Contaminated Sites - Press Releases

Late yesterday, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation released its independent report on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s review of the cleanup of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contamination in the Hudson River.

Learn More

The Environmental Protection Agency’s five-year review process must be handled in a transparent and inclusive manner and that the EPA should not give General Electric a free pass when the river and its fish remain contaminated by PCBs

Learn More

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, today urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reverse its decision to stop polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) dredging in the Upper Hudson River.

Learn More

Unacceptable levels of PCBs allowed to remain in river pose threats to public health and the environment DEC Commissioner Seggos: “The job is not done and the remedy as implemented may not achieve the targeted reductions of PCB levels left behind in the Upper Hudson River” Originally posted by the Department of Environmental Conservation In a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (.pdf), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today challenged the effectiveness of EPA’s remedy to cleanup PCBs from the Upper Hudson River. […]

Learn More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 16, 2016 Contact: Cliff Weathers, Communications Director (914) 478-4501, ext. 239; [email protected] Ossining, NY — Riverkeeper, New York’s clean water advocate, has issued a statement regarding Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s call for blood testing for Newburgh, NY residents. Earlier today, Sen. Gillibrand sent a letter to Dr. Patrick Breysse, director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, requesting the blood tests for Newburgh residents, who were possibly exposed to harmful levels of Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Late last week, New […]

Learn More

Riverkeeper has reached agreement with the Village of Hastings and BP/ARCO on a proposed Consent Decree Modification for the Harbor at Hastings site – one of the most contaminated locations along the Hudson River and a massive source of toxic PCBs.

Learn More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that, while some Superfund Site activities on the Hudson River will continue next summer, the agency has approved General Electric Co.’s (GE) plans to permanently remove and demobilize its massive dredging infrastructure.

Learn More

For Immediate Release: October 5, 2015 Contact: Cliff Weathers, 914-478-4501, Ext 239 There’s much work to be done to clean the river of the toxic PCBs dumped by GE says Riverkeeper attorney. Ossining, NY — Today, General Electric prematurely called the end of its liabilities in cleaning up the toxic PCBs it dumped into the Hudson River. The corporation issued a hasty “Mission Accomplished” declaration to the media this morning. However, Riverkeeper, New York’s watchdog on the Hudson, maintains that GE is far from done. “GE is living in an […]

Learn More

For Immediate Release Thursday, September 3, 2015 Contacts: Leah Rae, Riverkeeper, [email protected], (914) 478-4501 ext. 238 or (914) 715-6821 Toni Martin, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, [email protected], (845) 265-8080, x7112 Jay Burgess, Scenic Hudson, [email protected], (845) 473-4440, Ext. 222 Hudson Valley, N.Y. – Riverkeeper, Clearwater and Scenic Hudson are demanding immediate action from federal authorities in response to revelations of flawed fish data and premature dismantling of equipment used in the historic Hudson River PCBs cleanup project – problems that threaten to undermine the entire effort. The three organizations sent a […]

Learn More