Coalition Letter on Green Infrastructure Proposal
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
Click Graphic to review letter!
Will DC Water’s Green Infrastructure Plan Work?
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
DC Water’s Green Infrastructure Project
By Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
Join the DC Environmental Network for a networking opportunity with George Hawkins, General Manager of DC Water and his team, presenting and answering questions about the proposed Green Infrastructure Project. This special event will be held on May 3rd at Noon at the offices of Global Green USA, 1100 15th Street NW, 11th Floor. (Walking distance from Farragut North and McPherson Square Metro stops)
Background:
DC Water is proposing a pilot program, the Green Infrastructure Project, to demonstrate the effectiveness of green infrastructure (also known as low-impact development (LID)) on, in their own words, a “massive” scale. This program would cover 50 acres of the Potomac and Rock Creek sewer-sheds and could cost $10-30 million.
The Green Infrastructure Project would use rain gardens, porous pavements, green roofs, infiltration planters, trees and other technologies to capture, infiltrate, treat and reuse polluted runoff before it enters the sewer system and ultimately our rivers and creeks. DC Water hopes that this project could result in some formula for substituting LID technologies and their associated benefits for already planned tunnels that are required under a 2005 court-ordered consent decree for the Anacostia River, Potomac River and Rock Creek. DC Water would have to get other parties in the consent decree (including EPA) to agree to new deadlines to plan and implement the project.
Environmental organizations in the District who work on river restoration have a broad spectrum of opinions as to how or even if DC Water should move forward with this project. There is a growing consensus that we need more information and this DC Environmental Network discussion is an opportunity to have some of our questions answered.
DC Water Green Infrastructure Project Information:
- Green Infrastructure Summit 2012 PowerPoint Presentation, February 29, 2012
- Green Infrastructure Project Brochure
- DC Water Low Impact Development (LID) Website w/Additional Resources
All are welcome!
Mayor Gray’s Proposed FY2013 Budget!
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
Interested in how Mayor Gray’s proposed budget will impact local environmental programs?
Join the DC Environmental Network, DC Fiscal Policy Institute and other environmental NGOs for two very important budget briefings:
1. District Department of the Environment (DDOE):
On April 12th at 10:00 AM at 1200 First Street NE (Room 718), DDOE Director Christophe Tulou and staff will brief the DC Environmental Network, DC Fiscal Policy Institute and other organizations on the Mayor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget and potential impacts on programs important to the environmental community.
The mission of the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) is to protect and enhance human health and the environment through preservation, conservation, restoration, education, enforcement, and energy-efficient practices to improve the quality of life in the District of Columbia and build a world-class green city.
DDOE is the lead agency for creating, promulgating and enforcing District of Columbia environmental standards, in addition to implementing, through grant requirements and other mechanisms, federal environmental laws and regulations. The Department also provides certification, review and technical analysis services to both the District government and District residents through inspections, training programs, and permitting processes, in addition to providing energy-related policy, planning and direct services. Finally, the Department develops and implements innovative solutions and programs designed to improve environmental quality and sustainability in the District.
Possible areas of interest: Sustainable Energy Utility, Sustainable DC Initiative, MS4 Enforcement Programs, Coal Tar Enforcement & Education, Special Purpose Funds (Bag Fee, etc.), Lead Safe & Healthy Homes, Fisheries & Wildlife (partial).
RSVP Here to Attend DDOE Budget Briefing!
2. District Department of Transportation (DDOT):
On April 13th at 1:00 PM, DDOT Director Terry Bellamy and staff will hold a briefing on budget issues important to the environmental community. Location: DDOT, 55 M Street SE, Suite 400.
The District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT) mission is to enhance the quality of life for District residents and visitors by ensuring that people and goods move safely with minimal adverse impact on residents and the environment.
DDOT executes its mission through the work of the following divisions: The Infrastructure Project Management Administration designs and builds roads and bridges, rails and other transportation projects; the Progressive Transportation Services Administration provides public transportation service through Metro and the Circulator bus system; the Transportation Operations Administration ensures a safe and user-friendly transportation environment; the Planning, Policy and Sustainability Administration develops strategic goals for the agency; the Urban Forestry Administration maintains the District’s street trees, providing our community with traffic calming, improved air quality, increased ground water retention that minimizes runoff and flooding, temperature moderation, and aesthetics.
Possible areas of interest: Klingle Valley Hiker/Biker Trail, Urban Forestry Administration; Bicycle & Pedestrian programs, DC Streetcar, Bicycle Lanes, Capital Bikeshare (partial).
RSVP Here to Attend DDOT Budget Briefing!
Committee on Environment, Public Works and Transportation DDOE/DDOT Hearing:
These two budget briefings are just in time to help us all prepare for Councilmember Mary Cheh’s Committee on the Environment, Public Works & Transportation performance/budget hearing for both DDOE and DDOT. This hearing will be held 
on April 25th @ 11:00 AM at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Council Chamber (Room 500). Persons wishing to testify can call 202-724-8162 or email jfaust@dccouncil.us.
District of Columbia FY2013 Budget Information:
- DC Fiscal Policy Institute FY2013 Budget Toolkit
- Susie Cambria’s Budget & Policy Corner
- The Mayor’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2013 MAIN PAGE
- Budget Details for DDOE & DDOT
All are welcome!
