District of Columbia Claims Federal Government Polluted Anacostia River with Toxic Waste
The lawsuit labels the U.S. government as ‘the largest polluter’ of the Anacostia River.
On Friday, the District of Columbia initiated legal action against the federal government, claiming it has been systematically polluting the Anacostia River with hazardous waste and chemicals for over 150 years.
The suit, brought forth by District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb, demands that the federal government provide funds for cleanup operations of the Anacostia River, which are scheduled to commence this year.
The legal documents assert that federal agencies have treated the waterway as a disposal site for sewage, garbage, and industrial contaminants such as chlordane and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) dating back to the 1800s.
Schwalb contended that the pollutants in the river do not decompose, resulting in prolonged damage to the ecosystem and aquatic life, and posing health hazards, including cancer, asthma, and congenital disabilities.
He added, “The United States is not exempt from adhering to environmental laws, and today, we are filing a lawsuit to hold it financially accountable for the damage it has knowingly and intentionally inflicted.”
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The lawsuit is filed under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, alongside the district’s Brownfield Revitalization Act of 2000.
The district contends that the U.S. government is “the largest polluter” of the Anacostia River due to its ownership of the riverbed where hazardous materials are found and the operation of facilities that allegedly released these materials into the waterway.
These facilities encompass the Washington Navy Yard, identified as the potential origin of PCB pollution in the river, and the Kenilworth Landfill, which is said to have discharged hazardous substances through surface water runoff.
Further contamination of the Anacostia River allegedly stemmed from chemical waste discharged from federal printing operations, along with untreated sewage and toxic waste from an inadequately designed sewer system, as detailed in the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, modernization efforts for the sewer system and the Anacostia River Tunnel have cost district taxpayers $1.8 billion. In 2023, D.C. Water completed the final phase of the tunnel to avert sewer overflows into the river.
As of the time of publication, the U.S. Department of Justice had not yet responded to a request for comment.
