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Commission discusses greenhouse‑gas labels for gas pumps, asks staff to draft supportive letter with implementation suggestions
Summary
The commission reviewed Supervisor John Avalos’s ordinance (Board File 141,094) to require greenhouse‑gas information labels on gas pumps, heard presentations from the sponsor, 350 Bay Area and department staff, and voted to ask staff to draft a letter of support including recommendations on concise language, enforcement, measurement and multilingual outreach.
At the request of Supervisor John Avalos, the Commission on the Environment took up discussion of Board File 141,094 on Nov. 25, an ordinance that would require service stations to post greenhouse‑gas information labels on gas pumps indicating the carbon dioxide generated per gallon of fuel.
Jeremy Pollock, legislative aide to Supervisor Avalos, described the ordinance as a transparency tool designed to connect personal fuel purchases with greenhouse‑gas emissions and said the initial ordinance could be limited to petroleum‑based gasoline and diesel. Jamie Brooks of 350 Bay Area presented the behavioral and social‑norms rationale and displayed design mockups intended to be conspicuous 'hose' hang‑tags at eye level. Brooks argued the labels could prime public expectations and support broader policy change.
Bob Hayden, staff from the Department of the Environment’s clean‑transportation program, provided technical context: the 20‑pounds‑of‑CO2‑per‑gallon figure referenced in the draft is supported by EPA and California Air Resources Board data for petroleum fuels, but Hayden urged precision in ordinance text (specifying 'petroleum fuel' if a numeric value is used) and raised enforcement questions. Hayden also noted the city has under 100 gas stations (estimates between 70 and 90), which bears on implementation scale.
Staff estimated initial implementation design and rule‑making costs in the first year at between $60,000 and $100,000 (largely staff time, graphic design and printing), with ongoing costs of roughly $10,000–$20,000 annually for maintenance and enforcement. Commissioners urged shorter, graphic messaging; recommended multilingual materials and a front/back hang‑tag that could include localized transportation alternatives; and asked for a measurement and reporting plan to assess effectiveness.
Several public speakers—representatives from 350 Bay Area, UCSF, the Sierra Club and community members—urged the commission to express support to the Board of Supervisors while noting implementation details can be worked out. Jack Lucero Fleck of 350 Bay Area asked the commission to act beyond forwarding minutes and to ask staff to draft a supportive motion.
After discussion, commissioners moved and seconded a request that staff draft a letter expressing the commission’s support for the ordinance while incorporating the commission’s recommendations (shorter wording, clear identification of fuel types if numbers are used, multi‑language outreach, a measurement plan and discussion of enforcement and funding). A roll‑call vote recorded yes votes from Commissioners Ruth Gervanis, Heather Stephenson, Johanna Wald and Commissioner Juan; the motion passed.
Next steps: staff will draft a letter to the Board of Supervisors reflecting these recommendations and return with language or a proposed letter for commission review before transmittal.
