Washington Gas to clean up toxic mess in Anacostia River under legal settlement

WASHINGTON - After decades of polluting the Anacostia River, Washington Gas is being forced to clean it up after D.C.’s attorney general announced a settlement with the company Tuesday. 

The backstory:

Washington Gas operated a plant called East Station, located just east of where Nationals Park is today, from the 1880s until it shut down in the 1980s. 

The AG’s office says that plant released toxic chemicals — including polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals — that are still bubbling up from the riverbed and contaminating the water.

Under the settlement announced Tuesday, Washington Gas must install a new boom to contain pollution on the surface, add filters and a new barrier, and submit to ongoing monitoring.

What they're saying:

"Washington Gas did not stop these dangerous chemicals from entering the river. This operation was happening for more than a century, and now, through our office and in partnership with the Department of Energy and Environment, Washington Gas is going to be taking some additional steps to reduce pollution from entering the river," said D.C. Assistant Attorney General Wesley Rosenfield. 

"The East Station site has a long industrial history. We have been actively engaged in investigation and remediation efforts and continue to take necessary actions to protect surrounding areas," said Washington Gas in a statement. 

Dig deeper:

The AG’s office says the settlement tackles three problems: pollution flowing from land into the river, pollutants seeping up from the riverbed, and contaminants in the soil migrating toward the water.

The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin says the best approach is to tackle these issues one by one — exactly what the settlement does.

But one emerging concern is monitoring water quality. The U.S. Geological Survey says it will stop collecting data along the Anacostia on Oct. 1 because of funding cuts. That could be an issue for people who rely on the river for food.

"They’re soaking up these compounds, they get eaten by little fish, those get eaten by medium fish, those get into the big fish, and then they quickly get into the human food chain. There are people eating fish out of the Anacostia River. There’s a lot of people in this area that cannot afford to go to the grocery store, especially nowadays," said Anacostria riverkeeper Trey Sherard.