District residents look forward to cleanup of toxic waterways

By Asha TaylorSpecial to the AFRO  Pepco will pay out $47 million towards a cleanup of D.C. rivers after being found liable for polluting the local waterways. The company will also pay $10 million in fines for their actions. Photo credit: Photo courtesy of EPA.gov Washington, D.C. residents have struggled to enjoy their local waterways for years due to hazardous pollution. Following the enactment of the largest environmental settlement in D.C. history, the Potomac Electric Power Company, also known as Pepco, will be responsible for cleaning up the District’s local rivers, including the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, Oxon Run, and Rock Creek.& “The watershed has historically suffered from trash, toxins, sewage, runoff, oil, heavy metals and more due to adjacent agricultural, industrial and urban land uses,” according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Pepco has been charged with a total of $57 million dollars for cleanup and penalties associated with pollution of the environment, attributable to the company. Although Pepco is not the only polluter responsible for the state of the D.C.’s water, the settlement is intended to shed light on pollution of District waterways and how companies can be held responsible. As announced by D.C.’s Attorney General Brian...