property tax situation and decisions that are safe, scientific and preserve property rights

Egnatuk:   Rep. Bolger’s role, as Speaker of the House, is not with specific legislation, but in overseeing the legislative process; everything is rolled up with budget issues; must create jobs before we can do the other things

Judnich:   Sen. Stabenow chairs the Ag Committee; the big farm bill reauthorization is the priority item for the year – it includes an environmental title; is working with the rest of the Michigan delegation to create a more timely action plan to permanently separate the Great Lakes from the Mississippi watershed at Chicago to prevent Asian Carp moving into the lakes

Troost: read from a prepared paper highlighting Sen. Levin’s record of legislation to fund protection and restoration of the Great Lakes. Sen. Levin is  waiting for the Republican co-chair to be name for the Great Lakes Task Force before working to re-introduce his bill from the last session to authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a multi- federal agency effort proposed by President Obama

Sackley:   Representative Upton seeks commonsense, bi-partisan solutions, especially in protecting the Great Lakes; cited funding for WMU’s carbon capture and sequestration research; pipeline safety upgrades are long overdue; entire Michigan delegation is committed to HR 892 dealing with the Asian Carp situation

These are the questions that were prepared by KEC to start the discussion:

1.   For state legislators---Numerous Michigan businesses are adopting “sustainability” measures to make their operations more environmentally responsible while protecting or even improving their profitability. What role can the state play in promoting and assisting such efforts?

Schuitmaker:   resolve the personal property tax issues; incentivize “green” efforts

O’Brien:  streamline the permitting process

McCann:   he is contemplating a bill to ramp up the RPS (renewable portfolio standard)

Egnatuk:  need to fix the budget problem so business can think long term

2.   For Congressman Upton and any others who wish to respond—Does the available evidence convince you that human-caused greenhouse gas emissions cause global climate change?  If so, do you believe that this constitutes a threat to human well-being on earth?

Sackley:   anticipated this question but will not “fall into the trap”; climate change has been happening throughout the history of the world and will continue – can we change that?; need to look at all the technologies [did not, however, specifically mention nuclear power]; HR 910 Energy Tax Reduction Bill is co-sponsored by 3 ranking Democrats – is narrowly drawn to clarify the EPA’s role; it is up to Congress to make the law, the Supreme Court interprets the law

Troost:   “Yes, EPA has the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions!”

3.    For state legislators---What will you do to ensure that the state has the ability to accept available federal funding for continued development of the higher-speed rail corridor between Chicago and Detroit?

Schuitmaker:   This is a budgetary question; can’t say at this time that legislature can come up the 20% match; a matter of priorities when we are cutting higher education, schools are threatened with bankruptcy, Medicare is challenged; MI business climate is non-competitive

McCann:  short-sighted to leave federal $ on the table; rail development will create jobs; there is a bill to create a funding mechanism [presumably HB 4035 introduced by Wayne Schmidt to allow state building authority bonding for rail projects]; mentions the financing arrangement for the proposed Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) that will provide match monies for federal grants – doesn’t know if funds could be applied to rail

4.   Does Michigan have the needed laws and regulations to guide us as we use new technologies and new sources of energy?  For example, are regulations covering fracking adequate to protect our groundwater? 

O’Brien:   don’t know if current regulations are adequate; legislature is, however, looking to see if there are regulations on the books that are outdated, unnecessary

McCann:   trying to get up to speed on the issue; EPA is working on regulations; wants to ensure that Michigan resources are protected

These are questions that came from the audience via cards:

1.       For federal lawmakers---What is your position on stricter pipeline standards for shale oil transport?

Sackely:   recent visit from NRDC made him aware that shale oil is a different kind of product; regulations have to ensure safety of all products

Troost & Judnich:   acknowledged that this is a new issue; need to learn more

2.       EPA will soon choose a “cleanup” option for the Allied site in Kalamazoo. Will you support the total removal option?

The question elicited an immediate chorus of “Yes, of course!”

Sackley:   waiting to see what the EPA says; it has never been definitively established that there is no danger to the city well-field

McCann:   interested in the best solution; can’t leave a dump in the middle of our community

3.       How can brownfield redevelopment be promoted it tax credits are eliminated as Governor Synder’s budget proposes?

 Schuitmaker:   this is a top concern – the tax credit should be retained – “it’s the right incentive”

O’Brien:  the Governor’s budget does retain some tax credits; as a realtor, sees the value of re-using property

Egnatuk:  urges people to let their legislator know what is important to them; if these credits go away, “I don’t know what happens to the urban core.”

Sackely:  on the docket in Congress is the reauthorization of the federal brownfield program

4.       Michigan lags behind the rest of the Great Lakes States in recycling. Since expanding recycling programs can add 13,000 jobs, what can you do to increase recycling in the future?

 O’Brien:   cites Portage voters support of recycling through a millage; government mandates don’t create the local “buy-in”  that recycling programs need to succeed

McCann:   would like to add water/juice containers to the bottle deposit law

5.       Renewable Portfolio Standards: A recent (2011) Michigan Public Service Commission report documented that wind energy costs are lower thatn predicted and actually lower than the levelized cost of coal plants. Should Michigan increase the RPS %? Should we have a national RPS?

 Schuitmaker:   would like to see the study, believes alternative forms of energy are more costly – “educate me if I’m wrong”

McCann:   the oil and gas industries have received massive subsidies; would like to see the RPS increased

O’Brien:   2 problems with wind: intermittent & visual pollution; offshore wind turbines could affect the tourism industry

Egnatuk:   “if it’s shown to be cheaper”

6.    For Sen. Stabenow---What is the cost of crop subsidies? Is there any discussion about ending them?

 Judnich:   there is a need for re-evaluation and there will be a lot of discussion as the farm bill reauthorization moves forward in this session; would like people to let her (Judnich) know of their concerns and ideas

7.    For Rep. O’Brien---How does the proposed budget affect regulations of CAFOs?

O’Brien:   the MAEAP bill has just passed to certify farmers who employ best practices; certified operators will not be held liable if a spill occurs that “could not have been foreseen”

8.    Are there any proposals coming up related to local food systems and sustainable agricultural practices?

 Judnich:   asks that folks communicate ideas to Stabenow’s office; there is available funding for things such as refrigeration to allow schools to use more fresh, local foods

Sackley:   Upton’s Farm-to-Cafeteria bill of a couple years ago was never given an appropriation; cites the success of Kalamazoo College’s program that has gone forward without federal action

9.    The methamphetamine cleanup protocol and resultant cleanups were done with a brownfield grant from EPA. What can be done at the state level to prevent abandonment of contaminated property in our state?

 O’Brien:    cites the rapidly changing production methods – how to prevent the problem is the issue; is not aware of funding for cleanup – property owners are responsible; not sure who picks up the cost of roadside clean-up

10.    What efforts have you or your office made to address the shipment of nuclear waste from Canada through the Great Lakes?

 This question, from Nick Wikar of Students for a Sustainable Earth, seemed to be completely off the radar screens of all. They asked Nick to provide them some information. Recently, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has approved a plan to ship radioactive steam generators from Ontario’s Bruce Nuclear Generating Station through the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence seaway to Sweden for recycling.

11.    Do you support any changes in regulations regarding disposal of yard waste in landfills?

 Schuitmaker:   there are no plans to bring this up in the Senate

Egnatuk:   there is interest on the part of certain municipalities to place yard waste in landfills to speed up the production of methane gas for generating power; HB 4265 & HB 4266 have been introduced in the House and sent to the Energy & Technology Committee

These prepared questions were not asked:

1.    For federal lawmakers—What are you doing, in the midst of the budget crisis, to provide adequate funding for Great Lakes protection, Kalamazoo River cleanup and other environmental programs critical to this area’s human and economic health?

2.    For state lawmakers—As you work to balance Michigan’s budget, which natural resources and environmental programs must be protected and which do you believe can be cut back or eliminated?  Are there potential new funding sources to support these programs?

