The Department of the Navy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) are extending the public comment period on the proposed remedial action plan for Operable Unit 2 (OU2) at the Washington Navy Yard (WNY). Proposed Plans are issued as part of the Navy’s Environmental Restoration (ER) Program to describe the background and rationale for proposed remedial action.
Online Public Meeting: An in-person public meeting was held on July 23, 2026 to provide an overview of OU2, investigation findings, remedial alternatives evaluated, and preferred alternative; answer questions; and accept public comments. An additional online public meeting will be held during the extended public comment period. The online public meeting will include the same presentation provided at the first meeting, followed by an opportunity to ask questions or make comments.
When: Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 6:00 pm.
Link: The online meeting will be held using MS Teams. A link to the meeting can be found on the Navy’s environmental restoration program website for the Washington Navy Yard.
Proposed Action for OU2: OU2 consists of approximately 15.6 acres of sediment in the Anacostia River adjacent to, and extending several hundred yards downstream of, the WNY. The sediments are impacted by contaminants (polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and lead) from multiple Navy sources associated with historical industrial activities, as well as from non-Navy sources located throughout the river’s watershed. The PCBs in the sediment pose potential unacceptable health risks to people who eat fish caught in the river. PAHs and lead pose potential risks to organisms that reside in and near the sediment. To address these risks, the Navy proposes to implement an enhanced natural recovery remedial action that consists of placing a thin-layer sand cap amended with activated carbon on the OU2 sediment with the highest contaminant concentrations and then conduct long-term performance monitoring within an adaptive management decision framework to determine if further action within OU2 is necessary. This action is to be implemented under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
Public Comments: The public is encouraged to review and comment on the Proposed Plan for OU2. The public comment period began July 13, 2026, and has been extended to September 14, 2026. The final decision for OU2 will be made only after the public comment period has ended. The Proposed Plan and related environmental documents are available for public review at:
D.C. Public Library - Southwest Branch Library
900 Wesley Place, SW
(202) 724-4298
Washington Navy Yard Library
850 Kidder Breese, SE
(202) 433-4132
These documents are also available online.
Please email your written comments to Ms. Caitlyn Dugan at the address below by September 14, 2026.
For additional information, contact:
Ms. Caitlyn Dugan - NAVFAC Washington
202-802-4165 - [email protected]
Mr. Robert W. Stroud - EPA Region III
(410) 305-2748 - [email protected]
Mr. Nazmul Haque - DOEE
(202) 535-1330 - [email protected]