Massive Potomac sewage spill could take months to clean up
A MASSIVE CLEANUP IS UNDERWAY AFTER HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS. UNDERWAY AFTER HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WASTE. HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WASTE SPILLED INTO THE. SPILLED INTO THE POTOMAC.C. TOM COSTELLO IS ON THE. POTOMAC. TOM COSTELLO IS ON THE SCENE. TOM COSTELLO IS ON T THE SCENE. >> Reporter: THE RIVER. N. GEORGE WASHINGTON CALLED THE NATION'S RIVER IS TONIGHT OFF. CALLED THE NATION'S RIVER IS TONIGIGHT OFF LIMITS AND. RIVER IS TONIGHT OFF LIMITS AND CONTAMINATED A AFTER A. LIMITS AND CONTAMINATED AFTER A 60-YEAR-OLD D SEWAGE. CONTAMINATED AFTER A 60-YEAR-OLD SEWAGE LINE I IN MARYLAND BROKE. 60-YEAR-OLD SEWAGE LINE IN MARYLAND BROKE UP LAST MONTH SPEWING. LINE IN MARYLAND BROKE UP LAST MONTH SPEWING MORE THAN 240,000. UP LAST MONTH SPEWING MORE THAN 240,000 GALLONS OF RAW WASTE. MORE THAN 240,000 GALLONS OF RAW WASTE INTO THE RIVER. INTO THE RIVER. THE SAME RIVER THAT FLOWS PAST THE KENNEDY. THE SAME RIVER THAT FLOWS PAST T THE KENNEDY CENTER AND LINCOLN. CENTER AND LINCOLN MEMORIAL AND USED BY BOATERS, KAYAKERS, MEMORIAL AND USED BY BOATERS, KAYAKERS, HIGH S SCHOOL AND. HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ROWING TEAMS. >> YOU CAN SEE THE.
COLLEGE ROWING TEAMS. >> YOU CAN SEE THE TOILET PAPER, THE. >> YOU CAN SEE THE TOILETET PAPER, THE SEWAGE UP ON THE BANKS. TOILET PAPER, THE SEWAGE UP ON THE BANKS THERE. THERE. >> Reporter: RIVER KEEPER DEAN SAYS THE. >> Reporter: RIVER KEEPER DEAN SAYS THE STENCH AND. KEEPER DEAN SAYS THE STENCH AND ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE. H. ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE ARE STAGGERING WITH E.COLI LEVELS MORE. ARE STAGGERING WITH E.COLI LEVELS MORE THAN 10,000 TIMES. THAN 10,000 TIMES ABOVE EPA QUALITY STANDARDS AT THE TIME. ABOVE EPA QUALITY STANDARDS AT THE TIME OFOF THE SPILL. STANDARDRDS AT THE TIME OF THE SPILL. SLOWLY COMING DOWN, OF THE SPILL. SLOWLY COMING DOWN, HEALTH EXPXPERTS WARN NO. SLOWLY COMING DOWN, HEALTH EXPERTS WARN NO ONE SHOULD BE BOATING, HEALTH EXPERTS WARN NO ONE SHOULD BE BOATING, FISH ORGANIZATION. FISH ORGANIZATION TOUCHING THE POTOMAC. IS DRINKING WATER. TOUCHING THE POTOMAC. IS DRINKING WATER AFFECTEDED HERE? IS DRINKING WAWATER AFFECTED HERE? >> NO. AFFECTED HERE? >> NO. FROM DAY ONE DRINKING. >> NO. FRFROM DAY ONE DRINKING WATER HAS NEVER BEEN. FROM DAY ONE DRINKNKING WATER HAS NEVER BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS. IMPACTED BY THIS. >> Reporter: BUT MASSIVE BOULDERS THAT.
>> Reporter: BUT MASSIVE BOULDERS THAT COLLAPSESE NEIGHBORHOOD. MASSIVE BOULULDERS THAT COLLAPSE NEIGHBORHOOD THE PIPE ARE DELAYING. COLLAPSE NEIGHBORHOOD THE PIPE ARE DELAYING THE REPAIRS. THE REPAIRS. MEANWHILE, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BLAMED. MEANWHILE, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BLAMED MARYLAND'S DEMOCRATIC. TRUMP HAS BLAMAMED MARYLAND'S DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR WES MOORE FOR. GOVERNOR WES MOORE FOR GROSS MISMANAGEMENT WHILE MOORE FIRED BACK. GROSS MISMANAGEMENT WHILE MOORE FIRERED BACK SAYING THE PIPE WAS. WHILE MOORE FIRED BACK SAYING THE PIPE WAS FEDERALLY BUILT AND. SAYING THE PIPE WAS FEDERALLY Y BUILT AND REGULATED AND THE. FEDERALLY BUILT AND REGULATETED AND THE TRUMP EPA HAS BEEN. TRUMP EPA HAS BEEN SLOW TO RESPOND. THE FEFEAR NOW THE. SLOW TO RESPOND. THE FEAR NOW THE POTOMAC MAY NOT BE. THE FEAR NOW THE POTOMAC MAY NOT BE SAFE FOR M MONTHS. POTOMAC MAY NOT T BE SAFE FOR MONTHS. YOU USED TO SWIM HERE? SAFE FOR MONTHS. YOU USED TO SWIM HERE? >> I SWAM RIGHT HERE. YOU USED TO SWIM HERE? >> I SWAWAM RIGHT HERE. >> Reporter: WOULD YOU. >> Reporter: WOULD YOU SWIM IN HERE AGAIN?? >> NOT FOR A WHILE. SWIM IN HERE AGAIN? >> NOT FOR A WHILE. >> Reporter: D.C.