Additional question submitted by the audience that were not asked due to lack of time:

1.    Are you willing to support a bill requiring testing of effects of flood control efforts by the Corps of Engineers on shoreline erosion?

2.    CAFOs produce waste comparable to small cities yet are not held to comparable environmental standards? Should they be?

UN Report: Agro-ecology and the Right to Food

This is VERY important information for everyone who eats.

"Today, the Special Rapporteur presented his new report “Agro-ecology and the right to food” before the UN Human Rights Council. Based on an extensive review of recent scientific literature, the report demonstrates that agroecology, if sufficiently supported, can double food production in entire regions within 10 years while mitigating climate change and alleviating rural poverty."

READ the LINK

The Fight Over CO2

How Congress Can Stop the EPA's Power Grab

By Fred Upton and Tim Phillips

December 28, 2010 Wall Street Journal

On Jan. 2, the Environmental Protection Agency will officially begin regulating the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. This move represents an unconstitutional power grab that will kill millions of jobs—unless Congress steps in.

This mess began in April 2007, with the Supreme Court's decision in Massachusetts v. EPA. The court instructed the agency to determine whether greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide pose (or potentially pose) a danger to human health and safety under the Clean Air Act. In December 2009 the agency determined they were a danger—and gave itself the green light to issue rules cutting CO2 emissions on a wide range of enterprises from coal plants to paper mills to foundries.

In response, states including Texas and Virginia, as well as dozens of companies and business associations, are challenging the EPA's endangerment finding and proposed rules in court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is currently considering a partial stay of the EPA's rules and is expected to begin issuing decisions sometime in 2012.

The EPA, of course, is in a hurry to move ahead. It wants to begin regulating the largest emitters first. But it has the authority under its endangerment finding to regulate emissions by hospitals, small businesses, schools, churches and perhaps even single-family homes. As companies wait for definitive court rulings, the country could face a de facto construction moratorium on industrial facilities that could provide badly needed jobs. Moreover, the EPA has never completed an analysis of how many jobs might be lost in the process—although Section 321 of the Clean Air Act demands that it do so.

The best solution is for Congress to overturn the EPA's proposed greenhouse gas regulations outright. If Democrats refuse to join Republicans in doing so, then they should at least join a sensible bipartisan compromise to mandate that the EPA delay its regulations until the courts complete their examination of the agency's endangerment finding and proposed rules.

Like the plaintiffs, we have significant doubt that EPA regulations can survive judicial scrutiny. And the worst of all possible outcomes would be the EPA initiating a regulatory regime that is then struck down by the courts.

For the last year or so, some in Congress have considered mandating that the EPA delay its greenhouse-gas regulations by two years. But that delay is arbitrary—it was selected because a handful of Democrats needed political cover. There is no way to know whether two years will be sufficient time for the courts to complete their work.

Moreover, the principal argument for a two-year delay is that it will allow Congress time to create its own plan for regulating carbon. This presumes that carbon is a problem in need of regulation. We are not convinced.

Thus the minimally responsible approach—the one that will reduce the potential for confusion, uncertainty and regulatory mayhem—is to delay EPA action until the courts have had time to rule. This approach would ensure that small businesses, states and even the EPA itself have the certainty needed to proceed.

The day after the recent midterm elections, President Obama was asked about the voters' repudiation of cap and trade. He responded: "Cap and trade was just one way of skinning the cat; it was not the only way. It was a means, not an end."

Cuts in carbon emissions would mean significantly higher electricity prices. We think the American consumer would prefer not to be skinned by Obama's EPA.

Mr. Upton, a Republican from Michigan, is chairman-designate of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Mr. Phillips is president of Americans for Prosperity.

