News - Press Releases

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced a proposal to ban the distribution and use of single-use food containers made with expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam). The proposal also bans the sale of Styrofoam packaging materials, known as packing peanuts. This effort builds on the groundbreaking legislation going into effect in March 2020 to ban single-use plastic bags in New York. Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay said: “Governor Andrew M. Cuomo is making a great call by proposing a ban on Styrofoam packing peanuts and takeout containers from restaurants, which do tremendous harm […]

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OSSINING, N.Y. — Yesterday, Governor Cuomo directed the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to ban the aerial spraying of the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos, ban all use except apple tree trunk application by 2020 and ban all use by 2021. The Governor also vetoed legislation sponsored by Senator Todd Kaminsky and Assembly Member Steve Englebright that would have also phased out the pesticide. Banning this toxic pesticide is important for protecting human health and life found in our rivers, lakes and oceans. The National Marine Fisheries Service in 2017 […]

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OSSINING, N.Y. — On Friday, Entergy, the operator of the Indian Point nuclear power plant, and Holtec International, a New Jersey-based firm with a scandalous corporate past, asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to approve a transfer of the plant’s license and its $2 billion decommissioning trust fund to Holtec. Holtec’s recent history makes it the wrong choice to take on the decommissioning of Indian Point. The company was caught bribing workers at the Tennessee Valley Authority, was suspended from contracting with TVA, and then lied about its corporate past to obtain tax breaks from […]

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After careful consideration, research and consultation with affected community, environmental, government and corporate representatives, Riverkeeper is withdrawing its support of Transmission Developers, Inc.’s Champlain Hudson Power Express.  In April 2013, due in large part to concerns over meeting the energy needs of New York City and New York State after Indian Point Nuclear Plant closes, Riverkeeper had agreed not to oppose the permitting of the TDI project, after obtaining significant changes to the project and receiving assurances that it would not lead to the construction of new dams in Canada. […]

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Riverkeeper sued for the release of information shared between the Port Authority and the FAA. NEW YORK — Justice Carol Edmead of the Supreme Court of New York County issued a strongly worded order directing Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to release its communications with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the proposed LaGuardia Airport AirTrain construction project. In her opinion, Justice Edmead found that Port Authority’s legal bases for withholding the documents “had ‘no legs.'” The court held that Port Authority is subject to the New […]

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Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic files lawsuit against NYC DEP on behalf of eight national, regional and local organizations to ensure the public is warned when city sewers are discharging.  Groups say that New York City’s lack of compliance puts the public’s health at risk.  NEW YORK — The Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic sued the New York City Department of Environmental Protection for not complying with a state law requiring operators of public sewage treatment works to notify the public of sewage overflows within a reasonable amount of time.  The Pace […]

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Stopping water pollution is an untapped strategy to mitigate climate change, suggests a recently published Queens College study using data gathered from Riverkeeper’s patrol boat   Contacts: Shawn Rhea, The Graduate Center, CUNY, (212) 817-7180, srhea@gc.cuny.edu Leah Rae, Riverkeeper, (914) 478-4501 ext. 238, lrae@riverkeeper.org Potent greenhouse gases are released from the Hudson River Estuary, especially in areas where city sewers overflow, a newly published study has found. Based on data gathered from Riverkeeper’s patrol boat, the study has the potential to alter the way governments prioritize strategies to manage sewage […]

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Riverkeeper statement on Department of Health’s proposed standards for drinking water   Riverkeeper commends the New York State Department of Health for proposing to set drinking water standards, or “maximum contaminant levels” (MCLs) for the toxic chemicals PFOA and PFOS. If adopted, New York’s proposed MCLs of 10 ppt for each would be the most stringent limits in the nation for PFOA and PFOS individually. However, the MCLs may still fail to protect the most vulnerable populations from these harmful effects of these contaminants. PFOA and PFOS are merely two […]

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Ossining, N.Y. – Today Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the most aggressive climate legislation in the U.S. The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act aims  to achieve a 70 percent emissions-free electricity supply by 2030, eliminate emissions from electricity by 2040 and achieve a carbon-neutral economy statewide by 2050. “The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act is a monumental step forward in response to the ever-expanding climate crisis we all face,” said Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay. “With Governor Cuomo’s signature, New York is setting an example for the nation and the […]

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