Department of the Environment Budget Briefing!
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
Interested in how the Mayor’s proposed budget will affect local environmental programs?
Today District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray released his proposed FY 2013 budget to the DC Council.
The DC Environmental Network and DC Fiscal Policy Institute have asked government agencies for a special opportunity to learn about and discuss how Mayor Gray’s budget will impact programs to fight global warming, restore area rivers and creeks, restore our urban forest and protect the health and economic well being of District residents.
On April 12th at 10:00 AM (1200 First Street NE, Room 718), join the District Department of the Environment, DC Environmental Network and the DC Fiscal Policy Institute for the first of three budget briefings.
“This budget continues to fund my administration’s top priorities – education, public safety and jobs and economic development – while respecting the fiscal discipline required to safeguard those services for the future,” Mayor Gray said. “We had to make difficult choices, but we believe this budget maintains the right level of government services, including protecting our most vulnerable citizens, without raising taxes.”
Come decide for yourself!
VIDEO: DC Sustainable Energy Utility
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
Learn about the District’s most aggressive efforts to reduce carbon emissions that cause global warming!
On March 1st the DC Environmental Network held a very informative brown-bag with over 50 participants to discuss the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU). The DC SEU is arguably the biggest and best funded entity in the District of Columbia whose programs result in reductions in carbon emissions.
The DC SEU is designed to help District households, businesses, and institutions save energy and money through energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Led by the non-profit Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC), the DC SEU is a project of the Sustainable Energy Partnership under contract to the District Department of the Environment (DDOE).
You can watch our panelists give their introductory remarks here:
- Theodore “Ted” Trabue, Managing Director, DC Sustainable Energy Utility
- John Macgregor, Chair, Politics & Prose Climate Action Project
- Dan Moring, Program Manager, IBC Engineering Services, Inc.
More information coming soon!
Nuclear Power: Do We Really Need a Wake-Up Call?
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
On March 21st at Noon, join Global Green USA , the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability and the DC Environmental Network for an important wake-up call with seven nuclear experts and activists from the former Soviet Union and Norway, to discuss lessons learned from the March 11, 2010 nuclear meltdown at Fukushima, the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe, and the current state of thinking about alternative energy futures, climate change, and nuclear safety and security on this planet.
“We all need a loud wake-up call when it comes to understanding the threat which nuclear power and weapons pose today. Our expert panelists from Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Norway are frontline heroes in the fight to educate the planet about the very real and tragic events in Fukushima and Chernobyl…something that is guaranteed to be repeated if we don’t change our ways here in the District and across the globe.”
- Paul Walker, Global Green USA
RSVP to Attend this Important Wake-Up Call!
Background:
Just one year ago, March 11, 2011, Japan was hit with a 9.0 earthquake, the largest ever recorded in Japan, and an enormous tsunami, which killed tens of thousands of Japanese citizens and caused the worst nuclear power disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.
The nuclear power reactors at Fukushima suffered severe damage including fires,explosions, and core meltdowns, releasing radiation into the atmosphere and permanently crippling the reactors. Decommissioning and cleanup of this disaster will now take decades and hundreds of billions of dollars; no one really knows whether the surrounding region will ever be inhabitable again.
What does this portend for nuclear power and sustainable alternatives today?
Seven environmental and nuclear experts from Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Norway will provide their perspectives on both the Fukushima and Chernobyl catastrophes, and how best to plan our “energy futures” today.
Panelists:
- Kaisha Atakhanova, Almaty, Kazakhstan. Director, Social EcoFund. Biologist specializing in genetic effects of nuclear radiation. Recipient of Goldman Environmental Award in 2005. Presentation: “Nuclear Legacies: Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Lessons for Rio+20.” Presentation: “Management, Transportation, and Storage of Nuclear Materials and Waste: Challenges and Solutions.”
- Dmytro Khmara, Kiev, Ukraine. Energy Program Coordinator, National Ecological Center of Ukraine. Physicist focused on life extensions of aging nuclear power plants. Presentation: “Chernobyl: The Last and Worst Problem of Ukraine’s Energy Policy?”
- Natalia Mironova, Chelyabinsk, Russia. President, Movement for Nuclear Safety. Political scientist involved in research and activism around nuclear safety and security, especially regarding the “Mayak” high-level nuclear waste repository in the Chelyabinsk Oblast. Presentation: “Nuclear Power and Energy Options in Russia – Current Trends.”
- Tatiana Mukhamedyarova, Chelyabinsk, Russia. Member, Movement for Nuclear Safety. Psychologist and interpreter involved in socio-economic aspects of energy policy, especially in the Chelyabinsk Region of Russia including the US-Russian Mayak high-level waste storage facility. Presentation: “Social Implications of National Energy Strategies”
- Andrey Talevlin, Chelyabinsk, Russia. Founder, Public Fund. A public interest lawyer focused on the environmental impacts of nuclear power and radioactive waste. Teaches law at Chelyabinsk State University. Presentation: “Nuclear Power Safety and Security in Russia – Legal Frameworks and Regulations.
- Pavel Tishakov, Oslo, Norway. Project Manager, Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA). Focused on IAEA nuclear safety projects in Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia) and Northwest Russia. Presentation: “Norwegian contribution to nuclear safety in Bulgaria, Romania, and North-West Russia.”
