D.C. asks Trump for money to clean up sewage disaster
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Mayor Bowser is seeking federal reimbursement for pipe fixes. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Earlier this week, President Trump demanded local officials repair the Potomac sewage spill "IMMEDIATELY" or call him and "ask, politely, to get it fixed."
Why it matters: The ask is now out.
The latest: Mayor Bowser declared the spill a public emergency Wednesday night and asked the White House for federal dollars to cover the costs of cleanup.
- And Maryland Gov. Moore, after initially rebuffing the president's demands, opened the door for FEMA help. "If the president wants me to ask nicely," Moore said, "our response is this: Please, Mr. President, do your job."
The big picture: The political pressure around the spill is ratcheting up — just as the icy river thaws, sending bacteria-infested waters down to D.C.
Zoom in: Bowser requested the money so locals won't be hit with rate hikes to cover the cleanup costs.
- Moore said that "Maryland will work collaboratively" if the federal government shows up.
- He blasted Trump for blaming the spill on Maryland when the pipe that burst is on federal land and managed by D.C. Water, an independent utility based in the District.
Between the lines: It's unclear what assistance the federal government is offering.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday afternoon that the Trump administration is "preparing plans" with FEMA, the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers, but that they were awaiting a formal request for federal help.
- Moore pointed out that EPA officials skipped last Friday's two-hour-long Maryland hearing about the cleanup.
Meanwhile, local Democratic Congress members have stepped up criticism of D.C. Water, requesting regular public briefings and continued bacteria testing into the summer.
- "While we appreciate the ongoing emergency response, we remain deeply concerned about the near-term public health and environmental impacts," lawmakers from Virginia and Maryland wrote in a letter to D.C. Water CEO David Gadis.