Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life (SEQL): The Charlotte Region’s Integrated Environmental Initiative
Presented by: Karen McMillan, Carolinas Clean Air Coalition; A. R. Sharp, Jr., Centralina Council of Governments; Christopher Stoneman, U.S. EPA Office of Air Quality and Standards; and Joe White, Centralina Council of Governments/Charlotte City Council

Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life (SEQL) is an EPA- and locally-funded bi-state initiative aimed at institutionalizing consideration and support for environmental issues at local and regional decision-making levels. SEQL’s methodology encourages local elected officials to integrate environmental planning and develops a base of supportive business, nongovernmental and other citizen stakeholders who will help to formulate recommendations and encourage results. SEQL’s purpose is for environmental-sustainable decision-making to be adopted on an ongoing, regional basis. SEQL’s innovative approach pulls adversarial groups into facilitated discussions aimed at regional problem-solving and policy formulation. By involving these groups early so that policies represent regional consensus, SEQL facilitates decision-making by governmental boards and reduces cross-jurisdictional conflict.
This panel will discuss the benefits of this approach from an elected official’s point of view and from the business/economic development perspective. The discussion will cover the usefulness of SEQL in providing consistency and predictability to development decisions, the use of this approach as a regional planning tool and a means of achieving regional cooperation in the absence of a rule-making authority, and how SEQL represents an innovative new way for EPA to achieve its national goals through local partnerships.