Pepco has agreed to pay $57 million to clean up pollution in the Anacostia River after the utility company admitted to released harmful chemicals into the river over several decades.
D.C. leaders on Tuesday called it the largest environmental settlement in the history of the city.
Pepco has operated plants along the Anacostia for generations, including the Benning Road plant, which was torn down about a decade ago and the Buzzards Point facility.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said for decades those Pepco facilities discharged toxic chemicals into the river.
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"Corporate and commercial interests dumping dangerous toxic chemicals into the earth, water and air, putting the health and safety of an entire community at risk. And as we know, it is communities of color, and in D.C. especially communities east of the river that are disproportionally impacted by pollution and forced to suffer serious health and economic consequences," Schwalb said at a Tuesday news conference announcing the settlement.
Schwalb's office said Pepco must pay $47 million for the District's initial cleanup of the Anacostia River, $10 million in civil penalties and do the following:
- Investigate and assess the risks that contamination from its Buzzard Point facility pose to human health and the environment and perform cleanups to eliminate those risks.
- Pay for or perform the cleanup of the Benning Road Facility, including areas in the Anacostia River adjacent to the facility where Pepco’s contamination has migrated.
- Investigate and assess the current risk and potential contamination caused by Pepco’s transformer vaults.
- Pay for the District’s costs to oversee Pepco’s investigative and cleanup work.
Schwalb said there's no indication anyone has suffered health issues as a result of the dumping.
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"This is a great day," Ward 7 resident and environmental advocate Dennis Chestnut said at the news conference announcing the settlement.
Chestnut grew up along the Anacostia River and believes the settlement with Pepco is a big step in the right direction.
"I'm really very excited to part of this historic event today, this historic accomplishment," Chestnut said. "This is the beginning. There's a lot more to come."
In a written statement, a spokesperson for Pepco said the company stopped the unpermitted discharges more than a decade ago.
"The agreement will help advance cleanup of the Anacostia River and District communities, especially those who have been disproportionately impacted. ... We have also committed to investigating conditions at our Buzzard Point site and will perform any necessary cleanup at that site, as well as to assess potential environmental impacts associated with our distribution system vaults."
Pepco's spokesperson told News4 the company might ask the Public Service Commission for permission to pass the costs along to customers.
"I can promise you that if they do, we will be before the Public Service Commission making the argument on behalf District residents that those costs should not be passed through to rate payers," Schwalb said.
Schwalb said his office is seeking additional settlements with other large companies who are responsible for polluting the river.
He commended Pepco for being the first company to come forward and agree to a settlement.
Below is Pepco's full statement to News4:
"Today, Pepco and the District of Columbia reached agreements related to clean up of the Anacostia River, including Pepco’s past unpermitted discharges of stormwater – a practice that was discontinued more than a decade ago. The agreement will help advance cleanup of the Anacostia River and District communities, especially those who have been disproportionately impacted. This includes $47 million in Pepco funding for the interim cleanup under the District’s Anacostia River Sediment Project and an ongoing commitment from Pepco to clean up the segment of the river adjacent to our Benning Road facility. We have also committed to investigating conditions at our Buzzard Point site and will perform any necessary cleanup at that site, as well as to assess potential environmental impacts associated with our distribution system vaults. We understand the importance of this work for the future of our communities. We don’t just work here, we live here. Our families and our friends live here too. We remain committed to continuing our work with the District as well as other local agencies and community groups to improve the overall health of the Anacostia River."
