U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin visited the site of the Potomac Interceptor collapse on Feb. 25 for an in-person look at the repair process.
The visit included a briefing on the latest plans, developments and timeline for full repair and environmental remediation.
Zeldin was joined at the site by EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jessica Kramer, DC Water CEO David Gadis, along with other officials from DC Water and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) who are on the ground actively working on the repair. A press release from EPA identified Kramer as Senior Response Officer leading the effort.
“From the moment Mayor Bowser requested federal assistance last week, President Trump instantly deployed his Administration to do everything in our power to help resolve this sewage crisis at the Potomac Interceptor site,” said Zeldin.
“Following my visit to the site, I’m extremely pleased with the unified Trump Administration response, including EPA, FEMA, Army Corps and National Park Service, to exceptionally assist DC Water with this urgent rebuild and environmental remediation.”
Following a request for federal assistance from Mayor Bowser in February, the White House assigned EPA as the lead federal agency in response to the Potomac Interceptor collapse that resulted in at least 240 million gallons of raw, untreated sewage discharging into the Potomac River.
EPA said, as part of its “enhanced role,” the agency is actively coordinating with all federal agencies and DC Water to ensure appropriate and expeditious measures are utilized to protect public health and prevent additional overflows until the pipe is repaired and the Potomac Interceptor is fully functional again.
This repair is currently projected to be completed by mid-March. EPA said it is coordinating with the other agencies involved to ensure site clean-up activities are completed well before America250 festivities on the Potomac begin.
Finally, EPA will ensure DC Water evaluates all Potomac Interceptor infrastructure to identify other areas requiring maintenance or repair as expeditiously as possible.
The agency said it has open and transparent lines of communication with DC Water, state and local partners and the public. EPA is coordinating with all federal partners to conduct robust oversight, implement a streamlined and efficient communication strategy, and provide resources to support the completion of repairs and remediation efforts as quickly as possible.
Source: EPA
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