Environmental groups step up opposition to U.S. Rep. Fred Upton's proposal to stop greenhouse-gas regulation

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton is coming under fire from environmental groups over a proposal to prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from limiting emissions of carbon dioxide from power plants and refineries. A poll released this week found that a majority of Michigan voters believe the EPA should be allowed to regulate carbon dioxide emissions — a contributor to climate change. “Michigan voters understand the very serious implications of preventing the EPA from doing its job,” said Al Quinlan, of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, which conducted the poll for the Energy Foundation. The Energy Foundation The poll — conducted in January with 500 Michigan voters responding — found 68 percent supported the EPA in its effort to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, while 27 opposed. The survey had a margin of error of 4.4 percent. Upton, Republican of St. Joseph, took over as chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce this year. He has circulated a draft bill that would strip the EPA of its ability to regulate carbon dioxide under the Clean Air Act. The Greenberg Quinlan Rosner poll follows another poll, released last week by the National Resources Defense Council, that found 67 percent of Upton’s constituents agreed that Congress should let the EPA place limits on carbon dioxide pollution. The poll was conducted earlier this month by Public Policy Polling and surveyed 595 registered voters in Upton’s Sixth Congressional District, which includes portions of seven counties in the southwestern corner of Michigan. is a San Francisco-based partnership of more than a dozen national foundations that is pushing energy efficiency and renewable energy.

“The bottom line is now clearer than ever: Democrats, Republicans and Independents across America want politicians to protect the health of America’s children rather than the profit-driven agenda of big polluters” Cyndi Roper, Michigan director of Clean Water Action, said in a press release that accompanied the poll results.

“Chairman Upton and other members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee will now be hard-pressed to ignore the fact that their constituents want Congress to let the EPA do its job of safeguarding the health of American families.”

Upton was unavailable for comment Tuesday. But the congressman has argued that EPA regulation of carbon dioxide — a gas produced in the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas — would raise electricity prices and cost American jobs.

And in an opinion piece published in December in the Wall Street Journal, Upton and Tim Phillips, the president of a free-market advocacy group, wrote that calls for Congress to write its own regulation of carbon dioxide, “presumes that carbon is a problem in need of regulation. We are not convinced.”

Contact Alex Nixon at anixon@kalamazoogazette.com or 269-388-2783 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 269-388-2783 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

See comments by community: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/02/environmental_groups_stepping.html

Transportation: Obama's High Speed Rail Proposal

Reuters – U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden (R) and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is calling for a six-year, $53 billion spending plan for high-speed rail, as he seeks to use infrastructure spending to jumpstart job creation.
An initial $8 billion in spending will be part of the budget plan Obama is set to release Monday. If Congress approves the plan, the money would go toward developing or improving trains that travel up to 250 miles per hour, and connecting existing rail lines to new projects. The White House wouldn't say where the money for the rest of the program would come from, though it's likely Obama would seek funding in future budgets or transportation bills.

Obama's push for high-speed rail spending is part of his broad goal of creating jobs in the short-term and increasing American competitiveness for the future through new spending on infrastructure, education and innovation. During last month's State of the Union address, Obama said he wanted to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years.  READ MORE

One million electric vehicles by 2015? Biden outlines three-part plan to achieve goal

President Barack Obama on Tuesday night re-iterated his call for the United States to be the first country to put one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.  The goal, first proposed in 2008, could mean big things for Michigan automakers and suppliers in the near future.

Vice President Joe Biden, speaking today at an advanced battery manufacturer in Indiana, picked up where the president left off.

"As you heard President Obama say last night, this Administration is forging a new path forward by making sure America doesn’t just lead in the 21st Century, but dominates in the 21st Century," Biden said at Ener1, per a White House transcript.  "We’re not just creating new jobs -- but sparking whole new industries that will ensure our competitiveness for decades to come -- in industries like electric vehicle manufacturing.

READ MORE

Cities: Seattle, Washington

by Marcia Croft

Seattle is #3 on sustainlane.com’s rankings and has similar motivations/disincentives as other cities, but the largely liberal and “green” base makes sustainable changes easier.  There are three approaches: top-down, bottom-up, and sideways, and all intersect in the Seattle Green Bag Campaign. 

