Since the District's bag law took effect in 2010, Mayor Muriel Bowser said there's been a more than 70 percent reduction in plastic bags littering city waterways. The new Anacostia Accord is part of a larger effort to restore water quality throughout the watershed.
WASHINGTON — Right now, the Anacostia River is so polluted people are advised not to swim in it or eat certain fish caught from its waters. Local officials signing the “Anacostia River Accord,” Thursday renewed their commitment to changing that.
“To truly restore the river, we want it to be swimmable, playable and fishable,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser during a news conference announcing the new efforts. “We have seen our policies working,” she said.
Watershed communities have implemented a number of measures to help clean up the river.
D.C. trash traps and skimmer boats collect plastics and other debris. Montgomery County has a 5-cent tax on plastic and paper bags, and Prince George’s County has a “clean sweep” community clean-up initiative.
Since the District’s bag law took effect in 2010, Bowser said there’s been a more than 70 percent reduction in plastic bags littering city waterways.
“And on Jan. 1, the District’s foam ban took effect and we think it will also reduce one of the most prevalent pollutants in the Anacostia,” Bowser said.
The Anacostia Accord is part of a larger effort to restore water quality throughout the watershed.
The Anacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership is a consortium of local, state and federal agencies, environmental organizations, and private citizens working to restore water quality under the auspices of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
Kristi King is a veteran reporter who has been working in the WTOP newsroom since 1990. She covers everything from breaking news to consumer concerns and the latest medical developments.