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Tag: brianne nadeau

  • DC Council member’s Anacostia River boat tour highlights importance of ‘bottle bill’ – WTOP News

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    A proposed D.C. bill would create a 10-cent beverage container deposit program aimed at reducing trash and improving water quality.

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    DC Council member shows why her ‘bottle bill’ is needed with a boat tour

    Ward 1 D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau took activists and others along for a boat ride on the Anacostia River on Wednesday to illustrate the need for legislation she has introduced, which she says will result in less trash in the river.

    Launching from the boat ramp at Anacostia Park, the tour went north to Kingman Island. Along the way, pieces of trash, especially floating plastic bottles, were evident along the shoreline and floating in the river.

    The Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Amendment Act creates a beverage container deposit program in the District, requiring retailers to charge a 10-cent deposit on eligible beverage containers. Consumers receive a refund when they return empty containers for recycling. The program would be administered by a nonprofit funded by beverage distributors and regulated by the Department of Energy and the Environment.

    “The four horsemen of the water quality apocalypse in the Anacostia River are sediment, sewage, industrial pollutants and trash,” said Chris Williams, president of the Anacostia Watershed Society and pilot of the boat.

    Williams said the river’s health has improved greatly over the last decade, but there’s still a lot to do, especially when it comes to the presence of trash. He said the so-called “bottle bill” will result in cleaner water in D.C.

    “For decades, companies like Coca-Cola, Deer Park, Pepsi, have been polluting our communities and have had no responsibility for collecting the containers they’ve been putting out in our community,” said Nadeau, who chairs the Committee on Public Works and Operations. “And now, if this passes, they will have to pay to do that.”

    Mayor Muriel Bowser also opposes the measure, saying it would increase costs to consumers and businesses. Nadeau said there is no evidence a bottle bill in any other jurisdiction has resulted in higher costs.

    Nadeau added that 10 states with similar laws have seen immediate and substantial reductions in bottles and cans entering the waste stream, driven by strong incentives for residents, visitors and collectors to redeem containers.

    Michigan reported a 73% return rate, while Maine achieved 77%. These programs also significantly cut other forms of litter.

    “They fear, that if we can pass this bottle bill in the District of Columbia, other states will be able to do it as well,” Nadeau said, commenting on efforts in Maryland to pass a similar measure. “We’re trying to make it as simple as possible, just 10 cents.”

    She said with the change in government in Richmond, a similar effort might take hold there as well.

    D.C.’s bottle bill now goes to the Committee on Transportation and the Environment, chaired by Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Alan Etter

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  • DC residents say police department is still cooperating with ICE, violating human rights – WTOP News

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    Last month marked the end of a 30-day cooperation between D.C. police and ICE agents. Mayor Muriel Bowser said then that officers would no longer be involved in immigration arrests. But residents said it’s still happening.

    Dozens of District residents spoke out at a public hearing before the D.C. Council on Wednesday about what they described as a continued collaboration between the city’s police department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

    The neighbors told D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau, who hosted the discussion, that what they’re seeing on city streets are human rights violations.

    “I walk with my passport in hand,” said Nadia Salazar Sandi, a core organizer with Colectivo de Familias Migrantes, a human rights nonprofit in D.C. “I’m a parent and I can’t fathom being separated from my 3-year old. … My parents walk with a fear that I’ve never seen before, with passport copies in hand and a prayer that nothing will happen to anyone in our family.”

    Last month marked the end of a 30-day cooperation between D.C. police and ICE agents. Mayor Muriel Bowser said then that officers would no longer be involved in immigration arrests.

    But residents said it’s still happening.

    “Every single day within one mile of the house where I was born and raised, 15 to 20 immigrants are snatched up by masked federal agents with no warrants and no due process,” said Tanya Golash-Boza, a professor of sociology at the University of California who studies immigration law enforcement.

    “Our neighbors are being attacked. Families are living in terror. Children are losing their parents. And people are scared to leave their houses,” she said. “If we allow it to continue here, in the nation’s capital, what happens next?”

