Last month, an interceptor pipe broke and started to pour sewage into the Potomac.
Local efforts have not been able to contain the leak, so Donald Trump offered to have the federal government step in, but only if local officials asked nicely.
That time has come, as an emergency has been declared by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser after E. coli levels have seen a serious and dangerous spike.
When I heard Trump’s statement, I could not help but think of Col. Nathan Jessup in “A Few Good Men.”
Trump has posted, “Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., who are responsible for the massive sewage spill in the Potomac River, must get to work, IMMEDIATELY.
“If they can’t do the job, they have to call me and ask, politely, to get it fixed. The Federal Government is not at all involved with what has taken place, but we can fix it.”
As expected, Trump took criticism for his comments, but Dems have honestly brought this on themselves. Whenever Trump jumps in, they hammer him for overreach, so I understand his overall point here.
Hundreds of millions of gallons of sewage have poured into the Potomac since the break, and it has taken a toll.
The EPA is now calling this an ecological crisis of “historic proportion.”
It stated, “The Potomac Interceptor overflow is a sewage crisis of historic proportion. Never should any American family, community, or waterway ever have to experience this level of extensive environmental damage.”
The E. coli levels in the area are now hundreds of times higher than what is considered safe, and finger-pointing has already started. The EPA, however, stated that nobody has picked up the phone to ask for its help, but that is about to change.
On Wednesday, Mayor Bowser officially declared an emergency and requested federal resources to help fight the problem. Maryland Governor Wes Moore contends that the EPA should have already been involved, but this is a tricky issue.
DC Water is responsible for those lines, including maintenance and repair, but the EPA does have oversight.
The mayor has had a decent relationship with Trump, and she appeared to sidestep the finger-pointing. To that point, Deputy Mayor Lindsey Appiah stated, “Our number one priority is the district, and that we’re going to utilize all resources, local, federal, and regional, or otherwise, to support operations of the district and what’s best for district residents.”
In addition to FEMA and the EPA stepping in to help, Bowser would like the US Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate the situation. Now that she has formally asked for federal help, I am sure Trump will be more than happy to oblige.