RSVP to Attend this Important Wake-Up Call!
All are welcome!
NEW Diesel Health Risk Studies
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
The DC Environmental Network (DCEN) has worked on diesel emission reduction strategies since it was started in 1996. Early in this decade, working with Councilmember’s Mendelson, Graham & Catania, DCEN helped increase momentum at Metro to convert some of the most aging dirty diesel buses to cleaner fuels. Over the years DCEN has advocated for tough idling laws and supported efforts to convert the District’s government vehicles to cleaner technologies. In 2009, working with representatives of the Clean Air Task Force, DCEN held a DC Council briefing to educate decision makers and staff about the dangerous health impacts of diesel pollution and suggested some strategies the District might take. We are currently advocating for a clean construction ordinance to protect workers and all District residents who come across pollution spewing tractors and other construction machinery.
The data in these new reports by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), is critical to understanding impacts to human health when we use diesel engines.
Released March 5, 2012:
PRESS STATEMENT from Conrad Schneider, Advocacy Director, Clean Air Task Force, on the release of two major studies of health risks from diesel pollution from National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
“Supporters of cleaning up pollution from millions of older diesel engines across the country just got a powerful boost with the release of two research papers from the Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH):
- NCI press release- http://cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/2012/DieselMinersPressRelease
- NCI Q&A – http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/2012/DieselMinersQandA
Industry groups fought in court for years to suppress both reports, but they have now been finally released to the public.
“The two studies, perhaps the most comprehensive ever to examine the public health risks of diesel pollution, looked at a group of 12,000 mining industry workers exposed to diesel carbon particles, and found an astonishing three-fold increased risk of both lung cancer and premature mortality among this study sample.
Furthermore, the researchers found that lifetime exposure to diesel exhaust in some U.S. urban areas with high levels of diesel carbon pollution could carry similar risks.
According to the study, particularly at risk are other workers besides miners who are continuously exposed to diesel exhaust, such as the 1.8 million heavy truck drivers and 460,000 heavy construction equipment operators in this country as estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2008.
“These studies could not have been released at a more opportune time, as right now Congress is considering two programs that would support reductions of the deadly diesel emissions that threaten workers in these two occupations – truckers and construction workers.
“First, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), reauthorized almost unanimously by Congress in 2010, provides funding for grants and loans to diesel operators to reduce diesel emissions, but is woefully underfunded in the budget currently being considered by Congress. Instead of the $100 million per year authorized by Congress, the Obama Administration has recommended only $15 million for DERA funding for FY2013, clearly inadequate given the enormous health risks posed by diesel pollution.
“Second, as early as this week, the Senate will move the next Transportation Bill forward, the current version of which includes ‘Clean Construction’ provisions requiring and funding the use of cleaner diesel equipment on federally-funded construction projects in areas of poor air quality. The latest House version of the bill does not.
“Given what we now know about the lung cancer risks from long-term exposure to diesel emissions, Clean Air Task Force and the grass-roots Diesel Clean-Up Campaign call on Congress and the Administration to ensure that the “Clean Construction” provisions are included in the Transportation Bill, and to restore full funding for DERA.”
For more information on the impact of diesel emissions and the national effort to clean them up, please visit the Diesel Clean-Up Campaign website at www.dieselcleanup.org For CATF’s diesel exposure studies that suggest commuters and children on school buses may be exposed to significantly elevated levels of diesel exhaust similar to those observed in some occupational settings, please see: www.catf.us/resources/publications/?project=3
Contact:
- Stuart C. Ross, (914) 649-5037 cell, sross@catf.us
- Conrad Schneider, (207) 841-3920 cell, cschneider@catf.us
Bill Would Place Nation’s Capitol at Forefront of Pesticide Reduction
By Paul Tukey, Safe Lawns Foundation
Dr. Jerome Paulson of the Children’s National Medical Center testifies on behalf of pesticide reduction on Monday, flanked by Dr. Jennifer Sass of the Natural Resources Defense Council and Paul Tukey of the Safe Lawns Foundation on Monday. (Chris Weiss photos)
WASHINGTON, D.C.– (ENEWSPF) –February 28, 2012. Interviewing witnesses with the precision of a prosecutorial judge, District of Columbia councilwoman Mary Cheh set the stage for an American pesticide showdown Monday afternoon.
In a remarkable session on behalf of the DC Committee on the Environment, Public Works and Transportation the tenured professor of constitutional law at Georgetown University drilled relentlessly into the nuances of a bill, B19-643, “The Pesticide Education and Control Amendment Act of 2012.” Cheh, a Democrat, called every witness, asked every question and displayed extraordinary stamina in a session that grilled 18 individuals and lasted more than four hours.
I’ve sat through dozens, if not hundreds, of similar sessions and never seen anything quite like Cheh’s attention to detail. In addition to doctors and activists who testified on behalf of the bill, Cheh singlehandedly called pesticide professionals, citizens and a government witness.
The general goal of the Pesticide Education and Control Amendment Act of 2012 is to review the myriad chemical compounds used as insect, weed and fungal killers and to eliminate all but the least toxic — except in cases of public health where no “safe” alternatives exist. Of the 18 witnesses called, five spoke in favor of the status quo that allows for unrestricted use of synthetic chemicals and 13 were in favor of some measure of pesticide reduction. SafeLawns testified on behalf of a complete elimination of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the landscape, citing several examples of success stories — including nearby Glenstone — where beautiful aesthetics are achieved without synthetic chemical products.
