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DC Sues Federal Government Over Pollution in Anacostia River

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Friday, January 10, 2025

The District of Columbia on Friday filed a lawsuit against the federal government over pollution in the Anacostia River, arguing it has inflicted “catastrophic harm” on the mostly poor and minority communities living along the urban waterway.The lawsuit argues that federal government, which owns and controls the riverbed, has since the 1800s dumped toxic waste, heavy metals and chemicals including carcinogenic PCBs in the river and refused to clean it up. The 9-mile (14-kilometer) river flows through Washington, D.C. and parts of Maryland. For decades, it was treated as a municipal dumping ground for industrial waste, storm sewers and trash. That contamination largely affected communities of color.The lawsuit alleges that PCBs from the Washington Navy Yard were dumped in the river along with hazardous chemicals from the Kenilworth Landfill and chemical waste from federal printing facilities. It also blamed the federal government for poorly managing the District of Columbia's sewer system, which led to the dumping of raw sewage and toxic waste into the river.That pollution has led to swimming bans and warnings about fishing along the river, the lawsuit alleges, calling the federal government its biggest polluter.“It has systematically contaminated the River through the indiscriminate dumping and release of hazardous substances and through destructive dredge and fill operations,” the lawsuit says.The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said pollutants in the river don't break down and cause long-lasting harm to the environment, aquatic wildlife, and human health, including cancer, neurological and developmental disorders and birth defects.The District of Columbia is demanding that the federal government pay for the river's cleanup. The lawsuit comes as the District of Columbia has made progress in cleaning up the river and returning to a time where residents fished and boated and wildlife including bald eagles, osprey, cranes, kingfishers and eel thrived there.A $3.29 billion sewer upgrade, including a series of tunnels drilled under the city to capture storm and sewage water, has reduced overflows into the river by 91%, according to DC Water, the city’s water utility. The final section of the Anacostia Tunnel System went online in 2023, and the overall system is expected to reduce overflows by 98%.Pepco, the city’s utility, also reached an agreement with the District of Columbia to pay more than $57 million for discharging hazardous chemicals from their power plants into soil, groundwater and storm sewers for decades that polluted the Anacostia and other areas. The settlement was believed to be the largest in the utility’s history.The payments will be used in part to clean up the river. Other measures the city government instituted like a fee on plastic bags since 2009 have also helped keep trash out, experts say.Still, the Anacostia remains polluted. It received a failing grade for the third time in six years in 2023 from a nonprofit that grades the river’s health based on its fecal bacteria content and the state of its aquatic vegetation.The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See - Sept. 2024

The District of Columbia is suing the federal government over pollution in the Anacostia River, hoping it will lead to a cleanup of the urban waterway

The lawsuit argues that federal government, which owns and controls the riverbed, has since the 1800s dumped toxic waste, heavy metals and chemicals including carcinogenic PCBs in the river and refused to clean it up. The 9-mile (14-kilometer) river flows through Washington, D.C. and parts of Maryland. For decades, it was treated as a municipal dumping ground for industrial waste, storm sewers and trash. That contamination largely affected communities of color.

The lawsuit alleges that PCBs from the Washington Navy Yard were dumped in the river along with hazardous chemicals from the Kenilworth Landfill and chemical waste from federal printing facilities. It also blamed the federal government for poorly managing the District of Columbia's sewer system, which led to the dumping of raw sewage and toxic waste into the river.

That pollution has led to swimming bans and warnings about fishing along the river, the lawsuit alleges, calling the federal government its biggest polluter.

“It has systematically contaminated the River through the indiscriminate dumping and release of hazardous substances and through destructive dredge and fill operations,” the lawsuit says.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said pollutants in the river don't break down and cause long-lasting harm to the environment, aquatic wildlife, and human health, including cancer, neurological and developmental disorders and birth defects.

The District of Columbia is demanding that the federal government pay for the river's cleanup.

The lawsuit comes as the District of Columbia has made progress in cleaning up the river and returning to a time where residents fished and boated and wildlife including bald eagles, osprey, cranes, kingfishers and eel thrived there.

A $3.29 billion sewer upgrade, including a series of tunnels drilled under the city to capture storm and sewage water, has reduced overflows into the river by 91%, according to DC Water, the city’s water utility. The final section of the Anacostia Tunnel System went online in 2023, and the overall system is expected to reduce overflows by 98%.

