Pollution is an inevitable force that has plagued our earth for too long. It has been around since the start of human industrialization, and unfortunately has been becoming worse and worse, especially in large cities. Cities are huge metropolitan hubs for millions of people to live, which leads to an overwhelming amount of pollution in relatively close spaces. The amount of pollution created in cities, like in Washington, D.C, is astonishing. Unfortunately, in D.C., the Anacostia neighborhood experiences pollution the worst, “Anacostia [has] turned into one of the most polluted rivers in the country” (Davila Fragoso 2016). Located on the eastern side of Washington DC, the Anacostia is a large water source with vibrant communities locates on the banks of the river. Since the Industrial revolution, the Anacostia has been plagued by pollution. Pollution in the Anacostia river is made from toxins and waste. The toxins in the river represent all the harmful chemicals, sewage, and build up in the water, while waste is the physical trash found in the river like plastic bottles or Styrofoam, “while the industry disposed of toxic wastes, people dumped trash…we were pulling refrigerators, tires, cars” (Davila Fragoso 2016). Big companies and ignorant citizens have taken advantage of the river by polluting it with trash and toxic chemicals for their own convince. The pollution has not only taken a toll on the river itself, but the community around. Over time, the river has become filled with such pollution it is unsafe for humans to swim in or for fish to live in, it “is one of the few waterways in the country that’s legally designated as “impaired” by trash” (Hammer 2016), “swimmable and fishable is within our sight” (Lang 2018). Citizens have been aware of the pollution accumulating in the river for a while, yet it is just recently that the local government has become involved and has started to take control of the problem, by implementing new projects to redirect water. The Anacostia river is an important water source for the D.C. / Maryland area, thus making it beneficial to fix the problem of pollution. Luckily, local government and citizens play crucial roles in the pollution, development and betterment of the Anacostia.
When the area around the Anacostia river was transforming into an urban area, “the vision for the Anacostia [was] one of vibrant and diverse settings for people to meet, relax, encounter nature and experience the heritage of Washington (Brandes, U. 2005).” Yet, the Anacostia is now home to some of the most impoverished people in Washington, D.C. The poverty in the area is just becoming worse and worse. Anacostia’s main source of jobs is essentially supposed to be provided by its proximity to a natural water source, but unfortunately the water source has been damaged due to years of pollutants. “Since the selection and construction of Washington D.C. as the U.S. national capitol, starting in 1790, the tidal Anacostia River has become heavily urbanized” (Williams 1942). When the industrial revolution came to America, factories were being built by the dozens near rivers. Hydropower was the most efficient and best way to power the factories, but the benefits of hydropower may have not outweighed the costs. Since companies were placing their factories on the banks of rivers, all of their waste and toxins were being dumped into the rivers. The dumping of wastes and toxins were not regulated until 1972 when the Clean Water Act was enacted by U.S. legislation (Holst). The Clean Water Act “was a response to increasing public concern for the environment and for the condition of the nation’s waters…[it] regulates the discharge of untreated waste water from municipalities, industries and businesses into rivers, lakes, and coastal waters” (Holst). This Clean Water Act was influential on the beginning of clean up in the Anacostia. Now since dumping is illegal, more attention is paid to the river and the effects of pollution on the community. There are many different factors contributing to the pollution of the river, but the three biggest pollutants include “stormwater runoff, inadequate sewer infrastructure and historic sources of legacy toxics” (DC Appleseed 2011).
The largest pollutant of the Anacostia is from historical sources. Starting in the 1600s, early settlers used the river as a shipping channel, thus the beginning of toxic silt build up on the bottom of the river. In the next century, with the population rapidly growing, the Anacostia watershed was more man made and only held 10 percent of its original forests and wetlands (Buerger 2012). Being a large water source, the Anacostia has been taken advantage of from the beginning. If less than 10 percent of the original land from the Anacostia still stands, one can infer there has been overuse of the land. This all refers back to the quick industrialization and urbanization of the river and the land surrounding it. The historical usage of the river is the gateway to a century of pollution. It is the accumulation of years of sediment, sewage, trash and poor regulation of the river that has led it to become the way it is today.
