President Trump on Saturday approved Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser’s request for federal disaster assistance to clean up the Potomac River after a sewer line collapsed.
The White House tapped the Environmental Protection Agency to lead the federal response to the Potomac Interceptor collapse, which resulted in at least 240 million gallons of raw sewage discharging into the river starting Jan. 19.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced federal disaster assistance after the president authorized it to coordinate all relief efforts, despite operating without funding amid the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
The assistance will also cover Maryland and Virginia, where D.C. has responsibilities, FEMA said.
The agency can identify, mobilize and provide equipment and resources, adding that under its Public Assistance program, federal funding is required to cover only 75% of the costs.
Ms. Bowser declared a local public emergency in a 15-day order on Wednesday, requesting help from the Trump administration and directing emergency and city officials to “activate, implement, and coordinate mutual aid agreements between the District of Columbia and federal, state, or local jurisdictions as needed.”
The EPA said it’s coordinating with the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, estimating the repair to be completed by mid-March. It said it will also ensure that DC Water evaluates all Potomac Interceptor infrastructure to identify other areas requiring maintenance or repair.
The sanitary sewer line in Maryland conveys up to 60 million gallons of wastewater every day from parts of Virginia and Maryland to a D.C. wastewater treatment plant. But a rupture in January caused hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated sewage to escape through Jan. 24 as a temporary bypass pipeline was built to prevent more contamination.
Mr. Trump has shaken his finger at local officials over the spill, directing his blame toward Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and other leaders in Virginia and D.C.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said she will stay in close contact with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to ensure coordinated federal support for the nation’s capital, adding that FEMA is deploying a team there.
“Even as Democrat politicians shut us down and these men and women go without pay, DHS is committed to providing much-needed aid to the Americans impacted by this disaster,” she said. “We will not let our citizens suffer without help.”
• Mary McCue Bell can be reached at mbell@washingtontimes.com.
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