Cheh was especially inquisitive of three doctors who testified on behalf of pesticide reduction strategies.
“Children or adults (exposed to pesticides) can suffer from asthma, heart problems, irregular heart rhythms, recurrent infections, rashes, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, muscle aches, attention deficit-like behavior, altered vision, sense of smell, hearing, taste or touch, balance, Parkinson’s Disease, multiple sclerosis, dementia, seizures, weight gain, altered hormones — including premature puberty, growth disruption, ovarian and testicular dysfunction, thyroid problems, and diabetes,” said Dr. Alan Vinitsky, a pediatrician and internist from Gaithersburg, Md. “There can be increased infertility, increased miscarriages, increased congenital malformations, or a fetus can take on the pesticides, and be saddled with the pesticide burden at birth.”
The representatives of the synthetic chemical pesticide industry, on the other hand, generally pointed to EPA approval of their products as an endorsement for safety “when used as directed by the label.”
Kate Shenk of RISE, right, said she feared her local parks, playgrounds and schools would be overrun with pests if the District of Columbia disallows synthetic chemical pesticides.
“So you’re saying that these previous witnesses are not truthful?” asked Cheh of Kate Shenk, a recent college graduate who represented herself as a paid advisor to the Responsible Industry of a Sound Environment (RISE), the lead lobbying industry for the synthetic chemical fertilizer and pesticide industry. RISE representatives appear at virtually all U.S. legislative attempts to reduce pesticides. The organization’s goal is to advance the theory that without the synthetic chemical pesticides then children’s and environmental health will suffer — yet Cheh was clearly not buying into the paid rhetoric.
“We clearly have more work to do here to determine who is telling the truth,” she said.
Though the hearing was preliminary in nature, the bill is historically sweeping in its potential. Although all synthetic chemical pesticides would still be available under the bill in cases of public health situations where no reduced-risk alternatives exist, the spirt of the DC bill calls for elimination of synthetic chemicals except as a last resort.
In reality, the District of Columbia is a small market due to the relatively small population of less than a million people. Yet people on both sides of the argument were clearly aware of the District of Columbia’s strategic importance in the pesticide debate.
In other words, if an elected official in Maryland, or Virginia, or Oregon for that matter, hears that Washington, D.C., has banned or restricted pesticides, it will likely get that politician’s attention.
It’s too soon to tell how the DC legislation will play out, but if the day’s final witness was any indication, then history may be in the making.
“I’m here to testify on behalf of the Pesticide Education and Control Amendment Act of 2012,” said Christophe Tulou, director of the DC Department of the Environment.
Why is that significant?
Because it would be Tulou’s job to do the extra work to monitor, manage and enforce the new pesticide law if it passes. Most government officials we’ve met in the past have voted against extra hours, tasks and procedures.
Both Cheh and Tulou are saying loudly and clearly: Bring it on.
Christophe Tulou welcomed the challenge of pesticide reduction in the District of Columbia.
Brownbag: DC Sustainable Energy Utility
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
DC Environmental Community:
The District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) is designed to help District households, businesses, and institutions save energy and money through energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Led by the non‐profit Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC), the DC SEU is a project of the Sustainable Energy Partnership under contract to the District Department of the Environment (DDOE).
This utility is arguably the biggest and best funded entity in the District of Columbia government whose programs will result in reductions of carbon emissions.
Join us tomorrow to learn how the DC SEU has already left a mark and be part of the future of this utility by sharing your thoughts and ideas as to what we need to do to make this one of the best programs in the country. RSVP for this Environmental Community Oversight Discussion & Report Here!
All are welcome. Hope to see you tomorrow at noon.
Support Healthy Food for Our Kids!
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
My friends at Parents for Better D.C. School Food asked me to post this information.
Did you know that DCPS Food & Nutrition Services ran a deficit of $14 million last school year? D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson wants a quick fix – to hire another food service company to provide school meals. Playing “musical vendors” like this is a short-term band-aid solution. We can and should do better for our children.
The Chancellor recently rejected her food service director Jeff Mills’ proposal to move school meal production in-house. Instead, she hastily ordered her staff to establish a new contract with an outside vendor (or vendors) to cut costs, even though it’s not clear what the reported cost overruns are attributed to.
In light of all the progress made in DCPS cafeterias recently, we ask you to join numerous community organizations and concerned parents in demanding that Chancellor Henderson take a strategic look at what’s best for DCPS food services in the long term before acting on a short-sighted solution.
SIGN THE PETITION HERE (http://bit.ly/DCPSMealsPetition) and SPREAD THE WORD!
