Attorney General Brian Schwalb and At-Large Councilmember Christina Henderson will lead a community discussion on the environment beginning at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library, 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE.
Join Casey Trees as we celebrate Land Conservation Day at Hellbender Brewing Company!
Sunday June 25, 2023, 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Celebrate the end of Land Conservation month at Hellbender Brewing with:
🌳 Tree Tours
📝 Tree-via (Tree based trivia!)
🎸 Live Music
🎟 Raffles & Games
🚛 BBQ Food Truck
🍺 And try the exclusive Casey Trees seasonal beer!
Casey Trees’ land conservation program aims to restore fragmented patches of urban forest, enhance urban ecosystems and public health, and protect green space for trees to grow and neighbors to connect with nature. We work with local landowners to steward natural areas and improve the conditions of those sites.
Green spaces, such as our conservation easements, work as protective buffers to slow down and retain stormwater runoff, reduce ambient air temperatures, improve air quality, provide habitat for wildlife and reduce heating and cooling costs. In addition, they provide gathering places for communities to recreate and connect with one another.
Join us on our conservation easement “Hellbender Hill” to celebrate all the benefits of protected green spaces!
Note: This is a public event – you do not need a ticket. However, registering for a free ticket helps us predict attendance, and donating in the event checkout directly supports Casey Trees’ efforts to restore, enhance, and protect DC’s tree canopy.
Schedule
Event runs 1:00pm – 7:00pm.
Hellbender Beer Hall and outside patio open for the duration of the event, as well as BBQ food truck (Beef Space BBQ), raffles, partner tables, and several games all open 1-7pm. Exclusive seasonal beer, “Fruit for Thought” Serviceberry Saison served – a saison brewed with berries picked from local Serviceberry trees. Proceeds from this beer support Casey Trees’ efforts to restore, enhance, and protect DC’s tree canopy.
Other activities are scheduled at:
1:00pm – Tree Tour of Hellbender Hill (first tour)
A couple of updates on the soil testing saga at Fort Totten Park. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is working with the National Park Service and the US Army Corps of Engineers to determine the scope of further soil testing in the park.
Recall back in 2017, National Park Service officials informed the ANC and elected officials in the city that a Metro contractor brought in soil from a toxic World War I munitions testing site in Spring Valley to rehabilitate NPS parkland on the west side of Fort Totten Park. That parkland had been used as a staging area for construction of Metro’s green line in the 1990s. NPS stated that the contaminated soil had been removed from the park and that soil testing in that area did not show any cause for concern.
In July 2020, an unexploded ordnance was found on the east side of the park where a pedestrian trail was planned between Gallatin and Galloway Street. Residents expressed concern that NPS likely did not know the extent of where soil from Spring Valley was taken in the park. Emails and concerns went unaddressed and residents simply received assurances that everything was okay.
In April 2023 two canisters were found on the west side of the park. The US Army Corps of Engineers is still testing those canisters and the area on the west side of the park remains closed.
The more recent discoveries of munitions in the park led Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, at the urging of residents and ANC Commissioner Zachary Ammerman (5A09), to start periodically requesting soil testing throughout the park. Commissioner Ammerman has created a timeline of events at https://www.anc5a09.com/trackers/fort-circle-park-toxic-waste-timeline.
On April 26, ANC 5A passed a resolution supporting further testing in the park. On May 10, 2023, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton sent another letter to NPS and the Army Corps of Engineers regarding soil testing. That letter requested a response by May 24. (See Congresswoman Norton letter dated May 10). Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker also sent to NPS a letter regarding soil testing. (See CM Parker letter dated May 19).
I reached out to Congresswoman Norton’s office on May 31 to find out if her office had received a response. On June 1, her office informed me that they did not receive a response but that they did receive a briefing on May 25. Her office sent another letter on June 1.
It appears there will be some type of investigation to determine what NPS lands were impacted by Metro’s green line construction and where soil from Spring Valley may have been delivered by Metro’s contractor. Congresswoman Norton’s office is still working with NPS, Metro, and District officials on the scope and timeline for getting all of this done. Her office is also working on a couple of different strategies for getting to the bottom of this issue. I offered a few suggestions to Congresswoman Norton’s office, one of which just involved better communication with residents. We should be getting more information about what is planned in the coming weeks.
On June 6, 2023, DPW’s Fort Totten transfer station will reopen at 4900 John McCormack Road NE for residential dropoff for bulk, trash, and recycling only (trash, recyclables, bulk items, yard waste, metal, tires, and appliance disposal). More info at https://dpw.dc.gov/service/fort-totten-transfer-station.
