Notice of Public Comment Period & Community Meeting - Request for Feedback on Areas of Focus for Hyperlocal Mobile Air Pollution Monitoring Project

The Air Quality Division of the Department of Energy and Environment is requesting public feedback on areas for the Division’s upcoming hyperlocal mobile air pollution monitoring project to focus on within the neighborhoods already designated for the project.

In 2024, DOEE will expand its hyperlocal mobile air pollution monitoring project in the District. Last year, DOEE partnered with air quality and climate tech company Aclima to launch a pilot program that mapped air pollution throughout three priority communities: Ivy City/Brentwood, Buzzard Point, and Mayfair. Aclima’s specially equipped mobile air quality-sensing vehicles and mobile mapping technology are able to map pollution at different times and days in order to create a more complete understanding of typical pollutant concentrations on a block-by-block basis. This pilot project provided DOEE with a snapshot of which areas in these neighborhoods have higher levels of pollution and at what times of the day these pollution levels are higher.

This year’s expansion of the hyperlocal mobile air pollution monitoring project will include additional District neighborhoods, including South Capitol Hill, Trinidad/Carver, Anacostia, Bellevue, Eckington/Howard/Edgewood, and Georgetown. We will also continue monitoring in Ivy City/Brentwood, Buzzard Point and Mayfair. Monitoring will begin in April and continue through June. Please find a detailed map of mobile monitoring coverage areas.

We would like to know which sections, streets, and alleys within these neighborhoods District residents think we should pay special attention to, as well as where there are residential concerns about pollution (e.g., idling hot spots, point sources, etc.). Please note that designated neighborhoods will not change. We are looking for areas of concern within these neighborhoods.

For consideration, all comments must be received by Friday, March 29, 2024.

Please email comments to [email protected] with “Comments on the mobile monitoring project” as the subject line.

Hard copy comments may be submitted to the following address:
DOEE Air Quality Division
ATTN: 2024 Mobile Monitoring Project
1200 First Street, NE, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20002

Comments postmarked or received after March 24, 2024 will not be accepted.

For questions concerning the contents of the draft document please contact [email protected].