Environment
Examples and Resources
Outdoor-Lighting Ordinance of Cloudcroft, NM
Approved and adopted by the Cloudcroft Village Council in 1995, this bylaw requires, with exceptions for safety, that all outdoor light fixtures maintained on public or private property are turned off after 11:00 PM, flashing or pulsating signs are prohibited, and off-street lighting illuminates only…
Environmental Protection Ordinance, History of Violations (1998)
Wayne, Pennsylvania. This local ordinance prohibits corporations from doing business in the township if they have a consistent history of violating environmental laws. The purpose of this ordinance is to “protect the citizens…from corporations that have committed repetitious illegal activities…by…
Interim Guidelines for a Model Lighting Ordinance (2005)
Produced by IDA, this primer for local lighting regulation “aims to address light pollution harms such as glare, light trespass, human health and environmental impacts, and energy waste, by regulating the amount of light that can be used, when it can be used, and what types of fixtures should be…
Model Outdoor Lighting Ordinance for Cities and Towns
A boilerplate document, created by NELPAG, based on several successful outdoor night-lighting ordinances from different parts of the country. Beginning with a statement of the problems of light pollution, it goes onto apply detailed quantifiable solutions, and addresses the all-important topic of…
Town of West Seneca, N.Y. Lighting Ordinance
Though lacking in details, this ordinance states the goal to prevent light trespass on neighboring property: “No artificial lighting shall shine directly upon any neighboring residential property… or be so established that it a nuisance or an annoyance to neighboring residential properties or…
North Smithfield Impervious Surface Limits
This restriction was placed in a ground water protection zone, but the same kind of language could be applied to any, and all, commercial zones in your community. A 25-acre site, for example, could only have 7.5 acres of impervious surface (building footprints and parking areas, roadways, etc). A…
Environmental Protection Ordinance, History of Violations (1998)
Wayne, Pennsylvania. This local ordinance prohibits corporations from doing business in the township if they have a consistent history of violating environmental laws. The purpose of this ordinance is to “protect the citizens…from corporations that have committed repetitious illegal activities…by…
The New England Light Pollution Advisory Group (NELPAG)
A volunteer group dedicated to “educating the public on the virtues of efficient, glare-free outdoor night lighting—and the tremendous benefits of low-lumen (low-light-output) lighting for many (if not most) outdoor applications.” Contending that many outdoor lights are unnecessary, NELPAG brings…
