President Trump worries about Potomac poop smell ahead of America 250 event
The White House announced that President Donald Trump is working to improve the smell of sewage in the Potomac River.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is concerned that the stench from a massive Potomac River sewage spill could linger in the nation’s capital during the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations scheduled for this summer, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said.
President Trump in recent days blamed the Maryland Democrat for a January burst in a sewer line in suburban Washington that sent at least 200 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Potomac River. The waterway surrounds some of the city’s biggest attractions, including the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.
Asked at a Feb. 18 press conference whether the president was concerned that the river would “still smell like poop” at the 250th mega-event later this year, Levitt said Trump was “concerned about that.”
“That’s why the federal government wants to solve the problem,” she says. “And we hope local governments will work with us on that.”
Does the Potomac River smell like poop?
On January 19, a sewer system collapsed in Cabin John, Maryland, just four miles north of Washington. The University of Maryland, which called the incident one of the “largest sewage spills in U.S. history,” said it detected elevated levels of fecal bacteria and disease-causing pathogens in the river.
Pumps were installed on Jan. 24 to divert sewage, but no pumps have flowed into the Potomac River since Jan. 29. Still, residents in the area say the stench still lingers. It’s unclear whether the odor could spread to parts of Washington downstream from the spill.
See broken sewer pipes on the Potomac River being repaired
Collapsed sewer pipes continue to spill raw sewage into the Potomac River, making it one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history.
Washington’s Department of Energy and Environment urged residents to avoid contact with the Potomac River, avoid fishing in the water and keep pets away from shore.
President Trump’s 250 bashes smell like poop?
The Potomac River runs along the southwest edge of Washington and is close to some of the city’s biggest tourist attractions, including the National Mall, Georgetown, Nationals Park, where the city’s baseball team plays, and a park that has been floated as a potential site for President Trump’s National Garden of American Heroes.
Many of these locations are expected to see an increase in visitor numbers this year as Americans flock to the nation’s capital to celebrate the semi-quincentenary.
Events to celebrate the nation’s milestone birthday are planned across the country, but some of the biggest events will be held in Washington.
In addition to efforts organized by the bipartisan America 250 Committee created by Congress, President Trump has organized a series of extravagant events around Independence Day.
So far, the events have included an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match on the White House lawn, an Indy car race around the National Mall, the Great American State Fair and the Fourth of July fireworks show.
Contributors: Rebecca Moerin and N’Dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY.
Carissa Waddick, who covers America’s 250th anniversary for USA TODAY, can be reached at kwaddick@usatoday.com.
(This story has been updated to include video.)