Pepco, the city’s utility, also reached an agreement with the District of Columbia to pay more than $57 million for discharging hazardous chemicals from their power plants into soil, groundwater and storm sewers for decades that polluted the Anacostia and other areas. The settlement was believed to be the largest in the utility’s history.

The payments will be used in part to clean up the river. Other measures the city government instituted like a fee on plastic bags since 2009 have also helped keep trash out, experts say.

Still, the Anacostia remains polluted. It received a failing grade for the third time in six years in 2023 from a nonprofit that grades the river’s health based on its fecal bacteria content and the state of its aquatic vegetation.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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Republicans Plan Deadly Cuts to Government as L.A. Fires Spread

House Republicans have begun devising plans to slash health care and environmental protections as wildfires engulf Los Angeles County. The GOP is aiming to cut $5.7 trillion from the budget over the next 10 years, and is considering cuts to important government services like welfare, climate protections, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act to get there. They then want to use that money to pay for Trump’s draconian immigration plans and tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, according to Politico. These potential cuts are “not intended to serve as a proposal, but instead as a menu of potential spending reductions for members to consider,” one GOP source told Politico. But the specific policies on the list, such as Joe Biden’s beta version of the Green New Deal, electric vehicle tax credits, the Affordable Care Act, and even food stamps, seem like cruelly ironic things to cut while the country experiences yet another horrifying climate disaster. “The Republican ‘menu’ cuts food and health care for low income people to put more money in the pockets of the rich,” said Aaron Fritschner, deputy chief of staff to Representative Don Beyer. “Even the item names are dystopian: $490B Medicare cut= ‘Strengthen Medicare For Seniors.’ Cutting food for low income people= ‘Ending Cradle-To-Grave Dependence.” The viability of these cuts remains to be seen, as Republicans have already experienced infighting over budget reconciliation. Speaker Mike Johnson has thus far agreed to $2.5 trillion in cuts.

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Fully recovering Australia’s threatened species would cost 25% of GDP. We can’t do it all at once – so let’s start here

This new research estimates the price and benefits of recovering threatened species – and offers cost-effective ways for environment groups, farmers, governments and others to make a difference.

