in front of ivy city’s nepi plant. its various provisions include the establishment of an energy and environmental justice commission within doee. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nwashington, d.c., currently lacks an initiative in any of its agencies dedicated to addressing and enforcing environmental justice. in order to specifically address businesses like nepi, the amendment also aims to increase regulations upon facilities based on their level of pollution through required cumulative impact assessments. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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overview of environmental justice amendment act of 2023. graphics created by mia cremona.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nanthony david jr. serves as an environmental justice organizer with empower dc, a grassroots organization headquartered in ivy city, a predominantly black neighborhood in ward 5. he said empower d.c. is working closely to advance councilmember parker’s bill, which will be heavily contingent on budget and oversight hearings conducted by the d.c. council next january. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nhe said the ongoing process of working with city officials, departments, and even federal agencies to shut down the nepi plant consists of “a lot of teeth-pulling.” still, david jr. is optimistic that the efforts of empower d.c. and ivy city residents will pay off. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n“it’s about holding these agencies accountable,” david jr. said. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nagencies and accountability: empower dc\u2019s next steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n agencies like doee, rhodes said, don’t have enough resources to keep up with environmental justice issues in d.c. she said this still isn’t an excuse. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nshe said d.c. agencies and the office of mayor muriel bowser are focused on expediting commercial development and economic opportunities in d.c. rather than addressing existing problems for its residents.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nadditionally, rhodes said agencies in particular operate as permit-issuing bureaucracies for facilities like nepi rather than rule-breaking. nepi, for example, operates without the required d.c. air permit, and current d.c. rules wouldn’t even allow an industrial facility to be constructed as close as it is to a residential area under city zoning regulations. mayor bowser’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
pipe at the top of the building which residents say they believe the distinct smell of burning rubber is emitting from. photo taken by ashleigh tobin.<\/span><\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n“the district agencies are jacked up. because a lot of times, they’re not following the rules, they’re just issuing stuff, and just letting it go thinking, ‘ain’t nobody gonna say anything about it,'” rhodes said. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nshe said even permits are overlooked. for example, rhodes said that although businesses may operate without a permit for a six-month grace period, the city allowed nepi to operate from june 2022 through march of this year without a permit renewal \u2014 three months longer than the leniency period allows. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\ndavid jr. agreed that agencies don’t have individuals in place to enforce their framework. still, he said he believes efforts like councilmember parker’s bill are “building momentum toward a better future.” <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n“we will shut the plant down,” david jr. said. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nfrom a justice standpoint, rhodes doesn’t believe that forcing these businesses to close is enough. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n“i don’t even think shutting the business down is helpful. because it’s just gonna be shut down and we’re going to be living with years and years and years of the negative effects of this business. i think they should go to jail. i think the owners of these businesses should be prosecuted and should be put in jail,” rhodes said. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n