Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Anacostia River Sediment Project?
A: The Anacostia River and the land area that drains to the river have a long history of urbanization, industrialization, and agriculture, which has resulted in pollution, poor water quality, and contaminated sediments in the river bed. The District Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE)’s Anacostia River Sediment Project was initiated to identify any potential sediment contamination in the nine-mile tidal portion of the Anacostia River, Washington Channel and Kingman Lake. The project is following a process similar to the “Superfund” process, but the ARSP is not a Superfund project.
Q: Is this this only clean up effort taking place along the Anacostia River corridor?
A: No. The District Department of Energy (DOEE) will be coordinating the efforts of the Anacostia River Sediment Project (ARSP) with other ongoing clean up investigations along the Anacostia River corridor. To learn more about these efforts please visit their respective websites for more information:
Washington Navy Yard: https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0300031
Pepco Benning Service Center: http://benningservicecenter.com/
Washington Gas - East Station Site: https://www.nps.gov/nace/learn/management/wgsite.htm
Kenilworth Park Landfill Site: https://www.nps.gov/anac/learn/management/kpls.htm
Poplar Point: https://www.nps.gov/anac/learn/management/poplarpoint.htm
Q: What area does the Anacostia River Sediment Project cover?
A: The ARSP study area includes the tidal Anacostia River from the Potomac River to Bladensburg, Maryland. It also includes Kingman Lake, which is next to Kingman Island, and the Washington Channel.
Q: How big is the Anacostia River watershed?
A: The Anacostia Watershed covers 176 square miles in Montgomery County, Prince George's County and Washington, DC. It is home to 43 species of fish, some 200 species of birds and more than 800,000 people.
Q: What are the contaminants in the sediment?
A: Remedial investigations have determined that elevated concentrations of contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, heavy metals, and pesticides from industrial, urban, and human activities are present in sediment throughout the Anacostia River, posing a potential risk to humans or aquatic wildlife.
Q: How did the Anacostia River become contaminated?
A: Like most rivers in urban environments, the Anacostia River has a long history of industrial and agricultural activity. Historical and ongoing sources of contamination may include industrial land use, sewer overflows, contaminated groundwater, landfills and runoff from rainstorms. The ARSP includes a search for potentially responsible parties who will contribute to paying for the river cleanup and restoration.
Q: Am I at risk from the contaminants?
A: The ARSP has identified that the human health risks from the Anacostia River are related primarily to eating fish from the river. There is also some risk associated with touching the sediment on the bottom of the river. Health risks increase if these activities occur more frequently. DOEE issues fish consumption advisories and fishing licenses to help people know how many of which fish species it is safe to eat and at what frequency.
Q: What are the potential risks for wildlife?
A: The ARSP also evaluated risk to benthic invertebrates (clams, snails, crayfish), birds, mammals, turtles, and fish. There is little to no risk to birds and mammals, and there is limited to no risk to turtles. There is some harm to benthic invertebrates due to exposure to sediment throughout the river. Certain contaminants are found at highest concentrations in fish tissue at the top of the food chain that feed on benthic invertebrates or smaller fish.
Q: What about the water quality of the Anacostia River?
A: For both humans and wildlife, exposure to the Anacostia River sediment poses more risk than exposure to the river water. Water quality is expected to improve considerably since DC Water’s Anacostia River Tunnel was put into operation in March 2018. The Anacostia River Tunnel was designed to reduce combined sewer overflows by 81% during phase 1 and by 98% once phase 2 is completed in 2023, resulting in a decrease of bacterial concentrations in the river, as well as less incoming sediments and trash.
Q: Will the river ever return to a state where it is fishable and swimmable?
A: The Anacostia River can presently be used for numerous recreational activities, such as boating and fishing, as long as District fishing advisories are followed for eating the fish. With the completion of DC Water’s Anacostia River Tunnel, the river will become even safer for boating and swimming in the near future. Special swim events like triathlons are now possible in both the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers if event organizers show that applicable water quality standards will be achieved at the time of the event.
Q: Should we be concerned about our drinking water being contaminated?
A: The Anacostia River contamination does not affect DC drinking water. Drinking water for DC comes from the Potomac River upstream of the District.
Q: Trash is still a major problem in the river. How is it being addressed?
A: DOEE has installed trash traps along streams and storm sewer outfalls that feed into the river, and continues to evaluate new ways to reduce trash in the river. You can read more about the DOEE’s work to reduce trash in the river here.
Q: How will the contaminated sediment be cleaned up?
A: The ARSP Proposed Plan proposes a variety of early cleanup actions to address contaminated sediments at hot spots in the ARSP study area. These options include a combination of capping the sediment in place; dredging to remove the sediment and disposing it at a secure waste facility; and monitoring sediment as it naturally recovers.
Q: How soon will the plan be complete?
A: DOEE released a Proposed Plan describing early action cleanups in late 2019. After a receiving input from stakeholders DOEE issued an Interim Record of Decision on September 30, 2020. A Final Record of Decision will be released after sampling and monitoring reveals how well the river system has responded to the hot spot cleanups, achieving final cleanup objectives.
Q: How soon will the cleanup start?
A: DOEE released the Interim Record of Decision on September 30, 2020. It is expected that design and permitting work will take place in 2021 and 2022. It is then hoped that Kingman Lake restoration will occur first in 2023, followed by Washington Channel in 2024 and concluding with the Anacostia main stem in 2025.
Q: Where does funding for this project come from?
A: The District government funds ARSP. Ultimately, cleanup and restoration costs will be funded by a combination of government funds and payments from the potentially responsible parties. This is a complex legal process and we are currently working to determine how cleanup costs will be allocated among the parties that are responsible for the contamination.
Q: I’m confused by many of acronyms associated with clean up process. How can I learn more about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Superfund cleanup process?
A: DOEE encourages you to visit the following link provided by the EPA to learn more about the cleanup process the is guiding the ARSP: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-cleanup-process