Toxics

approximately 2/3 of brown bullhead fish
have cancerous tumors or lesions because of toxics

Toxics in the river are one of the main reasons that it is not safe to swim in or eat fish from the Anacostia River. A toxic is a chemical or mixture that is harmful to another organism. A legacy toxic site has been identified as a well known, high risk toxic site that has been contaminating the environment for a long period of time. 

There are 6 legacy toxic sites along the Anacostia River:

• Kenilworth Park (former DC dump)
• Washington Gas (former coal gasification plant)
• Washington Navy Yard (formerly heavy industrial site)
• Southeast Federal Center (formerly part of Navy Yard)
• Pepco's Benning Road Facility (former coal-fired power plant and current maintenance yard)
• Poplar Point at Anacostia Park (former federal facility of various uses and pollutants)

Read about our Current Campaigns to find out more information about each site and what action is being taken. Our History of Legacy Toxic Sites gives past information about legal action against these sites.

Below please find resources and information to further explain where we stand on this issue.

Partners

• Anacostia Watershed Society
• Anacostia Riverkeeper
• Clean Water Action
• Groundwork Anacostia River DC
• Sierra Club Environmental Justice Program - DC
• DC Environmental Health Collaborative
• DC Environmental Network
• Anacostia Watershed Citizen's Advisory Committee

Resources

• Anacostia Park Environmental Cleanup Projects
• Background Information Prepared by Toxics Team
• Pepco Cleanup Background (from Pepco)
• Pepco Deliverables (District Department of the Environment)
• Washington Gas Settlement Information (District Department of the Environment)
• White Paper on PCB and PAH Contaminated Sediment in the Anacostia River
• US EPA Toxic Sites Summary (February 25, 2010)
• US EPA Region 3 letter (August 16, 2010)

Blog Posts

To see all of our blog posts related to toxics, click here.

• 8/14/12 Pepco Benning Road - Community Advisory Group Meeting and Comment Period
• 5/18/12 Understanding the Anacostia's Water Quality Report Card
• 1/30/12 River Health and Recreation Public Forum
• 12/13/11 UPDATED: Draft consent decree announced for Washington Gas toxic site
• 9/14/11 Community Toxics Meeting and Pepco Clean Up
• 5/9/11 Toxics Cleanup Community Meeting Wednesday, May 11
• 4/26/11 AWS Files to Intervene in Pepco Cleanup Suit
• 2/6/11 District Announces Consent Decree at Pepco Benning Road
• 12/13/10 Cleaning Up Legacy Toxic Sites Along the Anacostia River
• 9/3/10 Press Conference to Call Attention to Anacostia River Toxics