The Benning Road transfer station will be closed starting June 4, 2023, until further notice.
Join neighbors for an Earth Day Resource Fair on April 29, 2023, from 11 am – 2 pm at Whittier Elementary School. Hosted by ANC 4B’s Executive Committee.
The Resource Fair is co-sponsored by Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George and At-Large Councilmember Christina Henderson. It will include dozens of government agencies, non-profits, neighborhood groups, and more – with the goal of sharing resources and opportunities for engagement around environmentalism. There will be food trucks, activities for kids, and cherry-blossom themed raffle prizes, so it should be both informative and fun!
Sign-up for the curbside composting pilot program begins tomorrow April 22 at 9:00 am. If someone in the neighborhood signs up and is selected, please let us know how the experience goes!
The U.S. Army safely removed the two metal canisters yesterday evening and are currently analyzing them off site. The NPS is working to determine the next steps to evaluate this area. Additional information on the canisters is not available at this time.
Fort Totten Park is open for recreation, but visitors should stay on the Metropolitan Branch Trail and the grassy areas of the fort itself (near Fort Totten Dr. And Crittenden St. NE). Visitors should not use unofficial trails through the woods.
Original post
Yesterday evening, Metro trains bypassed Fort Totten Metro station “out of an abundance of caution” after a National Park Service (NPS) employee apparently found “metal canisters” in Fort Totten Park. NPS states that the canisters were found “in a large mound of soil along Farragut St. that appears to have been pushed into the park from the road.” The U.S. Army is testing the canisters. The park is closed “east of Fort Totten Drive, south of Gallatin Street, and north of Brookland Ave NE/Farragut St.”
As noted previously on the blog, Metro alerted NPS several years ago that contaminated soil was brought in from Spring Valley (a former WWI munitions testing site) to rehabilitate land on the west side of the park that had been used as a staging area for construction of Metro’s green line. NPS stated it conducted testing out of an abundance of caution and found nothing of concern. Several years later, NPS found a WWI ordnance on the east side of the park during construction of a pedestrian trail. NPS stated it did more thorough testing and found nothing of concern. NPS had to abandon the planned trail location after running into infrastructure for Metro’s tunnel.
During this time, residents shared concerns with both NPS and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s office about the possibility of contamination from Spring Valley. NPS assured residents that the contaminated soil was removed (from the west side of the park) and stated that there was no reason to believe that contaminated soil was brought to other areas of the park.
On February 7, 2023, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton belatedly expressed concern and requested that NPS conduct more thorough testing of the park. NPS officials attended ANC 5A’s meeting on February 22, 2023. At that meeting, officials stated that they would have a statement in response to Congresswoman Norton’s letter by the next day (February 23) or no later than Friday (February 24). I have not seen any communication from NPS since the ANC 5A meeting. It is completely possible I missed a statement. I reached out to Congresswoman Norton’s office a couple of times in March to find out if NPS shared any communication or plan with her office. No one from Congresswoman Norton’s office responded to my emails.
It is entirely possible that these recently found canisters are just waste. But it is really baffling how elected officials in this city are just shrugging about all of this and making residents do their work.
The DC Department of Public Works (DPW) is making improvements at the Fort Totten Transfer Station. Due to ongoing construction of the drop-off ramp, this location will not available for bulk and residential drop-off until June 1, 2023.
DPW is extending residential services at the Benning Road Transfer Station located at 3200 Benning Road, NE, through May 31, 2023, Wednesday through Friday from 10 am until 2 pm. Residential drop-offs are an alternative to scheduled bulk pick-ups.
DPW recommends that residents use 311 to schedule a bulk pick-up at a time convenient for them. Residents may schedule up to seven items per service request. Pick-ups are collected within 14 days of a scheduled service request.
Household Hazardous Waste drop-off will continue Saturdays from 7 am until 2 pm. Shredding will take place on the last Thursday of the month from 10 am – 2 pm, and the first Saturday of every month from 7 am until 2 pm. Household Hazardous Waste and E-Cycling services will also be offered at Benning Road on the Thursday preceding the first Saturday of the month.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) Office of Waste Diversion is developing the Zero Waste DC Plan in pursuit of the Mayor’s Zero Waste goal of diverting 80 percent of the District’s waste away from landfills and incineration by 2032. We need input from YOU to help us develop programs and policies to reach this ambitious goal.
Starting August 1, DPW invites DC residents to attend virtual community engagement events to voice their concerns, share their ideas, and help us build a Zero Waste future. There will be one meeting for each of the District’s eight wards, one for the business community, and one for the government.
