Healthy Communities

Dear Friends,

Every DC resident deserves to live in a healthy community.?That’s why we fight for?environmental justice?in Ivy City and Brentwood, where more than half of DC’s industrial land is located.

This is what our local fight for environmental justice looks like:

• Creating a green public park to battle heat island effect in Ivy City, where temperatures measure 10-20 degrees hotter than anywhere else in DC due to the lack of trees and the high concentration of paved surfaces.
• Challenging the over-concentration of polluting industrial facilities in the Brentwood community, where residents can’t open their windows or sit outside because of the noxious mix of garbage and asphalt that fills the air from nearby facilities.
• Fighting to close an unpermitted chemical facility operating since the 1930’s in Ivy City that is making neighbors sick.

Because of your support, we have been able to grow this important work?– launching?'Justice for Brentwood,' and bringing on attorneys, scientists, and even EPA officials to support the community’s goals and push for systemic change.

While environmental injustices built over generations will take years to correct – we are already seeing our impact. In response to our efforts, the DC government moved forward with the eminent domain process which will lead to the closure of Brentwood’s trash facility after years of promises. We installed several air quality monitors in the area, and are in the process of conducting a Health Impact Assessment; we are challenging these injustices in the courts, as well.

Your donations?make that impact possible.

With your donation to our?Fall Empowerment campaign, you are helping us protect the health and safety of DC residents by demanding change to environmental injustices that have harmed our communities for far too long.?

Thank you,

Parisa Norouzi

Executive Director

Empower DC

#Organize #EnvironmentalJustice #HousingJustice #RacialEquity #CommunityHistory #EquitableDevelopment