AG Schwalb sued the United States for its deliberate and ongoing pollution of the Anacostia River, the District of Columbia’s most vital natural resource. For over 150 years, the United States used the River as a cost-free dumping ground for toxic waste and chemicals, including cancer-causing PCBs, dangerous pesticides like chlordane, and heavy metals. In its lawsuit, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) seeks to require the federal government to pay to clean up the River to protect District residents from ongoing threats to their health and safety and to make the River safe again for fishing, swimming, and wildlife. “The federal government has been the number one driver of pollution in the Anacostia River for over 150 years, treating the District’s iconic natural resource as a cost-free dumping ground for the toxic waste and chemicals it generated […] The United States is not immune from complying with environmental laws, and today, we’re suing to hold it financially accountable for the damage it has knowingly and intentionally caused.” – AG Schwalb 

https://oag.dc.gov/release/attorney-general-schwalb-sues-us-government-150