US Navy weapons testing illegally pollutes Potomac River, lawsuit says
By Clark Mindock
June 21, 20234:49 PM EDTUpdated 2 hours ago
June 21 (Reuters) - Two environmental groups on Wednesday sued the U.S. Navy over its weapons testing on a stretch of the Potomac River south of Washington, D.C., which they said illegally pollutes the waterway with toxic metals and solvents.
The Natural Resources Defense Council and the Potomac Riverkeeper Network said in their lawsuit filed in Maryland federal court that permits under the Clean Water Act are needed to discharge pollutants, including munitions, into U.S. rivers. But the Navy has never received those approvals for its testing on the Potomac, they said.
According to the lawsuit, the testing leaves things like casings and shells behind, which contaminate the water with iron, toxic heavy metals like manganese and toxic chemicals from explosives.
The groups are asking the court to order the Navy to apply for a permit to continue its testing, which would set pollution limits and other requirements for the Navy's activity to help maintain the river’s water quality.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-navy-weapons-testing-illegally-pollutes-potomac-river-lawsuit-2023-06-21/#:~:text=The%20Natural%20Resources%20Defense%20Council%20and%20the%20Potomac,for%20its%20testing%20on%20the%20Potomac%2C%20they%20said.
