Press Conference to Call Attention to Anacostia River Toxics

Six local environmental groups including the Anacostia Watershed Society, Anacostia Watershed Citizens Advisory Committee, Anacostia Riverkeeper, DC Environmental Network, Groundwork Anacostia River and the Sierra Club Environmental Justice program are organizing a press conference on Tuesday, September 7th at 12:00 noon to call attention to the lack of action on the clean-up of known toxic sites along the Anacostia River. While the District and federal agencies debate details and jurisdictions, causing years long delays, the toxics wait for no one and continue to leech into our environment.

We have invited sitting council members, council candidates, and mayoral candidates to attend this press conference; at present time Council Chair Gray, Councilman Tommy Wells, and Councilman Harry Thomas have confirmed their attendance while Councilman Michael A. Brown and Councilwoman Yvette Alexander will send reps if they cannot attend. The press conference will take place on the Anacostia River near 12th and Water Sts. SE at one of the toxic sites.  (See map below)


View Toxics Press Conference in a larger map

We want the new District of Columbia government that is elected this fall to be serious about this issue. Specifically, we are calling upon council members and candidates running for D.C. office to make a public commitment that, if they are elected, they will do all in their power to see that the District meets the EPA deadline for action of mid-December 2010 (see link below to letter from the EPA stating this deadline), and further that clean up at these sites has reached a “boots on the ground” phase by the end of their terms.

Click here to view the Press Release for the event

Click here to read the EPA's letter