An endangered golden-shouldered parrot Imogen Warren/ShutterstockAustralia has already lost at least 100 species since European colonisation. Across land and freshwater habitats, 1,657 species are currently threatened with the same fate. Their populations have fallen 2-3% every year over the last quarter century. The accelerating loss of species is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time. Losing biodiversity threatens cultural values, economic stability and society’s wellbeing. Like many nations, Australia has pledged to stem these losses. We have signed international commitments to restore nature and halt species extinctions. These are noble and necessary goals. But at present, we lack an understanding of the sheer size, range of options – and expense of the challenge. In our new research, we estimate the costs of bringing Australia’s threatened species back to their potential ranges. Rather than being limited by current spend on conservation, we calculated what it would cost to fully recover Australia’s threatened species across their viable range. Our cost models are designed to also be used at different resolutions and scales, from small urban parks up to landscape scale. We found the costs vary greatly, from very low to more than A$12,600 per hectare for areas where intensive efforts such as habitat restoration through tree planting and weed removal would benefit species. To undo all the human-induced damage and bring nature roaring back across their viable continental range would come with a staggering cost – A$583 billion per year, every year, for at least 30 years. That’s 25% of our GDP. This figure shows the variation in how much it would cost to introduce all strategies to tackle threats to endangered species. Black indicates no cost (no threatened species occur there), colours represent costs (in AUD) per 1x1 km. Author provided This, obviously, is infeasible. But it shows the extent of 200 years of human impacts on nature in Australia. Importantly, it is a cautionary tale for what further damage will cost to repair. And – more positively – it gives us a way to cost and plan for species recovery at local or regional levels. Australian biodiversity – globally significant, widely threatened Of the world’s 195 nations, just 17 are mega-biodiverse – nations with very high numbers of species found nowhere else. Australia is one of them. Unfortunately, feral predators, clearing for agriculture, widespread change to Indigenous fire regimes and other human impacts have caused among the greatest biodiversity losses on the planet in recent history. Unsurprisingly, the need for species recovery are greatest – and most expensive – in the east and south-west of Australia, where impacts on biodiversity have been most significant. Tackling threats in these regions is particularly challenging and costly. This shows the cost of implementing these repair strategies compared with the number of threatened species in a region. Paler areas denote lower cost and fewer species, dark purple denotes high cost and a greater number of species. Author provided Previous estimates of the cost of recovering these species are orders of magnitude smaller. That’s because these estimates tended to focus on preventing extinction, rather than achieving full species recovery. Many previous estimates also excluded key expenses such as planning, labour and contingencies. Why is full recovery so expensive? Full species recovery would require widespread action across most of the continent, especially to manage fire, weed species and invasive predators (cats and foxes) and herbivores (rabbits, deer and more). We were surprised to learn that the single most expensive measure across the continent wasn’t replanting native habitat or controlling cats and foxes. It’s tackling invasive weeds, such as blackberry and lantana. At least 470 plant species are threatened by invasive weeds. The worst are “transformer” weeds – vigorous species such as invasive buffel and gamba grasses able to smother entire habitats, out-competing native plants and stopping seed-eating birds, such as the golden-shouldered parrot, squatter pigeon and black-throated finch, from finding food. Controlling weeds accounts for 81% of our total costs. This is because weeds cover such large areas of Australia. We acknowledge that full recovery of all of Australia’s threatened species at a continental scale is financially, technically and socially unfeasible. Policymakers need to balance nature restoration with other priorities. Importantly, recovery actions must take place in a collaborative manner, with First Nations custodians and other land managers and stakeholders. Bite-sized efforts for nature Reversing Australia’s trajectory of biodiversity decline will require a range of different efforts across all regions and sectors. It’s important to clearly see the scale of the challenge we face – not to make it insurmountable, but so we can take steps in the right direction. Our research offers bite-sized ways for organisations, environment groups and governments at all levels to take steps towards the repair of our species and native ecosystems. It provides digestible, local-scale options useful for planners, as well as important (and doable) actions that provide the most benefit threatened species for the resources available. For example, some recovery efforts are relatively inexpensive per hectare and crucial for native species survival, such as reintroducing ecological burning regimes, and controlling cats and foxes. These type of efforts are often higher priority. This is exactly what’s being done at Pullen Pullen Station in southwest Queensland, where feral cat control and better fire management are safeguarding the tiny populations of the night parrot – long thought extinct. How recovering threatened species helps us too Funding the restoration of nature is good not just for threatened species, but for us as well. Restoring nature takes a huge effort, which means it would, for instance, involve up to one million people working full time for 30 years. Many of these jobs would be in rural and regional communities. If implemented collaboratively, farmers could benefit greatly. For farmers, weeds and introduced animals such as mice and rabbits are a constant thorn in their side. Introduced animals and plants cost billions each year. In the past, many weed-control programs have been done to benefit agriculture, as weeds can also sicken or kill livestock. Restoration of habitat would, we estimate, store an extra 11 million tonnes of carbon each year, helping Australia towards net zero. If successful, these efforts could reverse the long-term damage done to our native species and help create new, more sustainable and biodiverse pathways for Australia’s future. Invasive weeds such as Paterson’s curse can be dangerous to native animals as well as livestock. cbpix/Shutterstock We hope our work helps governments and other organisations see what’s possible and necessary when setting goals for nature and to guide nature related decision making. The worsening plight of Australia’s biodiversity poses a direct and costly threat to meeting conservation targets. And the most cost-effective action is to avoid further damage. We depend on nature and nature depends on us. We need to find new solutions for enabling social and economic progress without further harm to our natural world. April Reside has received funding from the Australian Research Council, Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, and Hidden Vale Research Station. This research was funded by the Australian government’s National Environmental Science Programme through the Threatened Species Recovery Hub, project 7.7James Watson has received funding from the Australian Research Council, National Environmental Science Program, South Australia's Department of Environment and Water, Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation as well as from Bush Heritage Australia, Queensland Conservation Council, Australian Conservation Foundation, The Wilderness Society and Birdlife Australia. He serves on the scientific committee of BirdLife Australia and has a long-term scientific relationship with Bush Heritage Australia and Wildlife Conservation Society. He serves on the Queensland government's Land Restoration Fund's Investment Panel as the Deputy Chair.Josie Carwardine receives funding from the Australian government Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, and the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

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Record number of electric cars were sold in UK during 2024

Environmental groups urge government to keep tougher green targets despite industry claim they are unsustainableCarmakers sold a record number of electric cars in the UK last year, prompting environmental groups to urge the government to stick to tougher green targets even as the industry argues they are unsustainable.The number of new cars sold in the UK rose by 2.6% in 2024 to 1.95m, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) lobby group. Of those, 19.6% were electric, up from 16.5% a year earlier. Continue reading...

