FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Renee Cho (914) 478-4501 x 239
rcho@riverkeeper.org

June 4, 2008

RIVERKEEPER APPLAUDS GOVERNOR’S RESPONSE TO
HUDSON RIVER FISHERIES CRISIS
DEC Plan Falls Short on Key Power Plant Intakes Issue

(Tarrytown, NY) Riverkeeper commends Governor Paterson for his proposed plan, announced on May 29, 2008 to rebuild the Hudson River’s critical fisheries, including the historic American shad fishery. In his May 29th press release, the governor announced “a new set of initiatives aimed at developing a better understanding of the Hudson River estuary ecosystem and restoring several imperiled fish species, including the American shad.” The announcement comes on the heels of Riverkeeper’s report, The Status of Fish Populations and the Ecology of the Hudson, produced by Pisces Conservation Ltd (“Pisces Report”) and released to the public on May 15. The study found that ten of the Hudson River’s 13 signature fish populations are in decline.

“Governor Paterson’s announcement demonstrates a clear commitment by New York State to address the fisheries crisis,” said Riverkeeper president, Alex Matthiessen. “While there are many factors causing the decline of shad and other species in the Hudson, it is critical that New York State move quickly to tackle the causes that are within the state’s control. The measures announced by Governor Paterson, which include restoration of critical spawning and nursery habitat, reduction of bycatch, and using the DEC permitting process to minimize fish kills caused by Hudson River power plants, should go a long way towards restoring the American shad and other Hudson River fish species.”

The more detailed shad recovery plan released by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) the day after the governor’s announcement fell short of properly addressing the toll five Hudson River power plants are taking on certain species, including the shad. The plants – Indian Point, Danskammer, Roseton, Bowline and Lovett – together withdraw over five billion gallons of water from the river each day, killing billions of fish, in various stages of life, each year. However, Riverkeeper is optimistic that Commissioner Grannis will take steps to amend the agency’s outdated policy governing these facilities’ cooling water intake structures and issue final permits that require the plant operators to use “best technology available to minimize environmental impacts” as required by the Clean Water Act.

“In his statement, the governor clearly recognized the role that power plant intakes play in the decline of Hudson River fish stocks,” added Matthiessen, “and, as the governor stressed, no plant is worse in this regard than Indian Point. Riverkeeper applauds the DEC for issuing a permit that mandates the installation of closed-cycle cooling at Indian Point and supports the state’s aggressive defense of that permit in the proceedings to come. And we look forward to working with Commissioner Grannis so that the ‘best technology standard’ of the Clean Water Act is applied to all of the Hudson River’s power plants.”

ABOUT RIVERKEEPER: Riverkeeper is an independent member-supported environmental organization. Riverkeeper's mission is to protect the ecological integrity of the Hudson River and its tributaries, and to safeguard the drinking water supply of New York City and the lower Hudson Valley. For more information, please visit www.riverkeeper.org

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