To learn more about this exciting plan, and to access the entire engagement schedule of events and corresponding public comment periods, please visit zero waste.dc.gov/zwdcplan.
Can’t make it to any of the meetings listed above? No problem! Additional engagement opportunities can be found here. You can also stay in the loop by signing up for our Zero Waste DC newsletter (coming soon).
Are you interested in expanding your career opportunities within the District in the environmental green spaces and natural resources industry? If so, our specialized certified training program is the right place for you and your professional career! Here at DCMNP, we aim to grow our trainees and help them climb higher heights with their development!
Image of original proposed location for pedestrian path between Gallatin and Galloway streets NE
At ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher’s 5A08 single member district (SMD) meeting on September 21, 2021, the National Park Service (NPS) provided more information about the need to halt construction on the long-awaited formal pedestrian path between Gallatin and Galloway streets NE that is supposed to connect North Michigan Park to Fort Totten Metro station.
The upshot is that as the construction team removed soil from the site, they encountered infrastructure that they and Metro believe is for the green line tunnel at Fort Totten Metro station. NPS is now working with Metro to find a more suitable location to build the pedestrian path away from Metro’s infrastructure. In response to a question about whether they believe that they will need to move the path significantly further east towards South Dakota Avenue, potentially making the path unnecessary because then people could just use South Dakota Avenue, NPS responded that they hope not. In response to a question about whether they believe they will run into the same issue regarding construction of a sidewalk on the south side of Galloway Street NE between South Dakota Avenue and 4th Street NE, NPS responded they hope not. With respect to the sidewalk, NPS stated that project is still in the design phase and that DDOT just transferred money received from the Federal Highway Administration for the project (NPS also stated this back in April 2021, so not quite sure what it means to say that DDOT just transferred the money).
NPS also stated they hoped to remove the fallen tree on the detour path by the end of September. Any issues with the detour path can be sent to nick_bartolomeo@nps.gov and kym_elder@nps.gov.
NPS did not provide a new timeline for getting the pedestrian path constructed. Metro is cooperating with NPS. NPS said it will take time to redesign the trail. Once the trail is redesigned, it will have to clear stormwater management review with the District Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE).
At the full ANC meeting on September 22, 2021, ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) informed Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) that residents are frustrated by yet another delay. Congresswoman Norton responded that this path has been delayed too long. Not exactly clear what her office will do about it. Commissioner Fletcher stated that he will invite NPS to ANC 5A’s October meeting.
DC Water provided updated materials for the neighborhood’s sewer system evaluation. We first wrote about the study in this post. Part of the evaluation will involve a smoke test. Smoke testing is expected to begin in April 2021. DC Water will provide notice before smoke testing is done.
Earlier this week, DC Water mailed information to residents about a sewer system evaluation DC Water will be conducting in the neighborhood. This morning, DC Water sent the following electronic communication about the study.
Friday, January 8, 2021 Manager, Community Outreach: Emanuel D. Briggs (202)787-2003 or emanuel.briggs@dcwater.com
Greetings DC Water Community Stakeholders, and Happy New Year To You All!
This message is intended to inform you of a new DC Water study that will soon begin in your area. Specifically, we will be assessing the sanitary sewer lines, manholes, and other features that may be related to flow in sewers in Nicholson Street and Riggs Park NE. This initiative will help us understand the root causes for storm related backups in the separate sewer system in this neighborhood (map of the complete study area may be located in the attached project information sheet). Unlike a third of the city that combines storm and sewage in the same pipe, storm pipes and sewage pipes were constructed in this area to separate them. The flooding that residents experienced during the September 10th storm, is an indication that there are unintended pathways for storm water to enter the sewer, resulting in the backups that residents experienced. This study is the first step in the process to identify pathways for rain water to enter the sewer, so that solutions can be engineered to address them. The study we will be conducting in this neighborhood is actually Phase 1 of a multi-phase study we will be implementing in other neighborhoods across the District with similar issues.
The study will involve a number of different investigative activities, including manhole inspections, flow monitoring, closed circuit television (CCTV) inspection, smoke testing, and dye water testing. These activities will be carried out in phases. Detailed descriptions and start dates for each activity, contact information for our team, and other important information may also be found in the attached project information sheet.
As we are planning to begin our activities next week, we wanted to ensure that all stakeholders within the study area were duly informed beforehand. We have mailed to each resident printed copies of our project information sheet and cover letter (also attached to this email) earlier this week, and we have already been receiving some calls and emails from residents for more details, so we are happy to see that customers are receiving the information. Additionally, this email message is being sent to area residents, all ANC 4B and 5A Commissioners, Wards 4 and 5 representatives in the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services, and Wards 4 and 5 Councilmembers Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie and members of their staff. Beyond this,
· We will be launching a dedicated web page for this study, and updating this regularly. We will inform you once it is live.