Carmakers sold a record number of electric cars in the UK last year, prompting environmental groups to urge the government to stick to tougher green targets even as the industry argues they are unsustainable.The number of new cars sold in the UK rose by 2.6% in 2024 to 1.95m, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) lobby group. Of those, 19.6% were electric, up from 16.5% a year earlier.The figures also confirmed the SUV’s rise to dominance in Britain. The “dual purpose” vehicle class, which contains many of the models marketed as sports utility vehicles, outsold other types of car such as the supermini for the first time. SUV sales were helped by the shift to electric, as bulkier cars have more space for a battery.Electric vehicle (EV) sales have surged over recent years in Britain because of rules forcing manufacturers to sell more every year in an effort to cut the carbon dioxide emissions of transport, which accounted for 28% of all domestic UK carbon pollution in 2022.The increase in sales has made the UK one of the leaders for electric car adoption around the world, albeit behind Norway and China. However, sales have still been lower than expected, amid an industry-wide slowdown, as well as persistent concerns among some buyers over the higher upfront cost of electric cars and access to public chargers.The UK government is preparing to relax sales targets for 2025 to avoid imposing steep fines on manufacturers under the country’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate. A consultation on changing the rules will close in mid-February.Carmakers were told to aim for 22% of UK sales to be electric in 2024, rising to 28% in 2025. However, they are able to avoid penalties for missing the main target if they sell more battery cars in later years, or if they cut overall emissions. New AutoMotive, a campaign group, has estimated that the real target may have been as low as 18%.Nevertheless, the SMMT’s chief executive, Mike Hawes, said there had been a “shortfall” in electric car sales, and that several carmakers had told him privately they might have to buy “credits” from rivals – another way to avoid fines. He said manufacturers were being forced into steep discounts to increase sales of electric cars, a situation that was “unsustainable”.“The mandate doesn’t move markets,” Hawes said. “The targets have compelled the supply. They don’t compel the demand, and do not by themselves create the market – at least not a healthy one.”However, environmental campaigners and charge point operators urged the government not to relax the rules. Paul Morozzo, Greenpeace UK’s senior transport campaigner, said record electric sales were an “encouraging indication” Britain was “heading in the right direction” and that the focus now should be on improving access to public chargers and giving more attractive tax incentives on electric cars rather than fossil fuel versions.The bestselling cars overall during the year were the Ford Puma and the Kia Sportage, both SUVs. The top electric car was the Tesla Model Y, another SUV which was the bestselling model of December as the company raced to push through sales before the end of the year – helping to narrowly retain its position as the world’s biggest seller of EVs.The share of petrol cars in UK sales fell to 52.2%, while sales of diesels have fallen from 31% of the market in 2018 to only 6.3% in 2024. Sales of hybrids, which combine a petrol engine and a smaller battery, have risen alongside electric cars.Ben Nelmes, the chief executive of New AutoMotive, said the “UK’s EV transition is pulling into the fast lane”, with nearly one in three cars sold in December being electric.“Electric car sales have gone up like a rocket in 2024, and December’s figures were well above the target for 2024 and 2025,” he said. “With more cheaper electric models coming to market this trend only looks set to grow, reducing costs for motorists and helping achieve net zero at the same time.”

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New North Carolina Governor Issues Orders on Private Road Repairs, Housing After Helene

