Norton Requests Briefing By Coast Guard and Army Corps on Reported Oil Spill in Anacostia River

August 19, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) requested a joint briefing from the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on reports of an oil spill in the Anacostia River. On Monday, residents saw what they believed to be a petroleum-like substance in the Anacostia River, now under investigation by the Coast Guard. "Although the initial investigation by the Coast Guard has turned up empty, I will remain concerned until we identify the specific substance, why it suddenly appeared, and how it can be abated," said Norton. "We have just begun the first comprehensive cleanup and restoration of the Anacostia River, mandated by my 2007 Anacostia Watershed Initiative. We cannot tolerate a setback when we are just getting started."

Last year, the Army Corps of Engineers released the 10-year plan for the restoration of the Anacostia River, mandated by Norton's bill, at a ceremony attended by the regional congressional delegation. Norton, a member of the House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee and a longtime environmental advocate, was the lead sponsor of the Anacostia Watershed Initiative, the first comprehensive cleanup plan for the Anacostia River. She also has championed the cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay.