The River and her People vs. Big Oil

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We’re northbound at Esopus Island, near Norrie Point, three days into our patrol and sampling of the Estuary. Carol Knudson (Columbia / Lamont Doherty) took a swim to cool off as the Afrodite passed southbound carrying 7 to 8 million gallons of crude oil from North Dakota, bound for New Brunswick, Canada. The tanker will make the round trip in about eight days with another load.

The shipper, and New York State, and the U.S. Coast Guard have NO adequate spill recovery plan – none of the responses to Bakken spills have succeeded in RECOVERING oil spilled into moving waterbodies like the Hudson. Agencies and contractors RESPOND, but can’t RECOVER the oil. Could your local community fire department just drive to burning buildings and NOT put the fire out?

There is NO requirement that the vessel owners carry insurance sufficient to pay for a cleanup. Do you get to drive your car without insurance?

The City of Poughkeepsie drinking water intake is about 7 miles south of here. Poughkeepsie would have to shut down its intake if a spill occurred but has only three days’ reserve water.

Port Ewen’s is about 2 miles north of here.

The State and Feds are failing the Hudson – it’s up to us.