    WTOP has reached out to Bowser’s office about the residents’ concerns. Her office did not comment on the issue.

    Residents said D.C. police are arresting undocumented immigrants for minor infractions. Then, minutes later, ICE agents will arrive on the scene to arrest them.

    “On the way to grab my morning coffee, about a dozen masked ICE agents were staging in the firehouse parking lot on the corner of 14th and Newton Street,” said D.C. resident Dante O’Hara. “The workers … on the same corner of the firehouse are absolutely terrified. One of their workers told me that she was afraid to walk her daughter to school in fear of being kidnapped in front of her daughter.”

    O’Hara called for the city to follow the lead of Chicago, which recently set up “ICE-free zones.” It bans federal immigration agents from using city property and private businesses as staging areas to scope out suspected undocumented immigrants.

    Residents are also asking the city for more legal services for immigrants and more data collected during arrests to track which agencies are on the scene.

    Nadeau’s committee invited the D.C. Office of Human Rights, which handles cases involving human rights violations, to attend the meeting. She said the office turned down her request to join.

    “If actions by our own agencies do not comply with D.C. law and human rights, we need to know and we need to make demands of the executive to put an end to those actions,” Nadeau said.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Gigi Barnett

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  • Brianne Nadeau won’t seek 4th term on DC Council – WTOP News

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    Brianne Nadeau announced Thursday that she will not be seeking a fourth term as a member of the D.C. Council.

    Brianne Nadeau announced Thursday that she will not be seeking a fourth term as a member of the D.C. Council.

    She had served as the Ward 1 council member since 2015. Before that, Nadeau served as an advisory neighborhood commissioner from 2007 to 2011.

    “I have always believed that these positions should not be lifetime appointments. That those in leadership should cultivate others to carry on the work,” Nadeau said in a statement. “It’s not easy to step away, especially at such a difficult time for our community and our country. But I do believe that it is the right time for me, for my family, and for Ward 1.”

    She is considered to be one of the most progressive council members. Last week, she was one of two “no” votes on the deal to build a new Commanders stadium on the old RFK Stadium site, maintaining her stance that the taxpayer money would be better invested in schools, libraries and housing.

    Open seats on the D.C. council are scarce. Nadaeu’s departure could set the stage for a crowded field of candidates hoping to succeed her in Ward 1, which hasn’t had an open seat in four decades. 

    The Ward 1 primary is scheduled for next June. The District is set to launch a system of ranked choice voting during that primary election.

    The council added funding for ranked choice voting to the 2026 budget through an amendment that Nadeau authored alongside At-Large Council member Christina Henderson.

    “Voters in Ward 1 will be able to rank the candidates based on their own preferences, ensuring the candidate with the strongest support across our community represents us,” Nadeau said.

    Nadeau will serve through the remainder of her term. Her last day in office will be Jan. 2, 2027, closing out 11 years on the council.

    “I have deep confidence that the people of Ward 1 will continue, as we always have, to fight for justice, support our neighbors, and stand up for our Ward 1 values,” Nadeau said.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Tadiwos Abedje

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  • $700K investigation into former Bowser aide ‘worth every penny,’ says DC council member – WTOP News

    $700K investigation into former Bowser aide ‘worth every penny,’ says DC council member – WTOP News

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    An expensive third party investigation into sexual harassment allegations against D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s former chief of staff John Falcicchio “was worth every penny,” according to D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau.

    WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 14: John Falcicchio, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development speaks on stage
    during Presentation of Yeleen Beauty Announcement as U.S., African Companies Announce New Commitments in US-Africa Business Forum Deal Room at Walter E. Washington Convention Center on December 14, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Prosper Africa)(Getty Images for Prosper Africa/Tasos Katopodis)

    An expensive third-party investigation into sexual harassment allegations against D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s former chief of staff John Falcicchio “was worth every penny,” according to D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau, one of the lawmakers who pushed for the investigation.

    “This report lays out recommendations from an independent investigator on how the mayor’s investigation into Falcicchio’s actions could have been handled differently and better,” Nadeau said.