For more information:
Blog post by Ed Bruske “Kaya Henderson Turning Out the Lights on School Food”
http://bit.ly/A6iBQo
Washington Post Article by Bill Turque “Chancellor Kaya Henderson and Top Staff in Food Fight”
http://wapo.st/xHJC8C
Link to full DCPS Food & Nutrition Services RFP
http://bit.ly/yC9Vzf
Fukushima One Year Later
by Paul Walker, Director, Security & Sustainability, Global Green USA
On March 21st at Noon, join Global Green USA (1100 15th Street NW, 11th Floor) and DC Environmental Network for an important update on:
“Fukushima One Year Later: A Discussion on Energy Futures and Climate Change with Experts and Activists from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Norway”
Join a brown bag luncheon roundtable discussion with seven nuclear experts and activists from the former Soviet Union and Norway to discuss lessons learned from the March 11, 2010 nuclear reactor meltdown at Fukushima, the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe, and the current state of thinking about alternative energy futures, climate change, and nuclear safety and security in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and beyond.
Panelists will include Kaisha Atakhanova from Kazakhstan; Oleg Bodrov, Natalia Mironova, Tatiana Mukhamedyarova, and Andrey Talevlin from Russia; and Pavel Tishakov from Norway, all members of Global Green USA’s “Energy Futures Working Group.”
RSVP for this discussion here! All are welcome!
See What Happened at Our Recycling Jobs Webinar!
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
On February 16th, Susan Collins, Executive Director of the Container Recycling Institute (CRI) and Clarissa Morawski of CM Consulting explained the design and findings of the new CRI report, “Returning to Work: Understanding the Domestic Jobs Impacts from Different Methods of Recycling Beverage Containers.” This webinar was organized by the DC Environmental Network in Washington, DC and included participants from the United States, Canada and Serbia.
SEE the PowerPoint Presentation Here!
Watch and Listen to the Presentation on YouTube!
The DC Environmental Network wants to work with DC Mayor Vincent Gray and the DC Council to bring recycling jobs to the District and Washington, Metro region. If you are interested in being part of this effort let us know.
DC Environmental Community Oversight on Climate!
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
On March 1st at Noon join the District’s premiere climate activists and other environmental leaders for our March networking opportunity featuring an environmental community oversight discussion on the reality of the accomplishments of the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU):
Our panel will feature:
- Theodore “Ted” Trabue, Managing Director, DC Sustainable Energy Utility
- John Macgregor, Chair, Politics & Prose Climate Action Project
- Dan Moring, Program Manager, IBC Engineering Services, Inc.
This important DC Environmental Network oversight discussion will take place on March 1st at Noon at the offices of Global Green USA, 1100 15th Street NW (11th Floor) here in our nation’s capital city. All are welcome.
RSVP for this Environmental Community Oversight Discussion & Report Here!
Background:
The District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) is designed to help District households, businesses, and institutions save energy and money through energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Led by the non‐profit Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC), the DC SEU is a project of the Sustainable Energy Partnership under contract to the District Department of the Environment (DDOE).
The idea to create the DC SEU was conceived in 2008 by metro Washington energy activists, modeled after Efficiency Vermont, and born as legislation coming out of the DC Council. (The DC Environmental Network played a role in bringing interested activists together to hash out a vision for this utility and helped marshal support for its passage.) Since then, even with significant oversight and attention from the architect of the legislation, Council-member Mary Cheh, it has taken numerous years to put the structure in place to make this vision a reality.
Now, in 2012, the DC SEU is finally reporting a string of accomplishments in its first official year of operation. A recent DC SEU press release stated:
Since the approval and signing of the contract in March 2011, the DC SEU has completed more than 5,600 energy efficiency projects in the District, ranging from direct installations of efficient products and renewable energy measures in multifamily buildings and small commercial buildings to “mini-retrofits”—small energy efficiency measures—in single-family homes. Throughout the summer and fall, the DC SEU designed and implemented five “Quick-Start” programs using local contractors to perform energy-saving upgrades to low-income multifamily buildings, small businesses, and single-family residences in all eight Wards of the District. From installing energy-efficient light bulbs to insulating electric water heaters, these measures were simple and non-disruptive, and can save families and businesses noticeable amounts of money on their energy bills each month.
- The DC SEU’s Low-Income Multifamily Quick-Start Program provided more than 4,700 residences with energy-efficient upgrades and met its FY 2011 goal of dedicating 30% of the DC SEU’s contract budget to improving energy efficiency in low-income housing.
- The Single-Family Residential Quick-Start Program, which served 169 homes, provided residents with lighting upgrades, low-flow water devices, hot water tank and pipe insulation, and air sealing and insulation measures.
- Through its Small Commercial Direct Install Quick-Start Program, the DC SEU served 754 facilities with upgrades of lighting, pre-rinse spray valves, hot water tank and pipe insulation, and ENERGY STAR® air conditioners.
- The DC SEU also created the Commercial and Institutional Lost Opportunities Program, which was designed to capture energy efficiency opportunities with large commercial customers when they were making energy choices to replace old equipment, renovate a building, or begin new construction. As part of this program, the DC SEU partnered with the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) to pilot demonstration programs, including lighting retrofits, the installation of new energy-efficient light fixtures, and a lighting management program to reduce energy consumption at the UDC campus.
- In addition to these commercial and residential direct installation programs, the DC SEU implemented a Renewable Energy Quick-Start Program a full year ahead of schedule, enabling the installation of 15 rooftop photovoltaic systems and 3 commercial solar hot water systems.
In addition to its program goals, the DC SEU also: Designed and implemented a comprehensive consumer education and marketing plan; Recruited, hired, trained, and is now mentoring a committed and talented DC SEU staff; Developed strong relationships throughout the District.
