Public Hearing on Air Pollution Permitting and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Study Acts – June 4, 2026

The Committee on Transportation and the Environment, chaired by Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward 6), held a public hearing on June 4, 2026, to consider Bill 26-565 (Strengthening Air Pollution Permitting Amendment Act of 2026) and Bill 26-571 (Greenhouse Gas Emissions Study Amendment Act of 2026). Over 50 public witnesses testified, with strong support for both bills from residents, community groups, and environmental organizations. The committee also heard from government witnesses from the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) and DC Water.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Daniel Aaron Price (ANC 5F Chair) testified in strong support of B26-565, detailing a 646-day delay in DOEE’s review of a Fort Myers asphalt plant permit, during which the plant continued operating. He urged transparent community notification, expanded air monitoring, adequate staffing for DOEE, and environmental justice protections.
• Zoe Poindexter (Ward 5 resident) supported the bill, describing her neighborhood as a “sacrifice zone” and emphasizing the need for cumulative impact reviews and a public dashboard for complaints.
• Anthony David Jr. (Empower DC) highlighted community barriers in accessing permit applications, noting that facilities can submit classified permits and that DOEE has never denied a permit based on community input. He called for real accountability mechanisms.
• April Avant testified in favor of B26-571, linking climate change to mental health and urging the study to quantify costs of extreme weather.
• Giovanni Jagannath (Empower DC attorney) supported B26-565, citing that Ivy City and Brentwood experience 89% more pollution than other U.S. census tracts. He recommended an interagency task force and fence-line monitors within 300 feet of polluting sources.
• Carol Spring (Ward 4 resident) supported both bills, noting that winter Storm Fern alone cost DC over $50 million—seven times the budgeted amount—and that redlining has created urban heat islands in Black and brown neighborhoods.
• Cody Austin (Sierra Club) urged passage of B26-571 via the Budget Support Act, citing that top 40 U.S. fossil fuel companies earned over $200 billion in 2025 while DC residents bear increasing costs from floods, heat, and storms.
• William Washburn (NAACP DC branch) supported both bills, criticizing DOEE’s “black box” permitting process and noting Ward 7/8’s vulnerability to pollution from highways and methane stations.
• Julia Headland (ANC 5F Commissioner) criticized DOEE for prioritizing business facilitation over resident health, citing a lack of restrictions on Fort Myers plant operations even after 500+ public comments. She highlighted the need for limits on poor air quality days and meaningful penalties.
• Talia Parker (Ward 1 resident) supported B26-571, noting that Wards 5, 7, and 8 are most vulnerable to extreme heat, and that climate costs should fall on fossil fuel companies.
• Tene Lewis (Air Quality Monitoring Advisory Board) supported both bills, emphasizing health disparities in environmental justice communities and the need for data to hold polluters accountable.
• Ava Sedana (Sierra Club/Sunrise DC) shared personal experience running during extreme weather, arguing that climate resilience should be funded by major polluters.
• Eduardo Seraphim (Ward 1 resident) supported B26-571, calling for polluters to pay a “climate tax” to avoid taxpayer burden.
• Erwin Rose (Ward 3 Dems) endorsed B26-571, noting the study’s potential to inform investment in adaptation.
• Justin Lopez Medina (Ward 5 resident) described his daily commute past idling trucks and industrial odors, arguing that pollution undermines neighborhood cohesion.
• London Jones (UMD student) supported B26-571, recounting personal cost burdens from air conditioning failures and basement flooding.
• Macy Brigham Hill (DC native) supported B26-571, noting thousands of dollars in repairs after storm-damaged trees.
• Adam Crone (Earthjustice) highlighted that DOEE does not post permit applications online, unlike states like Louisiana and West Virginia. He supported B26-565’s transparency improvements.
• Maria Hilfiker (Ward 1 resident) supported B26-571, citing her experience with the January 2026 snowstorm and climate change impacts.
• Melody Marsh (Howard University graduate) supported B26-571, using cost examples: $67.2 million for snow cleanup, $20 million for Potomac Interceptor spill, and school closures from heat. She urged proactive planning.
• Mark Galvan (ANC 5F Commissioner) supported B26-565, describing the odor and noise from Fort Myers plant and the difficulty for residents to afford mitigation.
• Sammy Wines (Sierra Club) supported B26-571, noting that fossil fuel companies knew about climate change risks since 1978 and that a climate superfund is needed.
• Sabrina Rhodes (Empower DC/ANC Commissioner) supported both bills, saying Ivy City residents have not been protected and that DOEE often engages communities only after decisions are made.
• Sharon Edwards (Brentwood resident) supported B26-565, citing health effects from Fort Myers plant and a bus terminal, and lack of community engagement.
• Dr. Steven Peterson (psychiatrist) supported B26-571, describing heat wave mortality risks for mentally ill patients and increased violence/hospitalizations due to extreme heat.
• Kara Fulton (Ward 1 resident) supported B26-571, urging $200,000 funding for the study to break the cycle of underfunding climate programs.
• Derek Hill (Ward 5 resident/CCAN volunteer) supported B26-571, citing >$60 million snow costs and school HVAC failures.
• Destiny Swanigan (Ivy City nurse) supported B26-565, noting difficulty accessing permit information and her own asthma worsened by industrial odors.
• Dorothy Ann Stanley (Ward 2 resident) supported B26-571, noting the Potomac Interceptor spill and the need for a climate superfund.
• Liana Steinberg Casper (Sunrise DC) supported both bills, recounting personal experiences with heat exhaustion and tornado warnings.
• Michelle Mabson (Earthjustice) supported B26-565, highlighting National Engineering Products’ decades-long operation without an air permit and the need for ambient air monitoring in Ward 5.
• Devin Simon (Ward 2 resident) supported B26-571, stating the study is essential to identify extreme risks and hold corporations accountable.

Discussion Items

• Chair Allen noted that the committee has already set aside $200,000 in the budget to fund the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Study, and the bill will advance either through the Budget Support Act or as standalone legislation.
• Councilmember Zachary Parker (co-author of B26-565) emphasized that the bill responds to community frustration with permitting delays, weak enforcement, and poor engagement. He committed to working with advocates on further improvements.
• DOEE Senior Deputy Director Michael Somersall testified with concerns about the feasibility of B26-565’s timelines and resource requirements, but supported some provisions such as a longer appeals window (15 days is too short), annual manager training, and a public dashboard. He noted that DOEE has 3 permit engineers compared to 10+ in comparable jurisdictions. He questioned whether $200,000 is sufficient for the GHG study given Maryland’s similar study cost $500,000, and asked for a 24-month timeline instead of 15.
• DC Water Vice President Nicholas Passarelli requested a full exemption for wastewater treatment facilities, arguing that permit expiration or operation curtailment during poor air quality days would lead to catastrophic sewage overflows. He cited Blue Plains’ continuous operation and 11 expired permits pending renewal.

Key Outcomes

• The committee will consider amendments to both bills based on technical comments from DOEE and DC Water.
• The fiscal impact of B26-565 is still being assessed; Chair Allen committed to finding resources for implementation.
• The record for the hearing will close on June 18, 2026; written testimony may be submitted via the Council’s hearing management system.
• The next committee meeting is scheduled for June 25, 2026 (tentative), on transit planning for RFK redevelopment.