Washington

DC AG sues contractor alleging decade of polluting waterways

Published

1 year ago

October 18, 2024

DC AG sues contractor alleging decade of polluting waterways

D.C.’s attorney general sued one of the biggest construction firms in the region – which is also one of the biggest contractors doing business with the city – alleging the company has been polluting Washington’s waterways for almost a decade.

Fort Myer Construction handles much of the major road work in the District. Its headquarters in Northeast D.C. is not far from the Anacostia River.

According to the lawsuit, toxic runoff from the heavy equipment at the site has been making its way into the Anacostia since 2015.

“The heart of this lawsuit is that for the better part of a decade at this point, Fort Myer has been allowing petroleum-laden runoff to leave their Ward 5 facility into the stormwater system, which makes its way into the Anacostia River,” Assistant Deputy Attorney General Will Stephens said.

“D.C. agencies who are tasked with trying to work on this have tried to bring Fort Myer into compliance for several years, and the company’s continued to flout those efforts and continue to allow the runoff,” he said.

According to the lawsuit, the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment has been citing Fort Myer and instructing the company to correct the problem for almost 10 years.

The attorney general’s office alleges runoff from the facility flows into nearby storm drains and then empties into nearby streams that flow through the National Arboretum and empty into the Anacostia.

“We’re tasked with trying to protect these natural resources that belong to everybody, including the arboretum belongs not only to people the District, but the people of the United States – is run by the USDA – but the Anacostia River is one of our jewels, obviously, along with the Potomac,” Stephens said. “And so, we take very seriously trying to find ways to prevent and stop this kind of pollution, particularly with petroleum-laden chemicals and other gray water.”

A spokesperson for Fort Myer issued a statement to News4, saying, “Fort Myer Construction is proud to be an award-winning construction firm and leader in green infrastructure work. No construction company in the District has built more green infrastructure projects protecting our environment and making our neighborhoods more resilient to extreme weather caused by climate change. We do not agree with the allegations in this lawsuit and look forward to defending our record in court.”

According the attorney general, winning the lawsuit could mean millions of dollars in a civil judgement.

News4 reached out to the mayor’s office asking why the city would continue to award contracts to Fort Myer if it was not in compliance with environmental regulations, but the mayor’s office did not respond.

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Washington

Tulip Day Washington draws buzz as sign-up site goes down

Published

5 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

WASHINGTON – Coming up this month, spring’s most colorful new event: Tulip Day Washington.

What we know:

On March 15, 2026, Tulip Day Washington will transform DC’s National Mall into a vibrant tulip-picking garden beautiful views of U.S. Capitol

This one-day event will take place from 11:15 AM – 4:15 PM, offering a floral showcase of approximately 150,000 tulips; visitors are invited to pick their choice of 10 tulips for free upon arrival.

Dig deeper:

The registration site for Tulip Day is currently down, showing users “This site is currently unavailable. If you’re the owner of this website, please contact your hosting provider to get this resolved.”

Users on social media say the event may be sold out.

Check tulipday.eu for updates.

The backstory:

The event is organized by the Embassy of the Netherlands and Royal Anthos, a Dutch trade association, in honor of America’s 250th birthday. The display of tulips will be in the shape of the number 250.

The bulbs come from the Netherlands, but are being grown in Virginia and New Jersey.

These won’t be the first tulips on the National Mall, however. The Floral Library, also known as the Tulip Library, features 93 beds of flowers near the Tidal Basin. The Floral Library was established in 1969, and is maintained by the National Park Services. These flowers, though, are to be enjoyed only – not to be picked.

Things To Do in the DMVNewsWashington, D.C.

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Washington

PHOTOS: Long Beach State Dirtbags vs. Washington State, Baseball

Published

17 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

PHOTOS: Long Beach State Dirtbags vs. Washington State, Baseball

The562’s coverage of Dirtbags Baseball for the 2026 season is sponsored by P2S, Inc. Visit p2sinc.com to learn more.

Long Beach State dropped a 9-7 decision against Washington State on Sunday afternoon, closing out a busy weekend on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.

The visiting Cougars took the lead for good in the eighth inning when Long Beach Poly grad Ryan Skjonsby delivered a game-winning two-run single with two outs and the bases loaded. Skjonsby was 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and three RBIs for Washington State in their road victory.

For the Dirtbags, catcher Damon Valdez scored twice and had a key two-run single in the sixth to help lead a Long Beach comeback. Trevor Goldenetz had a pair of hits at the top of the order, including an RBI triple. Camden Gasser walked twice and singled, improving his on-base percentage to .574 on the season.

Long Beach State (4-7) will be back in action at home on Tuesday with an exhibition match against Waseda University from Japan. The Dirtbags will then visit San Diego State on Wednesday and open Big West play at UC Santa Barbara this weekend.

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Washington

Week Ahead in Washington: March 1

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Operation “Epic Fury” — the weekend military operations carried out by the U.S. and Israel against targets in Iran — tops the agenda for Congress as lawmakers return to Washington.

Sunday, President Donald Trump said the new leadership in Iran wants to talk to the Trump Administration.

Democrats in both chambers called for Congress to return as soon as possible for classified briefings on Iran, followed by a move to vote on the War Powers Act. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war on another country.

Congress’ return to Washington was originally delayed due to the start of the 2026 midterm elections cycle.

Tuesday, voters in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas head to the polls for primary elections.

North Carolina and Texas are drawing significant attention, as both states are facing congressional redistricting and competitive primary races for Senate seats.

In Texas, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R) is facing primary challenges from state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. On the Democratic side, Rep. Jasmine Crockett is facing state Rep. James Talarico.

In North Carolina, candidates are vying to replacing retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R) . They include former Governor Roy Cooper (D) and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley.

Also this week, the Rev. Jesse Jackson is laid to rest. He will be honored Wednesday in Washington before a final memorial service Saturday. Jackson died Feb. 17.

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