Public Comment and Public Meeting
Proposed Plan for Operable Unit 2
Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.
The Navy, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) is holding a comment period July 13-August 13, 2026 on the proposed remedial action plans for Operable Unit 2 (OU2) at the Washington Navy Yard (WNY). OU2 consists of approximately 15.6 acres of sediment in the Anacostia River adjacent to, and extending several hundred yards downstream of, WNY. The sediments are impacted by contaminants from multiple Navy sources associated with historical industrial activities, as well as from non-Navy sources located throughout the river’s watershed.
To address these risks, the Navy proposes implementing 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. This would be followed by conducting long-term performance monitoring to determine if further action within OU2 is necessary.
Public Meeting: A public meeting will be held on July 23, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., at Earth Conservation Corps’ Monique Johnson Anacostia River Center at Diamond Teague Park, 1520 First Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003. The Navy will provide an overview of OU2, investigation findings, remedial alternatives evaluated, and preferred alternative; answer questions; and accept public comments.
A brief overview of the site and the proposed remedial action plan for OU2 can be found in the public notice HERE.
The proposed remedial action plan can be found HERE. The technical reports describing the investigation, results, and potential alternatives, are also available for review:
Public participation is an important part of the remedy selection process and the Navy’s preferred alternative may be modified based on new information and/or public comments. The Navy will finalize its plan, with EPA and DOEE concurrence, after considering all comments received during the public comment period (July 13 – August 13, 2026) on this proposed action. Comments can be submitted by email or mail to one of the following:
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Ms. Regina Adams
NAVFAC Washington Public Affairs
202-685-0384
navfac_wash_publicaffairsoffice@us.navy.mil
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Mr. Robert W. Stroud
EPA Region III
(410) 305-2748
stroud.robert@epa.gov
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Mr. Nazmul Haque
DOEE
(202) 535-1330
Nazmul.haque@dc.gov
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Community Involvement Plan
The Navy maintains a Community Involvement Plan for its ongoing Environmental Restoration Program at the Washington Navy Yard (WNY). The Plan outlines how the Navy communicates with the public while implementing the Environmental Restoration Program, and how the community can participate in the decision-making process.
To view the current Community Involvement Plan (2025), Click Here.
Point of Contact
Please contact the Public Affairs Officer for information and inquiries about community outreach and environmental cleanup activities at the WNY.
Naval Support Activity Washington
Public Affairs Officer
(202) 433-2669
Information Repositories
District of Columbia Public Library
Southeast Branch Library
403 7th Street, S.E.
Washington, DC 20003
Phone: (202) 698-3377
Washington Navy Yard Library
805 Kidder Breese, SE
Washington Navy Yard, D.C. 20374
Phone: (202) 433-4132