Scenic Hudson, a New York Hudson Valley-based environmental nonprofit, says the long-awaited Environmental Protection Agency report on the toxic PCB cleanup of the Hudson River is dangerously wrong and overlooks scientific evidence.
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y., July 15, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In the agency's draft Third Five-Year Review (FYR), released on July 10, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency claimed the Hudson River cleanup of toxic PCB's (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) "shows progress" but there is a "need for more data."
It was almost 75 years ago that General Electric (GE) began dumping PCBs into the Hudson River, a 315-mile body of water flowing north to south from the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York through the Hudson River Valley and into New York City. The river was declared a toxic New York State Superfund site 40 years ago; however, the EPA claims it needs more time to assess its water pollution cleanup efforts.
Ned Sullivan, Scenic Hudson's President, commented, "The science is crystal clear: the 'remedy' has failed. With this misguided ruling, EPA is not only abdicating its legal and ethical responsibilities but it damages the integrity of the entire federal Superfund program. Scenic Hudson has been fighting for a clean river for decades — and we won't stop until EPA acknowledges its remedy has failed and the agency commits itself to additional cleanup. We urge all New Yorkers to also contact EPA to demand a cleaner Hudson River now."
Pete Lopez, Scenic Hudson's Executive Director of Policy, Advocacy and Science, noted that the dredging remedy, performed by GE and overseen by EPA, was completed in 2015. "They could make the 'not protective' determination right now — they don't need more time; they've had more than eight years," said Lopez.
"This is environmental injustice — pure and simple," Lopez continued. "PCB pollution disproportionately affects overburdened and disadvantaged communities who depend on the Hudson River's PCB-laden fish to feed their families. If the EPA would admit that the remedy has not been protective of human health and the environment, it could move forward with a new approach that would reduce PCBs as rapidly as possible. By continuing to turn a blind eye, EPA is setting a dangerous precedent and sending the wrong message to polluters nationwide."
In a joint statement by Friends of a Clean Hudson (FOCH), a broad coalition of Hudson Valley environmental advocates including Scenic Hudson, Riverkeeper, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Sierra Club, Hudson River Fishermen's Association, and NRDC, the group called on the public and elected representatives to speak out during the 90-day public comment period, citing that the EPA is disregarding its own data about the cleanup of PCBs in the Hudson River and is failing to protect public health and the environment.
Read the joint FOCH statement here: https://www.scenichudson.org/press-release/hudson-river-coalition-firmly-rejects-findings-in-epas-draft-third-five-year-report-for-the-hudson-river-pcbs-superfund-cleanup
With a 90-day public comment period open until Oct. 8, 2024, Scenic Hudson and Friends of a Clean Hudson urge concerned citizens to contact the EPA, demand it reverse this decision, and declare the remedy "not protective of human health and the environment."
The FOCH coalition will prepare materials and engagement opportunities to help the public and public officials understand the results of the FYR and participate in the public comment process. For now, citizens concerned about PCBs in the Hudson River, clean drinking water, native wildlife, and the local environment can get more info about sending a letter to the EPA here: https://defendthevalley.org/campaign/heal-the-hudson
Media Contact
Riley Johndonnell, Scenic Hudson, 1 845-473-4440 222, [email protected], http://www.scenichudson.org
SOURCE Scenic Hudson
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