Riverkeeper opposes latest EPA findings in Hudson River cleanup
January 17, 2025
Riverkeeper Team
Riverkeeper strongly opposes the findings of the EPA’s finalized review of PCB cleanup in the Hudson River released this week. Despite thousands of public comments, as well as clear data showing the contrary, the review claimed that the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in water and fish has declined since the dredging was completed in 2015, but that more information is needed to determine if the cleanup is protective of human health and the environment. The EPA has committed to release a follow-up report no later than 2027 that will state the agency’s final opinion on whether or not it considers the cleanup protective of human health and the environment.
As part of the Friends of a Clean Hudson coalition (FOCH), Riverkeeper has long demanded the EPA conclude that the cleanup is not protective of human health and the environment. The coalition partnered with independent scientists to analyze the data and found that the 6-year cleanup in the Upper Hudson has failed to achieve the anticipated reduction of PCBs within the target timeframe established by the EPA.
The EPA's conclusions disregard clear data trends and contradict the agency’s own environmental justice principles meant to protect disadvantaged communities along the Hudson. PCBs continue to persist in the Upper Hudson River at hazardous levels, endangering humans and wildlife. Riverkeeper will continue to pressure the EPA to acknowledge the data and conclude that the cleanup has failed to protect human health and the environment.
“Riverkeeper fiercely opposes the EPA’s findings in its latest review of the Upper Hudson River PCB cleanup. The EPA’s conclusions dismiss clear evidence that PCBs in fish and sediment remain at concentrations hazardous to humans and wildlife. Despite the data, and thousands of public comments, the EPA has once again failed to acknowledge that the cleanup is not succeeding in protecting our communities and our river,” said Tracy Brown, President of Riverkeeper. “The agency continues to delay necessary steps to put the Hudson on a real path to recovery. PCBs still course through the Hudson River ecosystem, and without additional action, the river's toxic burden will endure, harming the health and well-being of current and future generations. Riverkeeper remains steadfast in our advocacy and will continue to push for a meaningful and enduring cleanup of the Hudson River.”
Related campaigns
Hudson River PCBs
Without effective action, the health risks and impacts to those living, working, and playing within the 200-mile stretch of the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site will persist for generations to come
Remediating and preventing contamination
Cleaning up decades of pollution and preventing more requires scientific understanding, targeted legal action, and sustained advocacy
Saving Hudson River fish
Protecting iconic species vital to our local ecosystems
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