    It also makes recommendations as to what the D.C. government can do to prevent sexual harassment in the future, according to Nadeau.

    In a statement Friday, Nadeau said the investigation had been completed and that she was determining which parts of it could potentially be released to the public.

    That process is ongoing, Nadeau confirmed Monday.

    “I’m working right now with our general counsel to determine which things in the report need to be redacted for the privacy of the complainants,” Nadeau said. “Once we’ve gotten through that process, we should be able to release that to the public.”

    The D.C. Office of the Inspector General hired a law firm to carry out the investigation, which cost taxpayers nearly $750,000.

    “I believe this was worth every penny so that we can ensure the public understands what process really occurred and what we need to do better with their tax dollars in protecting the employees of the District of Columbia,” Nadeau said.

    Prior to this, the only investigation that had taken place was done by the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel.

    Nadeau and others had called for a third party to look into the allegations, claiming that having the mayor’s own attorneys investigate the matter could be considered a conflict of interest.

    Bowser said Monday she had seen the report, but was told by the inspector general’s office not to comment publicly.

    “The inspector general asked for confidentiality so I’m respectful of that,” Bowser said. “I think the IG and the council should decide how we’re going to proceed.”

    Two city employees had accused Falcicchio of sexual misconduct.

    Last week, the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel confirmed it had reached a settlement with the two women, but that it could not disclose terms due to “confidentiality provisions.”

    Attorneys representing the women released a statement saying they also could not discuss details involving the settlement.

    According to The Washington Post, the settlement with one of the women involved a cash payment ranging from $300,000 to $500,000.

    In addition to being the mayor’s chief of staff, Falcicchio had also been serving as the city’s deputy mayor for planning and economic development.

    Falcicchio resigned from his roles with the city last year when the allegations first came to light.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Nick Iannelli

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  • ‘Drivers are flouting rules’: Bill before DC Council aims to address rise in moped use – WTOP News

    ‘Drivers are flouting rules’: Bill before DC Council aims to address rise in moped use – WTOP News

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    A new bill introduced before the D.C. Council on Monday would address the rise in moped use in the city by implementing point-of-sale regulations regarding registration.

    A new bill introduced before the D.C. Council on Monday would address the rise in moped use in the city by implementing point-of-sale regulations regarding registration.

    Ward 1 Council member Brianne Nadeau introduced the Motorized Vehicle Registration Accountability Amendment Act of 2024 alongside Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen.

    “Residents throughout the District have seen a rapid increase in the number of mopeds, many of them used for food delivery. This presents both an opportunity and some challenges — mopeds are better for the environment and for traffic safety than cars, but without proper oversight, some drivers are flouting rules and creating dangerous situations without accountability,” Nadeau’s office said in a news release.

    The bill would require companies that rent out mopeds to register their fleet. Companies that sell mopeds would be required to provide written notice of a vehicle’s classification and registration requirements to potential buyers before selling a vehicle.

    According to D.C. law, similar looking vehicles fall into different classifications, such as motorcycles, motor-driven cycles and motorized bicycles, depending on factors including maximum speed and engine size.

    Each vehicle class has its own rules on registration, insurance and where they can be operated, and according to Nadeau’s office, her bill would also forbid the practice of mislabeling vehicles at the point of sale in order to circumvent legal requirements.

    “We are working to bring some order to the moped food delivery industry and hold sellers, renters, and operators of mopeds accountable,” Nadeau said in the news release.

    She also told WTOP she hopes the bill can make it easier for consumers to purchase the vehicles while complying with the law.

    “The goal here is to make it more like the car buying experience, where the dealership puts in your paperwork with the [Department of Motor Vehicles] and then you wait for it to come in the mail and not drive off the lot with your vehicle unregistered,” Nadeau said.

    “This is about registering the vehicle with the DMV, which is already legally required, but it’s hard for us to enforce after the fact. And so getting at that point of sale is really important for broader implementation and broader enforcement.”

    WTOP’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Thomas Robertson

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