1/26/09: Press Release – Community Involvement Brings Positive Response from GE in PCB Dredging
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tracy Brown, Communications Director
(914) 478-4501 x 248, [email protected]
Contact: Gwendolyn Chambers, Communications Producer
(914) 478-4501 x 236, [email protected]
Community Involvement Brings Positive Response from GE in PCB Dredging
GE to pay for safe drinking water provisions for communities impacted by dredging
Tarrytown, NY – In a victory for the Community Advisory Group (CAG) for the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site, General Electric (GE) has agreed to reimburse the EPA for certain costs relating to ensuring a safe drinking water supply to the communities that run the risk of PCB contamination due to the upcoming dredging of the Hudson River.
Just announced amendments to the proposed Consent Decree state that GE has agreed to reimburse the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for expenses relating to: 1) the design and construction of a drinking water supply line from Troy, NY, that will provide the Towns of Waterford and Halfmoon, NY, with an alternate supply during the Hudson River dredging program; 2) the design, construction, installation and maintenance of a granulated activated carbon (GAC) system for the water supply wells of the Village of Stillwater, NY, during the first phase of the Hudson River dredging program; and 3) certain costs that might be incurred by EPA for the provision of water to Waterford and Halfmoon during the second phase of the Hudson River dredging program.
As part of the modified agreement, GE agrees to pay to the EPA the lesser of $7,000,000 or all costs incurred by the EPA relating to the design and construction of the water line and the Stillwater GAC system. If GE agrees to perform the second phase of the dredging program, GE will reimburse EPA 50% of any costs paid for water usage fees assessed upon the Towns during the dredging, up to $750,000. Amendments to the monitoring of PCBs in the drinking water were also made in response to community concerns, as represented and successfully advocated for, by the CAG.
“We at Riverkeeper recognized the importance of assuring these communities, including Waterford, that the dredging process would not impair their drinking water supply. This agreement, following the EPA’s efforts to construct an alternative waterline, will do just that,” said Robert Goldstein, Riverkeeper’s general counsel who has been working on the case, “It also demonstrates what we hope is a new attitude by General Electric, which has agreed to fund this effort, to accept its responsibility to the community going forward.”
“I think the result indicates that the powers-that-be have listened to the Community Advisory Group (CAG), and have heard their voices,” noted Goldstein, who in September led a walk-out of CAG members from their monthly meeting, because of the failure of the EPA to consult with the group.
Municipalities are reportedly still considering litigation to ensure their water quality during the cleanup, but Goldstein, an expert in environmental law, noted that the amendment of the Consent Decree would likely make their claims moot.
Riverkeeper is an independent member-supported environmental organization. For more information, please visit www.riverkeeper.org.
