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Repairs have been completed following the historic Potomac River sewage spill in Washington, D.C., less than a month after President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration that allowed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help.
“Emergency repairs to the Potomac Interceptor are complete,” DC Water said Saturday. “Full flow has been restored and the C&O Canal has been fully drained as part of site restoration. Since Jan 19, crews worked around the clock to stabilize the site and protect the Potomac River.”
The declaration came after a sewage pipe interceptor ruptured on Jan. 19, releasing more than 240 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a disaster emergency over the Potomac sewage spill and requested federal assistance with the cleanup.
Trump said he was worried the Potomac River would still stink when America250 celebrations kick off this summer, according to the White House.
SEWAGE SPILL SENDS E COLI SURGING IN THE POTOMAC RIVER NEAR DC
Repairs have been completed following the historic Potomac River sewage spill in Washington, D.C., less than a month after President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration that allowed FEMA to help. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
The president had directed his ire toward Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and other local leaders in Virginia and Washington, D.C., on the issue, claiming incompetence led to the disaster.
Moore and his office, however, pushed back on Trump’s assertions, claiming the federal government has oversight over the sewer utility.
“This is a Washington, D.C., pipe on federal land,” Moore told Digital last month. “Maryland has nothing to do with this. In fact, the only thing Maryland did was when we saw a neighbor who was in need. That’s why I ordered people, our people to go support them, and that’s what we’ve been doing the past month.”
Raw sewage flows to an interceptor beside the Potomac River in Cabin John, Maryland, on Saturday. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
“We’ve been doing essentially the federal government’s job because it’s the federal government’s job to be able to protect the Potomac interconnector because that’s federal land,” Moore said. “For the president now to come and attack me on this, I find that to be … absurd.”
The sewage pipes are managed by DC Water, an independent utility based in the District of Columbia.
A class action lawsuit was filed by a Virginia resident on March 6 that accused DC Water of negligence.
Noel Boxer, an external affairs officer with FEMA, inspects the flow of raw sewage, after a gate was raised to resume the flow along the Potomac River on Saturday. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
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The plaintiff, Nicholas Lailas, who is a recreational boater, is seeking compensation for people “whose property interests in and use and enjoyment of the Potomac River … have been impaired by Defendant’s conduct,” the lawsuit said.
He is seeking unspecified damages.
‘ Stephen Sorace and Jasmine Baehr and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
