Preserve River Ecology

During the annual Riverkeeper Sweep shoreline cleanup event on May 4, 2,400 volunteers cleaned up 32 tons of trash & debris from 122 locations in NYC & the Hudson Valley. Plastic bottles were the most pervasive item noted in the trash, fueling new efforts to expand NYS ‘bottle bill.’ Add your voice here. Ossining, N.Y. – Riverkeeper today announced the results of the 8th Annual “Riverkeeper Sweep” May 4, when 2,400 volunteers cleaned the shorelines of New York City and the Hudson Valley and removed a total of 32 tons […]

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8th Annual Riverkeeper Sweep happening at 123 locations, Adirondacks to NYC: More than 2,000 volunteers will clean shorelines, foster native plants Ossining, N.Y. – Thousands of volunteers will return to the shorelines in the Hudson Valley and New York City for the 8th Annual Riverkeeper Sweep on Saturday, May 4 – a day of service for the Hudson River. Riverkeeper Sweep is the largest one-day cleanup in the history of the Hudson River. In the seven years since the first Riverkeeper Sweep in 2012, volunteers have removed more than 227 […]

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Proposal would transport 445,000 tons of toxic ash per year on local roads. Catskill, NY — More than 200 people packed a community meeting last night at the Catskill Community Center to learn about the threats from a proposed incinerator toxic ash dump in an abandoned quarry in Catskill. This would be the first such use of a quarry in New York State. A diverse coalition supported by more than 50 community and environmental groups organized the meeting and will hold a follow-up organizing meeting on May 3, at 6pm. […]

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Statement on Governor Cuomo signing plastic bag ban bill at the Hudson River Maritime Museum   Kingston, NY —  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo joined advocates and lawmakers at the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston, New York today for a signing ceremony for the statewide plastic bag ban that will go into effect on March 1, 2020. The new law seeks to address some 23 billion single-use plastic bags New Yorkers use every year. “At our annual Riverkeeper Sweep, volunteers remove tons of plastics, including single-use bags from NewYork’s shorelines,” said Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay. “Plastic pollution is […]

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Storm surge flood barriers being considered by the Army Corps of Engineers in response to Hurricane Sandy, threaten river health Contacts: Eileen Shader, American Rivers, (570) 856-1128, [email protected] Leah Rae, Riverkeeper, (914) 478-4501 ext. 238, [email protected] Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Hudson River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019, citing the grave threat that the potential construction of storm-surge barriers could pose to this rich tidal estuary. American Rivers and its partners called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider alternative solutions that address […]

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More than 50 environmental and community groups detail opposition to proposed incinerator ash dump in Catskill   Proposal would transport 445,000 tons of toxic ash on local roads.   Groups call on Catskill Town Supervisor to reject proposal, release sign-on letter opposing the dump.   Wheelabrator Technologies, the second largest trash incineration company in the U.S., has proposed creating a large incinerator ash dump in a former quarry in the Town of Catskill near the shore of the Hudson River. The company is in the process of applying for permits […]

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released an Interim Report discussing its six conceptual plans for storm surge protections in New York Harbor. The Interim Report and a schedule of eight public meetings in March and April are part of the Corps’ New York – New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries (NYNJHAT) Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study. John Lipscomb, Riverkeeper Patrol Boat Captain and Vice President of Advocacy, said: “We’re glad that the Corps is responding to the public’s demand for more information and transparency in its review of […]

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The New York State Senate today passed legislation to prevent the use of "purse seines," the enormous nets being used by industrial fishing operations, to harvest Atlantic menhaden (also known as “bunker”) in New York State waters. The Assembly passed the measure on Monday (A.2571/S.2317). The bill goes to Governor Cuomo's office for his signature.

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