The District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against the federal government on Friday alleging that it had systematically contaminated the Anacostia River with toxic waste and chemicals for more than 150 years.
The lawsuit, filed by District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb, seeks to require the federal government to fund cleanup efforts for the Anacostia River, which are set to begin this year.
The lawsuit alleges that federal agencies have used the waterway as a dumping ground for sewage, trash, and industrial waste such as chlordane, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), since the 1800s.
Schwalb alleged that pollutants in the river don’t break down, causing long-lasting harm to the environment and aquatic wildlife and posing health risks, including cancer, asthma, and birth defects….