We appreciate the time and effort that MLO Task Force members have devoted to this undertaking. Nevertheless, we believe this draft is unusable for many reasons. Chief among them:

• The document is far too complex and unnecessarily technical. No model ordinance can be effective if it cannot be readily understood by the people who would have to support, enact, implement, and enforce it.
• It fails to address roadway lighting, a major contributor to light pollution.
• No information is available as to what principles underlie the BUG ratings, and the data necessary to implement them do not exist.
• The Lighting Zone scheme appears designed to perpetuate, if not increase, existing light levels.
• Parts of it would be difficult, if not impossible, to enforce.
• The endorsement of unnecessary uplighting is contrary to long-held IDA principles.

More than six years have elapsed since IDA began this project. The present MLO draft makes clear that the development process simply is not working.

Greenpeace and the fishing industry don’t develop joint guidelines for whaling ”controls,” and Sierra Club doesn’t collaborate with the coal industry on “acceptable” levels of global warming. These groups make a stand for their cause and then work to reach that goal, and IDA needs to do the same.

For the above reasons and many more, we call upon IDA Directors to take the following steps:

• Immediately end work on this MLO and permanently abandon it.
• Terminate the collaboration agreement with IES.
• Plan to start fresh with a new committee whose members’ principal interest is “to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies.”

We believe that IDA adoption of anything like this MLO would do irreparable harm to our efforts to combat light pollution. To cite but one example, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association--even before this draft was released--was citing it to fight full shielding requirements. How will dark-sky advocates like us be able to establish “gold standard” lighting controls in our communities if IDA itself promulgates a watered-down model like this?

Please help us to continue the fight!

Sign the Petition