News - Press Releases

Riverkeeper plays a role in turning fossil project into a renewable one.   ULSTER, NY — A revised plan for a proposed fossil fuel energy plant to a battery-only system has been submitted to the Town of Ulster by GlidePath Power Solutions, and it eliminates fossil fuels and moves the proposed site further from homes in the area. The energy company submitted the new plan to address many of the concerns voiced by environmental groups and the local community. The controversial proposed power plant will be re-sited and re-born as a renewable […]

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In response to public demands for transparency, Corps promises ‘interim report’ in study of anti-flooding plans for New York Harbor. Riverkeeper, community groups & thousands of individuals voice opposition to ‘hell gates’ that would permanently harm the Hudson River ecosystem. In response to demands for transparency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is promising to release a report Feb. 19, followed by public meetings in March and April, to provide further information on six conceptual plans for storm surge protections in New York Harbor. The Corps had intended to choose […]

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For immediate release: January 15, 2019 2019 Executive Budget proposal includes some $10 billion for a Green Future Fund ALBANY — In Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s State of the State address on Tuesday, he proposed some $10 billion for a Green Future Fund to pay for many of the priorities Riverkeeper has been advocating for, including upgrading and modernizing wastewater treatment, protecting drinking water at its source, and promoting public access to our waterways. “We are excited to see Governor Cuomo ‘go big’ on clean water in his proposed budget,” […]

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Gov. Cuomo announced the proposals as part of his 2019 executive budget ALBANY, NY — New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the inclusion of a ban on single-use plastic bags and an expansion of the state’s Bottle Bill  to make most non-alcoholic drink containers eligible for the state’s 5-cent redemption. The Sunday announcement came in a press release and will be included in Gov. Cuomo’s executive budget proposal. In a joint statement regarding the announcement, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Riverkeeper said: “This is […]

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Governor Andrew Cuomo today released a study by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation confirming that General Electric’s cleanup of PCB contamination in the upper Hudson River is incomplete and not protective of public health and the environment. Click here to read the study. Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay said: “DEC’s latest study is yet another brick in the wall showing that the Hudson River PCBs cleanup has been woefully less effective than we were promised. General Electric’s cleanup of the toxic PCBs it dumped in the river must […]

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More than 2.5 years after Riverkeeper first called for the Stewart Air National Guard Base to “immediately and permanently” stop polluted discharges, the Department of Defense has committed to treat the water flowing off the base that has contaminated the City of Newburgh’s Washington Lake Reservoir, as well as fish in Silver Stream and Moodna Creek. Sen. Chuck Schumer announced the commitment, and Riverkeeper is grateful to him, and to the elected leaders and agency officials at the local, state and federal levels who have been part of the chorus […]

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Kingston, NY — Ulster County Executive Michael P. Hein signed the Bring Your Own Bag Act (The BYOBag Act) of Ulster County on Friday, October 19th during a press conference in his office. The seminal law marks the first county in New York State to implement the gold standard of policies to eliminate the use of single-use plastic bags — a ban on plastic bags with a 5-cent fee on recycled paper bags. Additionally, to protect economically vulnerable communities, the legislation will be amended to exempt those community members on SNAP […]

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Barriers would have devastating effects on Hudson River ecology; Timeline is revamped in response to demands for public participation and details of plans OSSINING — After months of public pressure, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to allow more time and transparency before advancing any of its storm flood protection plans for New York Harbor – many of which have potentially devastating consequences for the Hudson River ecosystem. Six conceptual plans are currently under review in the Corps’ New York – New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries (NYNJHAT) Coastal […]

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Riverkeeper has been selected to receive a prestigious award from the American Bar Association recognizing the organization’s ongoing mission to protect the environmental, recreational and commercial integrity of the Hudson River and its tributaries, and safeguard the drinking water of 9 million New York residents.

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