Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb has launched a legal battle against Fort Myer Construction Company, pointing the finger at the firm for polluting waterways in the District. The company, which is one of the leading road paving and infrastructure construction enterprises in the region, stands accused of allowing contaminants, specifically with traces of petroleum, to spill into the District's stormwater systems, thus breaching the Water Pollution Control Act (WPCA). "For years, Fort Myer Construction threatened District residents' health and safety by polluting our waterways in blatant violation of environmental laws," Schwalb stated, highlighting the repeated negligence by the company despite multiple warnings and infractions noted by District agencies, according to a recent release from the Attorney General's office.
Since 2015, investigations and inspections conducted by the District's Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) have repeatedly found Fort Myer's Ward 5 facility to be out of compliance, neglecting to adhere to regulatory mandates quickly. Escaping accountability, the company failed to even try to obtain the appropriate permits to legally discharge runoff under federal guidelines. In the face of such behavior, Schwalb's office is seeking to hold Fort Myer financially accountable for its actions by pursuing penalties for violations of the WPCA. The details of the charges leveled against the construction giant have been made available on the Office of the Attorney General's website.
The Office of the Attorney General has made it clear that environmental protection remains a priority and it will not waver in its mission to safeguard District residents from ecological harm. Over the last decade, nearly $120 million has been funneled into environmental justice initiatives in the District. The lawsuit against Fort Myer is the latest in a series of actions, with nearly half of the secured funds arriving since AG Schwalb took office in January 2023.
The AG's office has a history of environmental advocacy, working with the DOEE on cleanup projects like those for the Anacostia River. It has pursued legal action against violators, including securing a $57 million settlement from Pepco for its contributions to the pollution of the Anacostia River. As the litigation proceeds, David Hoffmann and Lauren Cullum, both legal professionals in the AG's office, have been assigned to manage this case.
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