DC Environmental Network:
On October 9th at 11:00, we need environmentalists like you, who care about our health, our neighborhoods, and our most vulnerable residents, to testify at a DC Council Public Roundtable on Waste Management and Agency Operations at the Department of Public Works.
From the
hearing notice of the Committee on Transportation & the Environment:
"The primary purpose of the roundtable is for the Committee to discuss waste management at the Department of Public Works. In 2013, the District set a Zero Waste goal of diverting 80% of its waste away from incineration or landfill by 2032. In the ensuing years, the District’s waste diversion rate has remained stagnant, and many statutorily required waste diversion initiatives have not been implemented. Recent reporting suggests that the District has been charging rates at its waste management facilities insufficient to cover operating costs, which cuts into resources that could be going toward the District’s waste diversion efforts. This roundtable will provide an opportunity for the Committee to learn about DPW’s objectives for waste diversion and how they are incorporated into the Agency’s strategic planning. In addition, the Committee will discuss how operations across DPW have been affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency."
For the last 2-3 decades the District has been dropping the ball when it comes to recycling in our nation's capital city. We recently
wrote Mayor Bowser a letter about mismanagement and policy failures at the DC Department of Public Works that are polluting our air, hurting our wellbeing, and costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
Now we are going to take our message to the DC Council. We hope we can get another ten advocates to participate in the hearing. If you are interested,
sign-up to testify. Then join us for a meeting next Tuesday, October 6th at 3:00 PM, and we will help you finish writing your testimony.
The hearing is a week from tomorrow. Hope to hear from you soon!
Chris Weiss, Executive Director, DC Environmental Network