Stormwater runoff may not seem like big threat to the Anacostia, but it is also one of the main pollutants. It is a large pollutant of the Anacostia because of quick urbanization and the D.C.’s “lack of stormwater controls” (DC Appleseed 2011). When there are large quantities of rain, the water fallen collects sediment and elements from different soil and parts of the earth and carries this sediment to a larger water source for disposal. Since the Anacostia became urbanized quickly before any set infrastructure, runoff water dumps directly into the Anacostia causing major problems in the river. Stormwater contributes to the erosion and natural toxins in the river. This erosion is a problem because there are not clearly built systems to direct to the runoff into the water or other sources. The runoff water is freely flowing into the Anacostia, damaging the riverbeds. Stormwater runoff brings sediment, oil, and garbage that are not indigenous to the Anacostia, which ultimately leads to the destruction of life for fish and other animals who call the Anacostia home. Foreign sediment along with oil and garbage cannot do anything except for negatively affect the river’s environment. This can be understood at a global level as well as a local level. Oil spills and the trash found in the ocean are complex issues the globe is having to deal with today, the same thing is happening at a local level to the Anacostia river. Along with animals, sediment, oil and trash, sewage is another large pollutant contributing to issues in the river.
Similar to sediment, sewage and trash are a large problem in the Anacostia because of fast urbanization and the lack of infrastructure. D.C. has a two kinds of sewage systems, a combined sewage system and separate sewage systems, both do no good for the river or for its citizens. In a combined sewage system, the city’s sewage is mixed with stormwater runoff, while in a separate sewage system, overflow water seeps into the Anacostia. Each system seems to leak sewage into the Anacostia because of poor infrastructure and misdirection. Without new infrastructure, sewage and sediment will continue to be the largest pollutants in the river. Along with sewage and sediment, trash is also a large problem in the Anacostia.
Trash in the Anacostia is a large problem due to the lack of landfills and due to the convenience of the river, “garbage has plagued the river for decades, more than 20,000 tons of trash pollute the river each year” (Buerger 2012). Landfills around the US are increasingly becoming overcrowded, and DC is not an exception, “the District, Baltimore and many counties in between are contributing millions [of trash] annually to prop up one of the nation’s busiest facilities here in Elkridge, Md. (Davis 2015). Since there is lack of space in landfills, companies dispose of their trash using other methods, like dumping trash into local water sources. Although it is illegal, this is why dumping trash in the river is still a large issue. There are more than “1.2 million pounds, or about 600 tons” (Hammer 2016) of trash floating in the Anacostia. Trash is also deposited in the river from the convince of local restaurants and residential areas surrounding the river. Without evidence about who exactly is dumping into the river, it is difficult to attack the problem head on, but local and governmental efforts to clean river have led to the decrease of trash being dumped. Although there have been efforts to help stop future dumping, this does not undermine the already existing amount of trash is a large problem in the river. To combat all of these problems, there have been acts put in place by the government and local activist groups have used the power of the community to tackle issues head on.
Luckily, in the past decade there have been increasing efforts to help clean up the river. The biggest project so far, put together by the local government is the Anacostia River Tunnel Project, also referred to as the Clean Rivers Project (Beesley, J., Colzani, G., & Allen, C. 2013). The river project “is the second in a series of four tunnels that will mitigate combined sewer overflows that are currently discharged to the Anacostia River” (DC Water is Life). The city has recently just finished building the first part of tunnels to redirect stormwater runoff and sewage into a treatment plant. This billion dollar project significantly helps keep the Anacostia river clean, as well as many other water sources in D.C., like the Potomac. The redirection of this contaminated water not only helps the river, but also increases awareness to the issues on hand. Another influential governmental project is the Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Act of 2009. This act, most “commonly known as the ‘Bag Law’ requires that District businesses that sell food or alcohol charge a $0.05 fee for each paper and plastic bag distributed with any purchase, with certain exemptions” (DOEE). If you have ever gone to a supermarket or drug store in the District of Columbia, and you do not use a bag, that store will charge you a $0.05 fine, whether you are informed about the tax or not. All of the money accumulated from this tax “goes into an Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Fund, which will pay for the cleaning up of the river, educational programs, enforcement and giving out free reusable bags to elderly and low-income residents” (Alpert 2009). This act helps insures that the river is never being ignored and funding will never suffice. Along with governmental activism, there are lots of local, communal activist and volunteer groups that advocate for change and help clean the river.
