Norton Points to Progress Her Bills Have Made on Anacostia River’s Health After It Received Passing Grade

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today said she was delighted that her work to clean up the Anacostia River is reaping rewards after the river was awarded its first-ever passing grade by the Anacostia Watershed Society for its improved health. Norton was the lead sponsor of a provision included in the enacted Water Resources Development Act of 2007 that directed the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Mayor of the District of Columbia, the Governor of Maryland and the county executives of Montgomery County and Prince George's County, Maryland, to develop a 10-year action plan to restore and protect the ecological integrity of the Anacostia River and its tributaries. Norton has also repeatedly secured annual federal funding for ongoing work to clean up the Anacostia River, including $14 million in fiscal year 2018.

"I am proud of the progress our region—working together at every level—is making to clean up the Anacostia River," Norton said. "Our bill to create a 10-year action plan and the federal funds I have secured each year to clean up the Anacostia River are now paying measurable dividends. A healthy and thriving Anacostia River is not only good for the environment, but is also beneficial for tourism and economic development along the waterfront."

Last month, Norton introduced a congressional resolution designating 2018 as the "Year of the Anacostia." Norton's Kingman and Heritage Islands Act, which was signed into law in 2010, made the man-made islands, located near RFK Stadium on the Anacostia River, a center for environmental education and recreation in the District of Columbia. A 2006 Norton bill transferred 66 acres of federal land along the Anacostia River located at Poplar Point and Reservation 13 to the District.