News - Press Releases

Statement on Governor Cuomo signing plastic bag ban bill at the Hudson River Maritime Museum   Kingston, NY —  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo joined advocates and lawmakers at the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston, New York today for a signing ceremony for the statewide plastic bag ban that will go into effect on March 1, 2020. The new law seeks to address some 23 billion single-use plastic bags New Yorkers use every year. “At our annual Riverkeeper Sweep, volunteers remove tons of plastics, including single-use bags from NewYork’s shorelines,” said Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay. “Plastic pollution is […]

Learn More

Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay released this statement today: Riverkeeper has major concerns about Tuesday’s announcement that Entergy will sell the Indian Point reactors to Holtec for decommissioning.  Both Holtec and its intended partner, SNC-Lavalin, have problematic operating histories, including a bribery scandal in Canada that threatens to topple the Trudeau government. This proposed license transfer therefore needs careful scrutiny by New York State, and, ideally, by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The stated goal of decommissioning more rapidly than the 60 years allowed by the federal government is welcome, but that […]

Learn More

Storm surge flood barriers being considered by the Army Corps of Engineers in response to Hurricane Sandy, threaten river health Contacts: Eileen Shader, American Rivers, (570) 856-1128, [email protected] Leah Rae, Riverkeeper, (914) 478-4501 ext. 238, [email protected] Washington, D.C. – American Rivers today named the Hudson River among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2019, citing the grave threat that the potential construction of storm-surge barriers could pose to this rich tidal estuary. American Rivers and its partners called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider alternative solutions that address […]

Learn More

More than 50 environmental and community groups detail opposition to proposed incinerator ash dump in Catskill   Proposal would transport 445,000 tons of toxic ash on local roads.   Groups call on Catskill Town Supervisor to reject proposal, release sign-on letter opposing the dump.   Wheelabrator Technologies, the second largest trash incineration company in the U.S., has proposed creating a large incinerator ash dump in a former quarry in the Town of Catskill near the shore of the Hudson River. The company is in the process of applying for permits […]

Learn More

Scenic Hudson and Riverkeeper slam decision that makes it much harder to compel GE to continue cleanup   Groups thank Gov. Cuomo for his leadership and pledge support for his legal challenge of Certificate of Completion   HUDSON VALLEY—Scenic Hudson and Riverkeeper strongly condemn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—for issuing General Electric a Certificate of Completion for the Hudson River PCB cleanup while simultaneously admitting that the Superfund project has not achieved its mandated goal to be “protective of human health and the environment.” The EPA has concluded its […]

Learn More

ALBANY — Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and New York lawmakers passed their $175 billion state budget including a ban on single-use plastic bags and $500 million in funding for clean water projects that includes repairing and upgrading water infrastructure, protecting drinking water at its source, and responding to sources of toxic contamination such as PFAS and toxic algal outbreaks. Additionally, the Governor and lawmakers rejected the proposed language to raid the Environmental Protection Fund and instead continued to fund the state’s dedicated environmental program at $300 million. The single-use plastic […]

Learn More

For Immediate Release: March 27, 2019 Albany, NY– New York State lawmakers were joined by environmental advocates in calling for a comprehensive single-use bag policy — including a ban on plastic with a fee on all other carryout bags — in a final budget agreement. New Yorkers use about 23 billion plastic bags every year. This policy is already in place and successful in many jurisdictions across the country, including California. Plastic bag bans without a corresponding fee on paper bags, while admirable in intent, rarely reduce bag waste. According to […]

Learn More

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 […]

Learn More

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released an Interim Report discussing its six conceptual plans for storm surge protections in New York Harbor. The Interim Report and a schedule of eight public meetings in March and April are part of the Corps’ New York – New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries (NYNJHAT) Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study. John Lipscomb, Riverkeeper Patrol Boat Captain and Vice President of Advocacy, said: “We’re glad that the Corps is responding to the public’s demand for more information and transparency in its review of […]

Learn More