Our Panel:
On October 12, 2011, Ted Trabue, Jr. was named Managing Director of the DC SEU. Trabue, a public affairs professional and a regular participant in the local political tapestry, has served in numerous capacities including most recently as Executive Director of the Green Builders Council of DC. Trabue also currently serves as President of the District of Columbia State Board of Education. He recently stated:
“I am proud to join the DC Sustainable Energy Utility and provide leadership in the organization’s effort to reduce energy consumption in the District of Columbia,” said Trabue. “I am excited about the opportunity to continue my work in environmental stewardship by helping DC residents and businesses reduce their energy costs, while also supporting local job creation. We will be working aggressively in our customer outreach and look forward to making a positive impact on our local environment and economy.”
Our Discussion:
DCEN discussion participants will be able to get to know the new Managing Director and will have an opportunity to dig into the details of what the DC SEU has accomplished and what we might look forward to achieving in the next few years.
RSVP for this Environmental Community Oversight Discussion & Report Here!
DCEN Webinar: New Container Recycling Institute Report!
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
DCEN Report: DC’s New Stormwater Permit
By Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
On February 2nd, the DC Environmental Network held a special Clean Water Campaign event to mark the recent arrival of the District’s new stormwater permit and to start getting a clearer picture as to how District agencies are going to implement its various stormwater management programs. The following is an attempt to share, and get a feel for the lack of historical precedent there is so far, for successful implementation of the permit. However, with a fairly new environmental agency (DDOE), and with the good work of environmental groups and positive intentions of agency staff, we just may be able to establish some constructive momentum and get something done for our rivers and creeks. This summary also includes the three video presentations from District Department of the Environment (DDOE) representatives Christophe Tulou (Director, DDOE), Hamid Karimi, PhD.(Deputy Director, DDOE) and Jeff Seltzer (Stormwater Administrator, DDOE).
Maybe I should give some context to our recent discussion on implementation of DC’s new stormwater permit.
The road to District of Columbia compliance with the Clean Water Act has been a complex, fascinating, but mostly a frustrating tale. The District’s history shows decision makers time and again, quick to go to the edges of our rivers and creeks and declare their love and commitment to restoration efforts, then rush back to their executive offices to gut clean-up funding, raid bag fee money, lower water quality standards (twice in the last decade), sit on legislation to create environmental requirements for new development along our most damaged river (the Anacostia) and blame our pollution problems on folks who are upstream. (Does the Potomac River end in Washington, DC?)
Well, just maybe, things have changed…a little.
Since the DC Environmental Network successfully advocated for the creation of a new District Department of the Environment (DDOE) in the 90′s, the District has marched, sometimes crawled, towards the future slowly building an agency whose mission is to go to work each day and try and figure out ways to follow environmental laws and protect our damaged urban environment.
It must be noted that the environmental community did not just sit on the sidelines the last decade and watch this happen. The environmental advocacy community has had to push, sometimes hard, with advocacy efforts to create DDOE; campaigns to protect water quality standards and promote stormwater management; litigation to defend the Clean Water Act and yearly efforts to bolster the budget of an agency that has more responsibility for environmental health and public welfare then District residents are willing to concede. It hasn’t been easy.
The good news might just be, with very little precedent, we may be seeing signs that having an environmental agency is helping us move forward. Not just on river restoration issues but on numerous fronts important to our planets survival. Which leads me to the District’s stormwater permit…the topic of our recent DC Environmental Network discussion.
Case Study – Our New Stormwater (MS4) Permit:
The idea of creating a strong stormwater permit has consumed the time and energy of many clean river advocates the last ten years. Many
of us have spent hundreds, possibly countless more hours advocating on behalf of area rivers and trying to unravel the puzzle of what it might take to motivate government to do its job. We have focused on the stormwater permit because we have hoped that requirements to create working stormwater controls, to keep toxic chemicals and other pollutants out of our rivers, with deadlines and specificity, might help us make progress.
When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued it’s newest stormwater permit three months ago, the environmental community had reason to believe progress had been made. Now we may not like everything that is in our newest stormwater permit, but no one can say it was not an improvement on what we have seen in the past. The permit actually speaks to the creation of a denser tree canopy, green roofs and healthy communities, aspirations that only met with laughter and cold stares less than a decade ago. Additionally, every once in awhile, I (and others) get this feeling that our new agency, that we worked so hard to create and grow, is actually helping us move forward and there is a little light at the end of the tunnel.
Who knows, we may develop real and measurable precedent in the next few years that shows that we can implement the spirit and intent of laws designed to help cleanup our rivers and creeks.
What about the discussion?:
Well, even if there is some forward momentum there is still much work to do. We have a responsibility as advocates to continue to represent the interests of our rivers and part of that responsibility is to continue to push decision makers and engage representatives of the executive and legislative branch. Our recent luncheon was designed to do just that, help establish precedent and keep us all moving forward.
Our panelists reflected the strength and structure of our new agency with three knowledgeable representatives who all have developed extensive expertise on river restoration issues and understand how to hold their own as an agency…something the District has only seen in recent years.
- Christophe Tulou, Director, District Department of the Environment:
Christophe set the stage with a positive assessment of the District’s status as a green city and updated the Network on the current Sustainable DC initiative. He suggested stormwater management could be an important benchmark for sustainability. He also challenged us to do our part to be partners in achieving sustainability.
