WASHINGTON — A former Washington Gas plant is leaking hazardous waste chemicals into the Anacostia River, an investigation from the attorney general’s office and D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment found. Now, the gas company has agreed to help stop the contamination.

Washington Gas’s former East Station has sat on the western bank of the Anacostia River since the 1880s, where the company worked with natural gas such as coal and oil. It’s located just east of Nationals Park, south of M Street SE and east of 11th Street SE. Operations ceased in the mid-1980s, but investigations found that the work at the site left behind toxic byproducts in the soil around it, leaching into the river.

D.C. and the U.S. sued Washington Gas to deal with the pollution in 2011, and in 2012, the company entered into a consent decree which required it to remove some of the contaminated soil and investigate the long-term effects. Another condition of the decree is that D.C. can make Washington Gas take further action.

This new OAG and DOEE investigation found that the East Station is still currently seeping pollution into the river, through the contaminated shoreline and riverbed. The OAG said oil sheen has been observed near the seawall next to the the shoreline, and pollution is bubbling up to the surface from the riverbed, creating more oil sheen. 

In light of that, the OAG accused Washington Gas of not doing enough to prevent further pollution. A new settlement, which Attorney General Brian Schwalb said the company agreed to, requires Washington Gas to comply with five new steps. 

1. Install a new floating boom, which will work to contain pollution on the river’s surface. The company has 30 days to submit a plan for its placement, and then must install it within 60 days of approval and receiving permits. This is expected to be completed in late 2025 or early 2026.
2. Install filters on the riverbed
3. Install new barrier in the soil at the shoreline. These two steps will help prevent pollution from bubbling up and leaching from the shore. They’re expected to be installed in 2027.
4. Participate in D.C. monitoring of the new mitigation measures. It will submit monthly reports documenting how the methods are working and any further pollutant releases.
5. Failure to comply with the terms of this agreement will result in civil penalties — possibly thousands of dollars per day that Washington Gas is not in compliance.

“For generations, widespread pollution of the Anacostia River has deprived District residents of the use and enjoyment of the river and threatened the health and safety of communities living along its banks,” Schwalb said. “Washington Gas has failed to stop dangerous chemicals from continuing to degrade the river, and now it must take action to stop further pollution while the larger environmental investigation and remediation process continues.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Washington Gas said they worked with the DOEE to develop the above plan and are committed to continuing that collaboration. 

“The East Station site has a long industrial history,” the statement read. “We have been actively engaged in investigation and remediation efforts and continue to take necessary actions to protect surrounding areas. Washington Gas is committed to the communities we serve and will continue to engage transparently while we collaboratively work with DOEE toward a solution that reflects our values of safety, reliability, and community responsibility.”