Health impacts are happening now.

Despite significant environmental restoration gains and advocacy efforts made in the past 40 years, today, Anacostia River Corridor residents are still disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards including air pollution, as well as the impacts of climate change, especially flood risk and extreme heat. Although air pollution levels in DC are considered within safety standards, around 20% of residents in Ward 8 (which is partially included in the Anacostia River Corridor), suffer from asthma compared to 12% in DC as a whole.[9] This difference can be tied closely to the presence of the highway.

Similarly, lack of accessible and sufficient medical care forces these residents to travel across the river to get to hospitals. However, missing public transportation links and low car ownership in some neighborhoods makes this difficult and leads to a cycle of worsening health outcomes. The removal of the highway will provide an opportunity to enhance connectivity and public transportation options to facilitate these connections.

Unsurprisingly, data shows that temperatures are relatively higher in census tracts along the highway compared to those further east. These tracts also contain less tree cover. The Heat Sensitivity Exposure Index, which provides information about which tracts are most vulnerable and exposed to extreme heat indicate that these census tracts are least likely to be able to cope and adapt to heat.[10] These conditions will play a role in how we think about environmental equity in the plan.

20% Rate of asthma among Ward 8 residents

DOEE Monitoring sites in Ward 7 record higher averages of particulate matter, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxide than other sites in the District.

0.6 - 0.7

Score on the Heat Vulnerability Index (with 1 being the most) vulnerable