The most active non-governmental, local volunteer group is the Anacostia Watershed Society. Founded in 1989, this society is the main voice for the river, their mission is to “create sustainable solutions that improve our communities, empower our residents, and create economic prosperity that will result in a clean river. We want to change the way people think about the Anacostia and make the river a destination” (Anacostia River Society). It is the only organization that regularly monitors the water quality and regularly updates the public on the toxicity levels. Along with public policy, they also hold “river restoration projects.” These include stormwater management, habitat restoration, pollution reduction and earth day clean up. Stormwater management, habitat restoration and pollution reduction are all strategies the society implements to help better the environment in and around the river, as well the environment at your home. Earth day clean-up is when volunteers from all over the DC community come together and volunteer to pick up trash on thirty different sides of the river (Anacostia River Society). Lastly, the Watershed Society holds education classes for all ages. Whether they are school based or adult based, the society is able to reach out and teach people about bettering the Anacostia and is able to provide people with a better understanding of how to help the environment and all the different ways of going about it. The Anacostia Watershed Society is the best way to go about volunteering and getting involved. These organizations do the best they can to better the river, without discouraging the residents around the river. Although the benefits of cleaning the river outweigh the costs by a large amount, there are negative effects, along with positive ones, on the community with the cleanup actions for the river.
Cleaning the river is the best solution for humans, for the fish living in the river and for the wildlife surrounding the river. The pollution and the long lasting sediment and sewage in the water creates an uninhabitable home for the fish living in the water (Kendrick 2013). These toxins can contaminate fish, killing thousands and affecting the economy for local fishing companies. Fisherman have had to stop fishing in the Anacostia because toxins are sickening all the fish, thus becoming too harmful for them to eat. The pollution also makes it hard for wildlife to drink fresh water, without becoming sick (Kendrick 2013). If the water is too toxic for humans to swim in, it is too harmful for wildlife to drink. The benefits to cleaning the river include economic growth and a higher quality of life for all animals and humans.
Since the river is restricted for human contact, fishing and recreational activities have not been able to thrive in the river. Once the river passes the toxicity test, people will be able to fish and enjoy themselves in the river, as well as they will more likely visit the river more (Lang 2018). Being able to fish contributes more money and growth for local fishing businesses, it also promotes local farm to table restaurants. Soon, people will be able to swim again in the river and the community will be able to open recreational companies, thus creating more tourism in the town and bring money back into the local economy. Recreational companies can be located in town or near the river and people will be able to kayak, paddle board, and rent swim and snorkel equipment (Boating In DC). In the summer these companies would bring in lots of money, letting the community grow in a sustainable way.
Cleaning the river also promotes a higher quality of life. This quality of life includes animals and humans. Animals will be able to live humbly in their natural habitats without the possibility of becoming sick or dying. Humans will be able to enjoy living in a beautiful area. People will also tend to shop and dine at stores near the river, if it is more enjoyable to look at. Though these all seem like great benefits, there are some negatives to cleaning the Anacostia.
As the river is becoming cleaner, more people become attracted to the idea of living by a waterfront, especially higher income families and young men and women. This influx of people moving to Anacostia has led to the decrease of affordable housing and an increase in luxurious housing. As a historically impoverished and black area, many problems have arisen with this sudden gentrification. As of now, the city is already getting rid of more affordable housing each year and “affluent newcomers [are] causing pockets of poverty to grow larger, especially east of the Anacostia River” (Duggan 2016). Slowly but surely, the government has been kicking out low income individuals. With growing prices in a sought after neighborhood, low income individuals and families cannot afford their housing anymore. Government planners and contractors have been selling / relocating their properties to build more housing for these higher income individuals. Gentrification is also creating a definite split between west and east Anacostia (Duggan 2016). A solution to keeping affordable and low income housing at a set level, is to place a set quota on how much affordable housing is allowed to be bought out by contractors and paying the extra dividend if housing rents rise. If people have to locate, companies have to be able to immediately find housing for the individuals being kicked out and paying for any extra expenses that were more than before.
Despite the negative effects on low income residents, the cleanup of the Anacostia River is crucial to the environment and community in Washington D.C.. With the understanding of what is in the river and solutions on how to clean the river, the future for the river is very hopeful. The Anacostia river has been in desperate need to be cleaned up and luckily, there are currently governmental and communal efforts being made to help the environment, bring action and create solutions to the ever growing issue of pollution.