FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 6, 2026
Media Contact: Melissa Littlepage, mlittlepage@dccouncil.gov, 771-333-9834
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker is introducing the Strengthening Air Pollution Permitting Amendment Act of 2026. Councilmembers Charles Allen (Ward 6, Chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment), and Christina Henderson (At-Large, Chair of the Committee on Health) co-introduced the bill, which will require the Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE) to devote more personnel and resources to pollution permitting and enforcement, establish deadlines for DOEE’s review of permit applications, enhance penalties for unpermitted activity, improve public participation in DOEE’s permitting and air quality complaint processing, and require polluting entities to engage with the communities in which they are located.
“This legislation will address critical flaws in the District’s air pollution permitting regime, including weak protections against nuisances that impact longtime residents, unacceptable multi-year delays in permitting, poor community engagement, and ineffective enforcement,” said Councilmember Parker. “Ward 5 is home to two of the District’s three asphalt plants and one of the District’s three permanent concrete plants, and all these facilities are located within a block of residential properties. When there are only a few hundred feet between residents’ homes and a facility that is permitted to emit toxins into the air residents inhabit, regulatory delays and gaps significantly impact a community’s quality of life.”
“As an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and life-long resident, I know firsthand the ways that neighbors in Ivy City have suffered from the impacts of air pollution,” said Sebrena Rhodes, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) for Single Member District 5D02 in Ivy City. “I am grateful to Councilmember Parker for taking this meaningful step to strengthen protections for breathable air and bolster enforcement against polluters.”
ANC 5F06 Commissioner Joe Bishop-Henchman added, “As I talk to neighbors in Eckington as their Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, I’m told all the time that we need to do better on air pollution. Monitoring needs to be more transparent and good ideas for mitigation need to be considered. I’m excited that Councilmember Parker is taking the lead to get something done on this.”
ANC 5C05 Commissioner Darlene Oliver emphasized the point, sharing, “Residents of Brentwood are sounding the alarm over the constant release of dense smoke and industrial pollution from nearby industrial plants, warning that the ongoing emissions are seriously endangering public health and safety.” Brentwood neighbor and environmental justice advocated Sharon Edwards added, “As a long time Brentwood resident, I have been impacted by the cluster of industrial operations nearby. This legislation will finally hold the District accountable for a cleaner and safer future.”
Councilmember Parker concluded, “By requiring timely action in the air pollution permitting process, bolstering permit requirements, establishing new options for enforcement of permit violations, improving public access to permitting and air quality complaint processing, and directing funds toward environmental remediation, we can build a cleaner, healthier, and safer District for everyone. I look forward to advancing this legislation alongside my Council colleagues.”
###
