Who is Liable for the Pollution in Anacostia River: A Closer Look at the DC Lawsuit Against the Federal Government

A boat navigates the Anacostia River, surrounded by urban structures and greenery, highlighting pollution concerns as DC sues the federal government.

WASHINGTON D.C. (NB360) - The District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against the federal government on Friday, citing pollution in the Anacostia River as causing “catastrophic harm” to the predominantly poor and minority communities residing near the urban waterway.

The lawsuit claims that the federal government, which owns and manages the riverbed, has been disposing of toxic waste, heavy metals, and chemicals, including carcinogenic PCBs, in the river since the 1800s and has failed to clean it up. The 9-mile (14-kilometer) river runs through Washington, D.C., and parts of Maryland. For years, it has been used as a dumping ground for industrial waste, storm sewers, and trash, primarily affecting communities of color.

The lawsuit asserts that PCBs from the Washington Navy Yard were dumped in the river, along with hazardous chemicals from the Kenilworth Landfill and chemical waste from federal printing facilities. It also accuses the federal government of mismanaging the District of Columbia's sewer system, resulting in the discharge of raw sewage and toxic waste into the river.

This pollution has led to swimming bans and fishing warnings along the river, the lawsuit claims, labeling the federal government as its largest polluter.

“It has systematically contaminated the River through the indiscriminate dumping and release of hazardous substances and through destructive dredge and fill operations,” the lawsuit states.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the lawsuit.

District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb stated that pollutants in the river do not degrade and cause enduring harm to the environment, aquatic wildlife, and human health, leading to cancer, neurological and developmental disorders, and birth defects.

Trey Sherard of Anacostia Riverkeeper, an organization focused on restoring the river, supported the lawsuit, describing the federal government's actions as “reckless and significant pollution of the Anacostia River for over 150 years.”

“We had high hopes for the voluntary process the District initiated after advocacy by Anacostia Riverkeeper and other local nonprofits over a decade ago for the Anacostia River Sediment Project,” he noted. "Now we hope this lawsuit accelerates the cleanup project, ensuring swift and complete remedial actions in the river begin this year, with the federal government covering their fair share of the costs.”

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News Blend 360 writer Belinda Foster in Los Angeles contributed to this report.