“I think we are going to find it quite quaint the requirements in this very aggressive MS4 (stormwater) permit that we have five years from now.” – Christophe Tulou, Director, District Department of the Environment
- Hamid Karimi, PhD., Deputy Director, Natural Resources Administration, District Department of the Environment:
Hamid gave participants a little comparison, from DDOE’s perspective, about how the current permit and process compared to past efforts and challenged the environmental community to find the expertise to do it better than might be currently planned.
“A lot of innovative approach (in the new stormwater permit) in doing things different from just about all the other permits EPA has written in the past.” – Hamid Karimi, Deputy Director, Natural Resources Administration, District Department of the Environment
- Jeff Seltzer, Stormwater Administrator, District Department of the Environment
Jeff, who is responsible for working out the details of implementing the stormwater permit discussed some of the specifics of what is actually in the permit and what it might mean to water quality standards.
“With revised regulations (the District) we will be harnessing development…redeveloping sites that have already been built on…taking existing impervious surfaces in most cases and re-developing them to a higher standard. This without a doubt will be the highest driver ever for improving water quality in the District.” – Jeff Seltzer, Stormwater Administrator, District Department of the Environment
These presentations were followed by an open discussion with about 45 participants.
DCEN Webinar: Recycling Equals Jobs!
by Chris Weiss, Director, DC Environmental Network
“In these times of record-breaking unemployment in the United States (to say nothing of record-breaking costs for energy and landfill space), few solutions are more urgent–and none more logical–than creating jobs out of what we are otherwise throwing away.” – “Returning to Work”
Returning to Work: Understanding the Domestic Jobs Impacts from Different Methods of Recycling Beverage Containers
All Metropolitan Washington area decision makers, government agencies and advocates are invited to this important green jobs webinar:
On February 16th at 10:00 am, join the DC Environmental Network for an important green jobs webinar.
Susan Collins, Executive Director of the Container Recycling Institute (CRI) and Clarissa Morawski of CM Consulting will go over the details of the new CRI Report “Returning to Work: Understanding the Domestic Jobs Impacts from Different Methods of Recycling Beverage Containers.” (Clarissa Morawski, CM Consulting and Jeffrey Morris, Ph.D., of Sound Resource Management Group in Olympia, Washington, are the primary authors of this report.)
RSVP here to recieve webinar information!
Key findings of “Returning to Work” include:
- Deposits create more jobs than curbside recycling relative to beverage containers.
- Recycling creates more jobs than disposal, and CDR creates the most jobs of all.
- Material throughput is the primary driver of recycling jobs.
- The secondary driver of container-recycling jobs is the number of workers required to collect, sort and transport the containers.
- Jobs gained in recycling far outweigh any jobs lost in extraction of virgin materials.
- U.S. PET (PolyEthylene Terephthalate) reclaimers currently operate at less than 60 percent of capacity. Increasing to capacity–that is, processing an additional 230,000 tons annually–would create nearly 500 new jobs, based on an employment factor of 2 FTEs per 1,000 tons. Yet the United States exports 400,000 tons of PET to overseas markets each year–the equivalent of 800 jobs.
- Jobs gained from recycling far exceed any jobs lost in virgin extraction, land-filling or domestic manufacturing.
Susan and Clarissa will describe the potential of green jobs and reference case studies of successful programs in the United States and Canada.
After the presentations participants will have an opportunity to ask questions.
Our panelists:
- Susan Collins, Executive Director, Container Recycling Institute, San Diego, CA – Susan has spent 20 years 
advising over 80 municipalities on municipal solid waste and recycling programs and sustainability issues. She recently completed an extensive international research project comparing the financial, operational and policy aspects of container deposit and packaging systems in California, Germany and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. She spent nine years on the board of the California Resource Recovery Association, has a B.S. in manufacturing engineering from Boston University and an M.B.A. from UCLA.
- Clarissa Morawski, Principal, CM Consulting, Ontario, Canada – CM Consulting provides research, analysis, communications and 
strategic planning services in the area of waste reduction and regulatory affairs. Clarissa Morawski works with industry, federal, provincial and municipal governments as well as the not-for-profit sector, and has more than sixteen years of technical, analytical and communications experience in waste-minimization policy and operations. She has built her career around understanding the various program elements that make up empty-beverage-container management in terms of reuse, recycling and disposal. Ms. Morawski is a contributing editor to Solid Waste and Recycling Magazine and has written for Resource Recycling and Biocycle magazines.
RSVP here to recieve webinar information!
All are welcome!
DC’s New Stormwater Permit!
By Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
All Metro-Washington environmentalists are invited to an important brown-bag, networking opportunity:
On February 2nd at Noon (1100 15th Street NW, 11th Floor) the DC Environmental Network (DCEN) will host an important and critical discussion about plans to implement the District’s NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) Permit. This permit authorizes stormwater discharges but more importantly requires implementation of stormwater controls that may help in keeping pollution out of our rivers and creeks.
RSVP for this Discussion Here!
The current permit includes a list of control measures to implement including green roof installation requirements, tree canopy enhancements, and other programs and activities to curb polluted stormwater. Some of these measure include specific targets and dates to complete while others do not have much specificity as to when or how they will be implemented.
