Source: https://dcist.com/, November 1, 2023
By: Jacob Fenston

The city of Alexandria will clean up toxic pollution along the Potomac waterfront as part of a settlement announced today. The agreement settles a lawsuit filed against the city by the nonprofit Potomac Riverkeeper, alleging a city-owned site has been polluting the river for decades.

The pollution stems from the city’s long-shuttered coal gasification plant near Founders Park in Old Town. Since at least 1975, the site has been leaking coal tar, creosote and other waste into the river via storm sewers, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in May, 2022. Coal tar contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which are considered by health agencies to be probable human carcinogens. Read more.