Water Quality - Press Releases

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, [email protected] Leah Rae, Riverkeeper, (914) 478-4501 ext. 238, [email protected] 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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Annual water quality report highlights water quality progress, importance of continued state investment in water infrastructure. On the eve of the Mohawk Watershed Symposium, Riverkeeper is releasing a new report that details the results of 915 water samples gathered from the Mohawk River and its tributaries since 2015 as part of an ongoing water quality monitoring project with SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Polytechnic. The Mohawk River is the largest tributary to the Hudson River, and much of the Mohawk is part of the Erie Canal. New York State and local communities in the […]

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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed the Drug Take Back Act on Tuesday, legislation that will go a long way in protecting the state’s waterways from pharmaceutical contamination. Riverkeeper’s research and advocacy helped drive the conversation to get the legislation passed.

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Groups applaud critical DEC report; call for legislature to pass Drug Take Back Act before end of session Safe drug disposal of unused and expired prescription drugs critical to address opioid crisis and protect waters from contamination Albany, NY—A coalition of environmental, public health, and product stewardship organizations are praising the Governor and DEC for their recently released report, which calls for a robust, statewide safe pharmaceutical disposal program that is funded by the pharmaceutical industry. Governor Cuomo called for the report when he vetoed a poorly crafted pharmaceutical disposal […]

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Seven communities, representing 100,000 people who rely on the river as source of drinking water, create Hudson River Drinking Water Intermunicipal Council Municipal leaders from the Towns of Esopus, Lloyd, Hyde Park, City and Town of Poughkeepsie and the Village and Town of Rhinebeck meet for signing ceremony in Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – Municipal leaders from “The Hudson 7” – the seven communities that draw drinking water from the Hudson River – gathered at the Marist Boathouse in Poughkeepsie Thursday, May 31, to make history by signing a formal agreement […]

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Waterkeeper Alliance and Riverkeeper say DEC permit violates NY Conservation Law and the Clean Water Act. New York — Riverkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance filed suit in New York State Supreme Court against the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for issuing a statewide general water pollution permit, known as the Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP). The permit regulates how thousands of industrial facilities discharge polluted stormwater during and after rainstorms. The organizations behind the complaint say that the permit violates New York State and federal water quality laws and fails […]

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Diverse coalition calls on Assembly and Governor to follow suit in final budget Safe drug disposal of unused and expired drugs critical to address opioid crisis and protect waters from contamination Albany, N.Y. – A broad group of public health, sportsmen, product stewardship, and environmental organizations are calling on the Governor and Assembly to support the Drug Take Back Act in the final state budget. The Act was included in the New York State Senate’s budget proposal. The legislation would establish a robust, statewide program to provide safe pharmaceutical disposal […]

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