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In September 2023, DOEE issued a Directive Letter to Washington Gas that required environmental investigation to be initiated at the former West Station. The West Station was a manufactured gas plant (MGP) operated by Washington Gas Light from approximately 1858 to 1946 on what is now the Watergate complex, Potomac Plaza Apartments (2475 Virginia Avenue NW), Potomac Plaza Terraces (730 24th Street NW), Western Presbyterian Church (2401 Virginia Avenue NW), and a section of land along Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway.
Prior to the availability of natural gas for lighting, heating, and cooking, gas was manufactured via the heating of coal and other feedstocks. This manufacturing process resulted in the creation of a byproduct known as coal tar, which contains contaminants of concern including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX), naphthalene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The Directive Letter was issued to Washington Gas based upon review of documents from historical investigations at and near the Watergate complex that identified these contaminants of concern in both soil and groundwater at multiple locations. Based on the historical data from the site, DOEE is requiring the investigation of the nature and extent of these contaminants in soil, groundwater, indoor air, and sediments of the Potomac River and Rock Creek.
Washington Gas has complied with the Directive Letter and prepared a Site Investigation Work Plan with consultation and approval from DOEE. Investigation activities are anticipated to begin in summer of 2024 with subsequent phases of investigation occurring as required by DOEE. As a component of the investigation will be occurring on land along Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, DOEE and Washington Gas are coordinating with the National Park Service on relevant portions of the site investigation. Similarly, DOEE and Washington Gas are coordinating with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers on the sediment investigation.
Project documents can be found in the administrative record file. Please direct questions regarding the project to Remedial Project Manager Kelsey Tharp at [email protected].