Audubon Naturalist Society issues statement warning of the need for planning to protect human and environmental health
For Immediate Release: November 15, 2018
For more information, contact Caroline Brewer at [email protected], Lisa Alexander at [email protected], or Eliza Cava, [email protected], or 202-503-9141, cell, or 301-652-9188 x22, office.
CHEVY CHASE, MD – In response to Amazon’s announcement this week that it would bring half of its second headquarters (“HQ2”) to the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, Audubon Naturalist Society (ANS) Executive Director Lisa Alexander issued the following statement.
“As we all settle in to review and analyze the details surrounding HQ2, ANS will be looking closely for the potential impacts to environmental and human health. One thing we know for sure is, more flushes and showers are on the way, and that could be a serious matter.”
Alexander noted that even before all the details are known, ANS is urging area leaders, planners, and voters to start seeking answers to the following questions:
- What will the environmental and community impacts be in Crystal City? How will we ensure that the redeveloped buildings will be bird-safe and use best environmental practices, including green infrastructure to capture polluted runoff from rainstorms? How will Amazon work to grow and enhance tree canopy and green space in and around Crystal City and make it available and accessible to all?
- What will the environmental and community impacts be in the greater DC region? While this decision will be made by one jurisdiction, it affects all three. How will area leaders ensure that enough housing is constructed close to transit to counteract the trend toward sprawl? How will area leaders ensure that housing remains affordable so that those with fewer resources are not driven out to agricultural exurbs and then forced to endure long, polluting commutes on new pavement?
Alexander concluded, “Many in our region are rightly focused on housing affordability and transit access. We need to understand that these are also environmental issues. Sprawl development threatens the quality of our drinking water, threatens wildlife habitats, and creates conditions that could lead to horrible flooding. So that’s why we need to ensure that planning is put in place immediately to ward off these dangers, and also help people at all income levels live close to jobs that pay a living wage.”
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About ANS: Throughout its history, ANS has played a pivotal role in conserving our region’s iconic natural places from development including the C&O Canal, Dyke Marsh and, most recently, Ten Mile Creek. Past ANS member and board president, Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, is credited with launching the now global environmental movement. ANS‘s nature experts provide hundreds of opportunities each year for children and adults to enjoy, learn about, and protect the environment.