· As the study gets underway, we will be providing you all updates to keep you informed about the status of our work activities.
o Specifically, our smoke testing activity will require special outreach and stakeholder coordination prior to the start of work, so you will be hearing from us again very soon about this part of the study.
· We are always available and happy to address any questions or concerns you have pertaining to the study, or any other DC Water related topics.
· Finally, we are available to provide you with a presentation to discuss the study in greater detail. If interested in a presentation, please contact me and we will be happy to accommodate you.
Thanks much for allowing us to share this important information with you, and please let us know if you have any questions.
Pepco has provided a three-week look ahead of the areas of the Captial Grid Project that Pepco contractor’s DCI/Meade and JM Utility Construction are working, starting the week of September 21, 2020. The work zones include Riggs Road NE, Eastern Avenue NE, and New Hampshire Avenue NW. Parking restrictions are in effect in the work zones Monday through Saturday, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.
On September 17, 2020, Pepco held a virtual meeting on the Riggs Road/Eastern Avenue NE portion of the Capital Grid Project. The presentation is here.
A few things to highlight:
The permitted work hours are 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Signs will be posted where cars should not be parked in the work zone.
The neighborhood’s community relations coordinator is Ann Walters. Ms. Walters will hold virtual office hours on Tuesdays from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. You can attend the virtual office hours by logging into webex, Meeting ID number 1263329849. She can also be reached by phone at (202) 680-8533 and by email at ann@robinsonpr.com.
There is also a dedicated number for the project – (833) CAP-GRID (277-4743). The project website is www.pepco.com/capitalgrid and an interactive website is available at www.capitalgrid.net.
If you use metrobus, probably best to keep an eye out for detours and delays.
DC Water has requested that all residents who experienced damage from last Thursday’s storm file a damage claim. For information on how to file a claim for damages visit www.dcwater.com/claims or contact Barbara Mitchell at barbara.mitchell@dcwater.com or 202-320-5299.
Information on how to apply for the backwater valve program can be found on DC Water’s website at dcwater.com/backwatervalves.
DC Water will host a Virtual Town Hall to discuss flooding on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 6:30 pm. The meeting can be accessed via the link and telephone number below. Microsoft Teams http://bit.ly/FloodingTownHall Telephone (855)-756-7520 Ext. 66560
DC Water General Manager David L. Gadis and senior members of the authority are inviting all residents who were impacted by the historic flooding on September 10 to participate in a live community meeting to discuss the event, opportunities for assistance and future prevention. Mr. Gadis will explain how the storms overwhelmed the sewer system and discuss DC Water’s new initiative to expand the installation of backwater valves, among other topics.
The meeting is aimed primarily at residents who live along the most heavily impacted areas of the flood but all DC residents are invited to participate in the call.
UDC-CC Backus campus, corner of South Dakota Avenue and Hamilton Street NE
UDC is apparently installing a bioretention and cistern system at UDC-CC Backus in the grassy area of the campus on the corner of South Dakota Avenue and Hamilton Street NE. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. That will be a big improvement for that corner area. I always that it would be a nice spot for a demonstration native plant garden, so it is nice to hear that it will hold a bioretention system to help with stormwater runoff. Now we just need UDC to paint the fence, replace the dead trees on the Galloway Street side, and install native landscaping around the campus and things will be looking much better.
Join by Phone (to hear presentation only): 1-443-529-0267; Conference ID – 396 316 663#
Topics of discussion will include:
Construction updates
Construction timelines
Neighborhood impacts
The subject of so many community meetings over the past few years, Pepco’s Capital Grid project has finally made its way to Riggs Road NE. Road work to place transmission cables underground along Riggs Road has commenced. Drivers will encounter lane closures in the work zone. You can view an interactive map of the project at https://capitalgrid.net.
Please pack some patience and pay attention to the flaggers. I have seen drivers become impatient and proceed driving contrary to instructions to stop. Needless to say, that is dangerous. Your best bet is to avoid Riggs Road NE if you can.
Other Construction Work
Site construction has started at the Riggs Park Place townhome development on the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE. The construction entrance is located on South Dakota Avenue, so you will see flaggers in that area directing traffic to stop to allow construction trucks to enter and exit the site.
There will be occasional lane closures on both sides of South Dakota Avenue.
Finally, there is road work taking place all over the city these days, so probably best to give yourself a few extra mintues to get wherever you need to go.
