Challenging racial discrimination embedded in land use decisions in order to ensure safe and healthy environments for DC's Black and brown communities.
Empower DC is elevating the cause of environmental justice to bring about improvements at the community and systemic levels. Our place-based environmental efforts are focused on DC neighborhoods, including Ward 5’s Brentwood and Ivy City communities, that are most impacted by air quality issues, overconcentration of industrial sites, and urban areas that experience higher than normal temperatures. We are organizing and expanding our environmental justice work through the DC Environmental Justice Coalition.
Our Work & Impact
Empower DC works with the Steering Committee to convene the DC Environmental Justice (EJ) Coalition, a growing body of organizations committed to advancing Environmental Justice citywide. Monthly DC EJ Coalition meetings provide space for information sharing, networking and collaboration. The DC EJ Coalition also collaborates with partners regionally through the Mid-Atlantic Environmental Justice Coalition, led by our partner Namati.
If you may be interested in joining the DC Environmental Justice Coalition, fill out this interest form.
Justice for Brentwood
Empower DC organized Justice for Brentwood at the request of residents who are tired of their community being the dumping ground for the city’s industrial land uses. On top of dozens of polluting facilities including a garbage facility and Fort Meyer asphalt plant, both emitting noxious odors, DC government rushed to add a school bus terminal to this already overburdened community, failing to follow environmental laws. With Empower DC, Brentwood residents have taken legal action against the bus terminal and are developing an Environmental Justice Action Plan to address short and long-term land use changes needed to correct environmental injustice.
- Watch this short video to learn more about the EJ issues impacting the Brentwood community.
- Learn more about Justice for Brentwood by checking out these TV, radio and print news reports.
Ivy City: Shut Down NEP
In the historic Black DC community of Ivy City, a longstanding threat has polluted the air since the 1930’s — National Engineering Products. This small but dangerous facility uses carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals like cresol and formaldehyde in the manufacturing of sealants for the Navy and other customers. Its existence in Ivy City predates modern air quality and zoning laws which would now forbid such a threat adjacent to residential homes. But bringing this facility “into compliance” is not enough — we stand with Ivy City residents to demand that NEP be permanently shut down and the site cleaned up and transformed into something that benefits the community.
- Watch the short film People Rising: Ivy City to learn more about this fight.
- In response to our organizing efforts, DC Department of Energy and Environment conducted some limited air testing at the NEP site, and now the Environmental Protection Agency has stepped in to conduct its own air toxics testing throughout the Ivy City community.
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Contact Anthony David, Jr to learn more.