A Washington, DC, developer has been ordered to pay $200,000 and permanently protect local wetlands after state investigators uncovered an illegal operation that drained protected ecosystems and polluted the Anacostia River, per the Washington Informer.

The DC attorney general's office announced that residences at Kenilworth Park, LLC (RKP) — a subsidiary of Gragg Cardona Souadi — violated multiple environmental laws while constructing an assisted living complex at 1650 Kenilworth Avenue NE. Between 2020 and 2022, the company installed more than 200 unauthorized groundwater extraction wells, pumped millions of gallons of water from the site each day, and discharged untreated wastewater into city storm drains — contaminating the nearby river.

According to officials, the illegal activity dried out more than two acres of federally protected wetlands near Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and repeatedly exceeded pollution limits without disclosure.

"We will not allow developers to flout District laws and regulations designed to protect our natural resources," DC attorney general Brian Schwalb said in a statement. "Nor will we permit them to roll back the hard-won progress we have made toward a clean, safe, and swimmable Anacostia River."

The settlement requires RKP to pay a $200,000 penalty and record a conservation easement protecting the remaining wetlands in perpetuity — binding even future property owners to preservation standards.

Environmental advocates called the case a stark reminder of how fragile DC's natural habitats remain.

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"Anacostia Riverkeeper welcomes this settlement against a developer who illegally drained and damaged some of the precious few wetlands left in the District," said Trey Sherard of Anacostia Riverkeeper. "To make it worse, they then passed polluted water into the Anacostia River via storm sewers without treating it or notifying DOEE."

This case underscores the urgent need to strengthen accountability measures for developers — and to invest in sustainable urban development that prioritizes clean water and protected green spaces.

Across the country, programs like EPA's wetland protection development grants and grassroots conservation groups are working to restore damaged habitats and enforce safeguards that prevent abuses like these from recurring — ensuring that environmental "progress" means progress for everyone.

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