
Washington, D.C. Office
Signature Work
Washington, D.C., is where our nation’s most important environmental laws are made. Earthjustice's Washington, D.C., office opened in 1978. We collaborate with and complement the work of local, regional and national groups working to safeguard public health and the environment in the Mid-Atlantic region and nationwide. Learn about some of the office's current and past legal cases.
A sampling of the Washington, D.C.'s office's work includes:
Strengthening National Air Quality Standards
The Washington, D.C. office works at the federal level to strengthen air quality standards across the nation. More protective standards will also force adoption of the more stringent pollution controls in the national capital region, to the benefit of its millions of residents.
Restoring the Anacostia River
For decades, the Anacostia River has suffered the effects of an antiquated sewer system, urban runoff, and stormwater pollution. Earthjustice’s legal work has been critical to reversing decades of neglect and putting the river on a path to a cleaner future. Earthjustice is committed to an Anacostia River fully restored to the outstanding natural resource it once was, by securing stronger efforts to curb stormwater pollution, addressing toxic pollution in the Anacostia riverbed, defending the gains we have made against combined sewer overflows, securing a stronger cap on trash pollution in the Anacostia River, and more.
Ensuring Clean, Affordable Energy Resources for All of Maryland’s Communities
In Maryland and across the country, energy investment and policy decisions are being made today that will shape our future for decades to come. Now is the time to reduce our reliance on dirty energy resources and ramp up investment in clean energy resources, including what should be our country’s first fuel, energy efficiency, for the benefit of all communities. In collaboration with our partners, Earthjustice works to ensure state utilities tap the potential for significant energy savings across all customer sectors.
Improving Air Quality In the Mid-Atlantic Region
In its 2015 State of the Air Report, the American Lung Association gave the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. metropolitan area a grade of "F" for ozone pollution (smog) levels. Breathing ozone is linked to an array of serious health impacts, including bronchitis, asthma attacks, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and premature deaths. Coal-fired power plants are Maryland’s largest individual sources of nitrogen oxides (NOx), one of the pollutants that causes ground-level ozone.
Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Industrialization, sewage, and both urban and agricultural runoff have transformed Chesapeake Bay from a once vibrant and thriving ecosystem, into a heavily polluted waterway where health advisories against swimming or eating local seafood are the norm. Though there have been some improvements, due in part to the work of Earthjustice and our partners, much more remains to be done to restore this ecosystem to health, by reducing stormwater pollution, preventing sediment pollution in the Upper Chesapeake Bay, reducing trash in our waterways, addressing nutrient pollution, protecting local streams, and more.
Contact D.C. Office
1001 G St. NW, Ste. 1000
Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 667-4500
dcoffice@earthjustice.org
Policy Staff
Litigation Staff
Sambhav Sankar Senior Vice President of Programs
Jamila Frone Vice President of Litigation Practice
Patrice Simms Vice President of Healthy Communities
David Baron Managing Attorney, Washington, D.C.
Timothy Ballo Staff Attorney
Emma Cheuse Staff Attorney
Patrick Davin Litigation Operations Specialist
Khushi Desai Staff Attorney
Howard Fox Counsel
Lisa Fuhrmann Litigation Assistant II
Neil Gormley Staff Attorney
Michael Gulston Litigation Assistant I
Anika Gzifa Director of Legal Training and Development
Sean Helle Staff Attorney
Seth Johnson Staff Attorney
Adrienne Lee Associate Attorney
Michelle Mabson Staff Scientist, Healthy Communities
Queen Martin Senior Legal Practice Administrator & Office Manager
James Pew Staff Attorney
Kathleen Riley Associate Attorney
Anna Sewell Staff Attorney
Tosh Sagar Staff Attorney
Robyn Winz Litigation Paralegal