Green Bag Campaign was inspired/motivated by other cities/countries (France, Bangladesh, Ireland) imposing bag fees or banning plastic bags.  In 2008, Seattle city council members instituted a 20 cent bag fee on all paper and plastic bags to encourage reusable bag use and decrease plastic waste.  Before it could take effect, a sufficient number of signatures were obtained to put a measure to repeal the fee on the ballot, led by the American Chemistry Council (lobby group for oil and plastics company).  Funded by the same group, the opposition encouraged voters to repeal the fee.  Citizen-led activist groups supported the fee, but voters eventually overturned the fee and no bag tax currently exists in Seattle.  Despite top-down and bottom-up support, a sideways intervention from a lobby group managed to sway voter opinions enough to repeal this measure.  This shows that Seattleites may have good intentions with relation to sustainability measures but may not always follow through when it concerns paying a little more for convenience.

New International Sustainability Standard for Cell Phones

UL Environment is working to develop a new set of standards for mobile devices that will green up the industry worldwide. UL is an independent evaluator of products, ensuring they meet certain standards, and the new-ish environmental arm looks at issues such as materials sourcing, energy use, and recyclability. Considering we have some 5 billion cell phones on the planet right now, with more rolling off the manufacturing belts every day, and that they're used in nearly every corner of the world, holding electronics manufacturers to certain sustainability standards is an important step forward.

According to the release, the standard will consider the entire life cycle of cell phones, from raw material extraction to disposal. This means issues such as conflict minerals (minerals mined in conflict zones, which further fuels the wars) all the way to e-waste dumps will be addressed. So too will energy efficiency, using recycled materials in the making of the device, minimizing packaging waste, as well as the health and environment within manufacturing plants will be analyzed during evaluation.

Similar to EPEAT, the rankings will be listed as silver, gold and platinum. It's a smart idea because it unifies ranking systems and makes green products easier for consumers to identify. And of course, the easier it is for consumers to identify a green product, the more likely they are to take that into consideration when purchasing.

TreeHugger via Gizmodo

E News: January 4

Bike Racks for Sustainability in Kalamazoo

KALAMAZOO, MI (Michigan Radio) -

Lindsey Smith (2011-01-04)

New or expanding businesses in the City of Kalamazoo will be required to include space to park bicycles.
Mayor Bobby Hopewell says it is part of a broader plan to promote sustainability.

"We talk about wanting to attract young people and keep young people; we talk about wanting to be a vibrant urban core community. These are the things that urban communities do. They recognize that we can't only be about the automobile, we have to be about how everyone gets around in the community."

Only new buildings or those that are expanding are mandated to accommodate bike racks. The number required depends on how many people will use the building, with a maximum of 25 spaces required. Existing public and private entities will be encouraged to add places for their customers and employees to park their bikes.


High Speed Rail in the USA
Diane Rehm Show, Jan 4, 2011

In this Feb. 20, 2008 file picture a high-speed AVE train, on its first journey between Madrid and Barcelona, arrives at the Barcelona Sants train station, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled an $8 billion plan in 2009 to build a high-speed rail network in the U.S. and upgrade existing services. The U.S. president cited Spain, France, China and Japan as countries with systems for his nation to emulate.

AP Photo/Manu Fernandez

The Obama administration is trying to jump start the development of high speed passenger trains in the U.S. Diane and guests discuss the controversy over projects planned in California and Florida.

Guests

Roy Kienit, Under Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Robert Puentes, Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program, The Brookings Institution

Kevin Coates, Executive Director, North American Maglev Transport Institute

Patricia Reilly, VP, Communications, Association of American Railroads

High-Speed Rail: Obama's High-Stakes Gamble

By Michael Grunwald  Time Magazine

Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2010

An artist's rendering of California's proposed high-speed rail

 "...a true national network of bullet trains could cost as much as $1 trillion, and Obama has secured only $10.5 billion to start....The first bullet train, an Orlando-Tampa line, has the feel of a glorified Disney shuttle. The boldest project, a Los Angeles–San Francisco line..."

 

  

Australian Floods: 'Disaster of Biblical Proportions'

Inside Story - Al-Jazeera, Tuesday, January 4, 2011  (23 minutes)

See video on disastrous floods that includes explanation of why these floods are occurring.  Also includes a discussion of "climate change," "global warming," and "global cooling."    

