Industry-drafted Model Outdoor Lighting Legislation Introduced in Massachusetts
Sen. Cynthia Creem of the Massachusetts State Senate has introduced SD 844, which was spearheaded by an industry coalition led by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) to reduce nighttime skyglow and light trespass in Massachusetts while ensuring that customer choice and proper lighting quality is maintained.
In recognizing the importance of this issue, the industry coalition reached out to the International Dark-sky Association (IDA) for its input and support. IDA members in Massachusetts have played a strong role in this issue. Its participation was integral to the introduction of this bill.
SD 844 would take advantage of current lamp and luminaire technology and recognized lighting practices and standards to the maximum extent possible with optimal “total lifecycle costs,” assurance of good visibility, and minimizing energy consumption. In addition, SD 844 would provide the maximum latitude in selecting products and technologies while balancing the needs of energy efficiency, reduced light trespass, safety, and security. Providing latitude in selecting products lets the market determine the best product for the application and ensures that manufacturers are not adversely affected by unnecessary restrictions.
So will SD 844 endorse the requirements of the MLO or did they try and cook up some sort of “hybrid”?
Hello…
a few comments about Mr. DiLouie’s post. the bill number he gave is actually a temporary “docket” ID that’s no longer valid. the Senate version of the outdoor-lighting bill is S.1573, and the identical House version is H.2941. you can access the text here: http://malegislature.gov/Bills/188/Senate/S1573
it’s true that the IES, NEMA, and IALD reps played key roles in drafting this excellent legislation. however, most of the wording was drawn from a previous iteration submitted in the 2011-12 legislative session by me and other dark-sky activists. I don’t want to minimize the contributions of IES, NEMA, and IALD — they’re key to this consensus — but it would not be correct to characterize the legislation as spearheaded by these groups, with IDA’s involvement being secondary.
finally, to Dave’s point, this statewide bill has different goals that those of the MLO, which is designed for adoption by individual municipalities. the proposed legislation would require that virtually all outdoor lighting installed as part of state-funded projects is fully shielded, that the Massachusetts DOT review its own policies and enact “best practices”, and other initiatives. please feel free to review the legislation, and I’d welcome your feedback.
Kelly Beatty
IDA Board of Directors
Chelmsford, Massachusetts
kbeatty@darksky.org
Thanks, Kelly!