New North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has already taken several actions to help the short- and long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — New North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein took several actions on Thursday to help the short- and long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene, with an immediate focus on more temporary housing and repairs to private bridges and roads. Stein, who took his oath of office on Wednesday to succeed fellow Democrat Roy Cooper, traveled to Asheville and — with legislators and officials from both parties behind him — announced he had signed five executive orders related to the historic flooding in late September in western North Carolina.“The needs facing this region are vast and require immediate attention,” Stein said at a news conference. “I pledge to do everything in my power as governor to accelerate recovery of the rebuilding of a more resilient region for the long haul.”Over 100 people died in North Carolina because of Helene, which state officials estimate caused a record $59.6 billion in damages and recovery needs. Billions of dollars from the federal and state government already have been spent or earmarked for the recovery, and Congress last month committed at least another $9 billion in aid. But more must be done this winter to put more people in warm and safe housing on their own property, and to restore vital transportation links between small communities as well as first responders and school buses, Stein said. One executive order allows the state Department of Public Safety to purchase up to 1,000 temporary housing units through the end of next month without going through the usual state procurement and bidding processes. Stein said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is covering the costs of these units. FEMA is already following another regulatory process as it installs similar trailers on its own, he added.Stein also delegated to the Division of Emergency Management the ability to hire repair contractors for private bridges and roads without procurement requirements. It also lets environmental regulators waive rules to speed up permitting and inspections. More than 12,000 western North Carolinians are displaced from their homes due to Helene, which also caused significant damage to more than 8,000 private roads and bridges, Stein's orders said.“When I have met with affected folks here in the mountains, the need for housing assistance and the repairing of private bridges and roads has come up in nearly every conversation," he said. “Western North Carolina — I want you to know that I hear you.”Another Stein order creates a new Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina and establishes within the Commerce Department a Division of Community Revitalization that in part will oversee the rebuilding of homes destroyed or damaged by Helene. The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency, which was created during Cooper's administration, will stick to rebuilding homes in eastern North Carolina harmed by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018, Stein said. Republicans in charge of the General Assembly have been angry with the pace of the agency's work and a fiscal shortfall for ongoing housing projects. Stein also issued an order giving many state employees more paid leave this year to volunteer for Helene-related recovery efforts, and he agreed to continue a Helene recovery advisory committee that he created after his November election victory. GOP state Sen. Kevin Corbin, who has co-chaired the panel with Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, said Thursday that Stein's actions were “bipartisan commonsense solutions."New State Auditor Dave Boliek, also a Republican, released a statement later Thursday telling Stein that his department would hold Stein's office accountable on how money stemming from the orders gets spent. “Given past failures to effectively provide hurricane relief to Eastern North Carolina, it is in the best interest of Hurricane Helene victims that our office takes such action," Boliek said. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See - Sept. 2024

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Not long ago a writer submitted an op-ed that made me worry for their safety. I asked, “Are you going to get in trouble if we publish this?” Maybe, they replied. But telling the truth was more important. Of course, a good op-ed doesn’t need to put anyone at risk. But expert commentaries can shine a light on truth, share critical information, or encourage people and systems to move in a fresh direction. Here’s a list of some of The Revelator’s best environmental commentaries from 2024. They offer lessons from the autocracies rising around the world, advice for saving species from extinction, guidance on shaping green jobs, insights into Indigenous knowledge, and more. Advice for U.S. Government Scientists: Lessons Learned From the ‘Muzzling’ of Their Canadian Counterparts Bioplastics Are Not the Solution City Surprise: Urban Areas Are Brimming With Biodiversity Conservation of ‘Umbrella Species’ Works for Ecosystems — Especially in Southeast Asia From Glass Ceilings to Green Houses: More Women Are Needed in Green Industry Haul Water, Rescue Pigs, Help Neighbors: How My Students Confronted Climate Chaos in a Horrific Hurricane Season Mining Policy Must Be Reformed The Silent Tragedy of Local Restrictions on Renewable Energy Species Spotlight: Going to Bat for Painted Woolly Bats Species Spotlight: The Haunting Tale of Kagu, the Ghosts of the Forest The Te Awa Tupua Act: An Inspiration for Communities to Take Responsibility for Their Ecosystems Time to Let This Conservation Jargon Go Extinct? Tree Cutting in Egypt: The Desertification of Governance Why Indigenous-Led Management Is Integral to Reconciliation and Restoration Efforts Do you have a story to tell in the year ahead? We’re always open to op-eds and other commentaries from activists, scientists, conservationists, legislators, government employees, and other experts — especially anyone with insight about the regressive and repressive second Trump administration. You can find out how to submit here, or drop me a line at any time. The post 14 Must-Read Environmental Commentaries appeared first on The Revelator.

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The Fellowship of the Springs

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DC Sues Federal Government Over Pollution in Anacostia River

Photos You Should See - Sept. 2024

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DC Sues Federal Government Over Pollution in Anacostia River

Photos You Should See - Sept. 2024

Related News

Republicans Plan Deadly Cuts to Government as L.A. Fires Spread

Fully recovering Australia’s threatened species would cost 25% of GDP. We can’t do it all at once – so let’s start here

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Suggested Viewing

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The Fellowship of the Springs

Sounding the Alarm ~ America's Climate Crisis

Join us to forgea sustainable future

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

Join us to forge
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