D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey, citing concerns about Potomac River pollution levels, has barred triathletes from swimming its murky waters this weekend.
The permit denial came a week after scientists raised concerns about pollutants in the Potomac River after they said that they found an high number of male fish developing female sexual traits. These fish, called “intersex fish,” produced immature eggs in their testes and were found in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
The Nation’s Triathlon, which planned for a one-kilometer swim Saturday in the Potomac, a 32K bike ride up Rock Creek Park and an 8K run to the U.S. Capitol, canceled the swim segment and replaced it with a 3K run.
Triathlon organizer Charles Brodsky, who has worked for 14 months to bring the District its first triathlon, called the decision to deny the permit “a short-term bummer.”
Ramsey rejected the swim portion after the District’s Department of the Environment raised concerns about the levels of human waste that are dumped into the river after rains.
The water quality levels were safe some days, but other days the amount of human fecal matter were 10 times greater than the average that EPA standards allow, said general counsel Corey Buffo.
“The standards of the EPA have not been consistently met,” Buffo said.
Brodsky said his organization has tested the water every six days for human fecal matter and found the Potomac is safe for swimming. Sometimes, it’s at near drinking water levels.
“I would jump in the water right now,” he said. “I would jump in even without a wetsuit.”
Buffo said that Environment Department scientists have seen the results of Brodsky’s tests, and they are flawed.
“It would be impossible” to beas low as Brodsky’s tests have found, Buffo said.
