“The federal government has been the number one driver of pollution in the Anacostia River for over 150 years, treating the District’s iconic natural resource as a cost-free dumping ground for the toxic waste and chemicals it generated,” D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
The District of Columbia has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, claiming that, for more than 150 years, it has contributed to the “deliberate and ongoing pollution” of the Anacostia River.
The Anacostia River, which runs through the District’s southeast corner, has long been used ot dispose of toxic waste and chemicals, including some that are considered carcinogenic.
The lawsuit seeks a court ruling against the Trump administration, preventing it from further polluting the river and enjoining the government to pay the cost of clean-up.
“The federal government has been the number one driver of pollution in the Anacostia River for over 150 years, treating the District’s iconic natural resource as a cost-free dumping ground for the toxic waste and chemicals it generated,” D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
“The federal government’s blatant disregard for human health and safety has wreaked havoc on generations of Washingtonians—diminishing what should be a pristine resource for swimming, fishing, and wildlife, and disproportionately harming communities of color living East of the River,” he said. “The United States is not immune from complying with environmental laws, and today, we’re suing to hold it financially accountable for the damage it has knowingly and intentionally caused.”
Carmel Henry, the president of the NAACP’s D.C. chapter, noted that the pollution of the Anacostia River has a disproportionate impact upon the city’s predominately African-American Southeast neighborhood.
“Throughout history, the US government has unjustly ignored the exposure of communities of color to pollution, resulting in significant environmental, climate, and health challenges impacting Black, Brown and other marginalized communities,” Henry said.
“There are two rivers that flow through the District of Columbia, but for too long the Anacostia River has remained a troubled and contaminated body of water,” he said. “As the nation’s Capital, the District should be a premier model for residents to access waterways which are safe, swimmable and fishable.”
The lawsuit alleges that the government-sanctioned pollution of the river dates back more than 150 years, when the U.S. Navy began operations at Washington Navy Yard.
“The Navy’s own investigation identifies the Navy Yard as a source of active PCB contamination through stormwater runoff. Clean-up efforts along the shoreline have documented the release of oil, PCBs, dioxins, heavy metals, solvents, and many other chemicals,” Schwalb’s office said in a press release. “This contamination has spread up and down the River, far beyond areas that were covered by previous clean-ups.”
Sources
Attorney General Schwalb Sues US Government for 150+ Years of Polluting the Anacostia River
Attorney General Schwalb Sues US Government for 150+ Years of Polluting the Anacostia River
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