2026 DC Performance Oversight Priorities

Nature Forward is a member of the 3R (Return, Refund, and Recycle) Coalition. The Bottle Bill would require customers to pay a 10¢ deposit when they buy a beverage container (including glass, aluminum, and plastic bottles). When the bottle is returned, the person returning the bottle gets 10¢ back. This bill would decrease litter, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by increasing recycling, and provide job opportunities for DC residents. Currently, plastic bottles account for 60% of the trash choking the Anacostia River. States that have passed similar bills have found that refundable deposits can decrease the amount of bottle litter up to 84%. Bottle return bills also create far more jobs than curbside recycling (up to 38 times more jobs). With the bill in the Committee on T&E we ask for a strong and equitable bottle bill to be passed in DC now!

Currently, our curbside composting program serves 9,000 homes at the cost of $3 million a year. The number of customers is expected to rise to 12,000 during FY2026. Over the next 10 years, DOW estimates it will need about $55 million to fully expand this program to cover the District and to transition to union labor and DC government jobs. For FY2027, a $6.6 million dollar investment will continue to drive this progress. Compost plays a key role in the fight against climate change. When food decomposes in a landfill, it releases methane (a greenhouse gas). When it decomposes in a compost heap, it instead sequesters carbon, helping fight against climate change. Nature Forward supports expanding this successful pilot and adding a larger proportion of DC residents to regular food-waste collection. 

DC has a current pilot to provide free public restrooms in high foot-traffic areas. Nature Forward supported extending this pilot in 2025 and continues to support this in 2026 for the city to invest in additional “Thrones” in neighborhood parks. By placing public bathrooms near streams and tributaries, the City will address E. Coli  pollution that affects the Anacostia River and the Bay. Currently, all the rivers and streams in DC are not safe to swim in, due to high concentrations of E. Coli. Both human and dog fecal matter contribute to E. Coli pollution in DC, and increasing the availability of public restrooms is one simple way to make progress on this issue.  

DC Water launched Lead Free DC in 2019. There is no safe level of lead exposure, according to the EPA and CDC. DC’s plan is to replace all lead service lines by 2030. To do this, DC Water has argued that the City needs to pass a mandate requiring all DC property owners to replace their lead service lines. Each year, DC Water selects a set of blocks in which they plan to replace pipes. You can use the Construction Dashboard to see the progress in your neighborhood and understand your eligibility for free or discounted pipes. At this year’s hearings, Nature Forward will advocate for continued community outreach for DC Water’s Free Lead Service Line Replacement program and adequate funding for lead water filters and lead pipe replacement.

On January 19, 2026, the Potomac Interceptor pipe collapse contaminated the Potomac River with 300+ million gallons of raw sewage, making the water unsafe to touch. Nature Forward asks for DC Water’s full transparency by providing regular and detailed updates about the ongoing contamination and efficacy of containment measures. The agency should conduct a comprehensive environmental impact assessment and conduct restoration to address harm to the C&O Canal and Potomac River and be held accountable. A thorough investigation of the cause of the disaster to fix other known weak points in the system that is published with full results to ensure this never happens again is needed so DC can continue to make progress in our waterways.

Last year during the FY26 budget season, DC’s leading environmental agency, DOEE took a major cut to funding for water quality, stormwater and green infrastructure maintenance projects in the District. Many of these programs that benefit residents and our youth were cut or completely disregarded. Nature Forward will continue to advocate for restored funding and additional funding for these programs that address environmental and public health.

Bill 26-104 would establish a “cumulative impact statement” process that must be completed to obtain District permits and other relief for environmentally harmful actions in overburdened communities. It would also establish a “modified cumulative impact statement” to assess District agency plans that impact the siting of significant sources of environmental harm in overburdened communities and it would create accountability to ensure that these processes are enforceable and result in meaningful progress for overburdened communities. It also establishes an environmental justice division at DOEE.

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Redevelopment of RFK stadium. With its proximity to the Anacostia River, there are also many concerns. The Anacostia floodplain supports diverse ecosystems, including wetlands, riparian forests, and unique wildlife habitats. It acts as a natural sponge, storing excess water during flood events and slowly releasing it, which helps reduce flood impacts in the communities in and surrounding Kingman & Heritage Island. Many residents in DC already experience inland flooding from heavy storms which impact the health of their homes and presents financial burdens post-flooding. Nature Forward asks for transparency, an Environmental Impact Statement and cross collaboration with DOEE and developers for The RFK campus to be designed to not contribute to flooding potential, and incorporate effective flood prevention along the Anacostia River. 

Nature Forward will advocate to protect funding in the Sustainable Energy Trust Fund. This fund helps reduce CO2 emissions from DC homes by subsidizing electrification retrofits for 30,000 low to moderate-income families. Last year, this program’s funding was almost wiped out in order to finance other programs that do not support CO2 emission reductions. Nature Forward will fight for funding to this program to be maintained if not increased as it supports the District’s Climate Commitments to transition off of fossil fuel energy.

The Department of Public Works (DPW) plays a critical role in our community’s well-being through regular trash/recycling collection and supporting neighborhood cleanup initiatives. Nature Forward eagerly anticipates the opening of the New Benning Road Transfer Station, which updates an old facility in Ward 7 that is no longer efficient, with a modern one that will provide a clean and accessible space for residents, and an on-site educational center to teach the community about the district’s sustainability and zero waste goals.