The Alliance for Climate Education: Climate Change for Teenage Students

 January 3, 2011 by Alliance for Climate Education

The Alliance for Climate Education's mission is to educate high school students on the science behind climate change and inspire them to take action to curb the causes of global warming.
They Educate high school students about climate change science via free multimedia assemblies, Inspire students to lower their emissions and raise their voice, and Take Action through carbon-reducing projects in schools and communities, with grant and scholarship opportunities

See the video (4:39 minutes)

Bees in Freefall as Study Shows Sharp US Decline

Disease and low genetic diversity might have caused US bumblebee decline over the past few decades, say scientists

by Alok Jha of The Guardian/UK  Tuesday, January 4, 2011

The abundance of four common species of bumblebee in the US has dropped by 96% in just the past few decades, according to the most comprehensive national census of the insects. Scientists said the alarming decline, which could have devastating implications for the pollination of both wild and farmed plants, was likely to be a result of disease and low genetic diversity in bee populations.

Thousands Pay Tribute to Judy Bonds: She Has Been to the Mountaintop, and Now We Must Fight Harder to Save It

by Jeff Biggers, Common Dreams, January 4, 2011

She was a tireless, funny, and inspiring orator, and a savvy and brilliant community organizer. She was fearless in the face of threats. As the godmother of the anti-mountaintop removal movement, she gave birth to a new generation of clean energy and human rights activists across the nation. In a year of mining disasters and climate change set backs, she challenged activists to redouble their efforts. 

Obama signs bill overhauling food safety system

Tues, Jan 4, 6:34 pm ET

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has signed a $1.4 billion overhaul of the nation's food safety system requiring more government inspections at food processing facilities and allowing federal regulators to order the recall of unsafe products.

Conservative lawmakers, sensitive to public frustration over high levels of government spending, are balking at the price tag. Obama has said food safety is a priority for him.
Obama signed the bill into law Tuesday, a day before a more Republican and less White-House friendly Congress returns to Washington.

The law emphasizes prevention to help stop outbreaks of foodborne illness before they occur. It requires food manufacturers to prepare detailed food safety plans and to tell the Food and Drug Administration what they are doing to keep the food safe at different stages of production.

American Cities That Are Running Out Of People

by Michael B. Sauter, Yahoo Finance
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The population of the United States has increased steadily by roughly 2.5 million people every year since World War II. Throughout prosperity and hard times, Americans continue to have families. Many of the country's regions have expanded to accommodate this population increase. Some cities have grown faster than others as the result of being at the center of some important new technology or job market. Others have lost residents because of failing industries and migration. Nevertheless, some of these cities have continued to grow slowly, or at least remain relatively stagnant, buoyed by the rising tide of the national population.

1. New Orleans
Population: 354,850
Population Change 2000-2009: -128,813
Population Percent Change 2000-2009: -26.63%
Home Vacancy: 21.5%

2. Flint, Mich.
Population: 111,475
Population Change 2000-2009: -13,266
Population Percent Change 2000-2009: -10.63%
Home Vacancy: 18%

3. Cleveland
Population: 431,369
Population Change 2000-2009: -45,205
Population Percent Change 2000-2009: -9.49%
Home Vacancy: 17.5%

4. Buffalo, N.Y.
Population: 270,240
Population Change 2000-2009: -21,970
Population Percent Change 2000-2009: -7.52%
Home Vacancy: 17.2%

5. Dayton, Ohio
Population: 153,843
Population Change 2000-2009: -11,961
Population Percent Change 2000-2009: -7.21%
Home Vacancy: 18.9%

6. Pittsburgh
Population: 311,647
Population Change 2000-2009: -22,056
Population Percent Change 2000-2009: -6.61%
Home Vacancy: 14.1%

7. Rochester, N.Y.
Population: 207,294
Population Change 2000-2009: -12,180
Population Percent Change 2000-2009: -5.55%
Home Vacancy: 15.3%