Representatives from the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) will brief DCEN on the details as to what we need to achieve in 2012 and how they will implement the most important stormwater control measures.
Our DDOE panelists will include:
- Christophe Tulou, Director, District Department of the Environment
- Hamid Karimi, PhD., Deputy Director, Natural Resources Administration, District Department of the Environment
- Jeffrey Seltzer, Stormwater Administrator, Stormwater Management Division, Natural Resources Administration, District Department of the Environment
The health and economic vitality of our city is tied to our rivers and creeks.
Aggressive implementation of this permit could be the most important determining factor in the next few years towards making real progress to restore the Anacostia River, Potomac River and Rock Creek.
All are welcome and urged strongly to attend.
RSVP for this Discussion Here!
DCEN Report: Rock Creek Sustainability
by Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network
On January 5th the DC Environmental Network (DCEN) convened a discussion on Rock Creek sustainability. Our mission was to figure out what challenges Rock Creek was facing and what can we do to protect this important resource. Another goal was to highlight a very important waterway that sometimes is forgotten, even neglected by the broader environmental community as we focus our attention and energies on the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. Communicating the importance of including Rock Creek as we develop our environmental goals, particularly as Mayor Gray moves forward with his Sustainable DC initiative, is critical.
Our discussion included presentations by Beth Mullin, Executive Director of the Rock Creek Conservancy and Tara Morrison, Superintendent of Rock Creek Park, one of the many National Park Service green spaces in the District.
Beth Mullin, Executive Director, Rock Creek Conservancy:
Beth gave participants an overview of the size of Rock Creek which includes over 5,000 acres of parkland, around 2,000 acres in Rock Creek Park (including sections outside of the watershed) and about 3,000 acres in Montgomery County and City of Rockville. Beth shared many of the benefits Rock Creek brings to area residents including recreation, history, nature, learning, community and tranquility to name a few. Beth stressed the importance of creating the next generation of environmental stewards by figuring out how to bring more young people to Rock Creek. She also highlighted some of the sustainability challenges including old facilities, trash, erosion & flooding, disappearing tree canopy, invasive plants and an expanding deer population. Beth shared what the Rock Creek Conservancy is doing to meet these sustainability challenges including stream teams, partnerships with government agencies, “extreme” trash cleanup’s and supporting the District’s RiverSmart Washington program. It was clear that much needs to be done and that we all need to chip in to put Rock Creek on a path to sustainability. See Beth’s PowerPoint Presentation.
Watch Beth’s Presentation:
Tara Morrison, Superintendent, Rock Creek Park:
Superintendent Tara Morrison, who joined Rock Creek Park in May of 2011, thanked Beth for bringing up many important sustainability issues for Rock Creek. Tara stressed the importance of Rock Creek Park as a resource to the region. She stressed the importance of working together to make sure the park survived for future generations. She shared that the 
National Park Service is responsible for quite a bit of parkland outside of Rock Creek Park. Tara talked of recent successes including the re-opening of Pierce Mill, opening of the final phase of Georgetown Waterfront Park, re-opening of Battleground Cemetery and the re-dedication of the Khalil Gibran memorial. She talked about numerous friends groups that Rock Creep Park works with including the Rock Creek Conservancy, Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy, the Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park, Friends of Pierce Mill, Friends of Montrose Park and others.
“Working to address a mandate by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce nutrient and sediment flow into the Chesapeake Bay, the park recently evaluated the merits and feasibility of hundreds of possible stream restoration, trash and stormwater management projects proposed by the District of Columbia Department of the Environment for Rock Creek land. These projects included rain gardens, bio-swales, reforestation and regenerative stormwater conveyances to slow stormwater flows into Rock Creek and remove nutrients before they enter the creek.” – Tara Morrison, Superintendent, Rock Creek Park
Tara identified non-native invasive plants as an extremely important issue and outlined plans to protect the park from this threat. She talked about a growing partnership with the District Department of the Environment including efforts to restore tributaries to Rock Creek. This includes the Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) and efforts to reduce nutrient and sediment flow into the creek. She expanded on the impacts of too many deer on the parks environment and talked about soon to be implemented deer management plans.
Watch Tara’s Presentation:
Both presentations were positively received and were followed by an open discussion in which DC Environmental Network participants shared their ideas about what Rock Creek needs to do to become more sustainable. Check back to view this discussion!
In the last decade and 1/2, DCEN has engaged numerous times on behalf of Rock Creek and the surrounding open spaces. Our clean water campaign has worked hard to curb the amount of raw sewage and polluted stormwater that make its way into the creek. DCEN was also a leader in efforts to close a dangerous and expensive road and create a hiker/biker trail in Klingle Valley. DCEN has also supported efforts to increase access to Rock Creek Park for schools, residents and visitors by closing Beach Drive to vehicular traffic on weekdays. DCEN has also promoted policies to reduce invasive plant species and restore and increase the tree canopy on park-lands throughout the District. We also support humane management methods for dealing with wildlife. We have an established track record on these issues which is why we strongly support many of the sustainability efforts of the Rock Creek Conservancy and Rock Creek Park.
We will most likely be holding a smaller discussion for the most interested parties to formulate some goals in 2012 we can all work on. If you are interested give me a call at 202-518-8782 or send an email to cweiss@dcen.net.