GE proclaims 'Mission Accomplished' regarding PCB dredging; not so fast, says Riverkeeper
October 5, 2015
Riverkeeper Team
For Immediate Release: October 5, 2015
Contact: Cliff Weathers, 914-478-4501, Ext 239
There's much work to be done to clean the river of the toxic PCBs dumped by GE says Riverkeeper attorney.
Ossining, NY — Today, General Electric prematurely called the end of its liabilities in cleaning up the toxic PCBs it dumped into the Hudson River. The corporation issued a hasty "Mission Accomplished" declaration to the media this morning. However, Riverkeeper, New York's watchdog on the Hudson, maintains that GE is far from done.
“GE is living in an 'eco-imaginary' world if it believes its dredging of the Hudson River is anywhere near complete,” says Riverkeeper staff attorney Abigail Jones. “The company has just announced it is pulling up shop and leaving behind more than one hundred acres of ‘Superfund-caliber’ PCB hot spots in the river and fish that are more heavily contaminated, and will stay contaminated generations longer than originally thought.”
“All of this puts the health of our families and the restoration of one of America’s most precious resources at risk,” continues Jones. “GE should live up to the socially and environmentally responsible image it markets and thoroughly address all of the PCB contamination it created. Until it does, GE can't claim a job well done, and leave the Hudson River and its communities with this mess.”
###
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
Water quality monitoring
Riverkeeper is the go-to source for information about the quality of the water along the Hudson River and its tributaries
Emerging and unregulated contaminants
Toxic chemicals can harm the health of people, wildlife, aquatic ecosystems