Environmental groups press Gov. Cuomo on GE cleanup of Hudson River PCBs and cite this as key moment for his administration
September 10, 2015
Riverkeeper Team
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Jay Burgess, Director of Communications, Scenic Hudson, 845 473 4440, Ext. 222, or jburgess@scenichudson.org; Cliff Weathers, Communications Director, Riverkeeper, 914 478 4501, Ext. 239, or cweathers@riverkeeper.org; Toni Martin, Communications Director, Clearwater, 845 265 8080, Ext. 7112, or toni@clearwater.org; Joe Rappaport, Campaign for a Cleaner Hudson, 646-284-1078, jgrappaport@rocketmail.com
September 10, 2015
Call is for three specific and immediate actions
Through the formal request to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the leaders of four major environmental organizations are stating that given New York’s status as a Trustee of the Hudson River Superfund Site, the governor has a critical role to play to ensure a healthy and restored Hudson River. The choice is between a cleaner and more usable river for all New Yorkers or the continuation of a toxic threat to the state’s environment and public health that will leave the Hudson and the communities along it damaged for generations longer.
The environmental groups state that as the chief representative of the people of New York, the governor should take prompt action to protect the Hudson River and its communities. The call to the governor is to:
- direct DEC to formally request that EPA order GE to immediately cease dismantling its state-of-the-art clean up infrastructure;
- investigate GE’s handling of Hudson River fish sampling and take all appropriate action against GE for any discovered malfeasance; and
- expedite calculation and collection of GE’s NRD liability—which must include provision for dredging of remaining PCB toxic hotspots—and strongly encourage the company to promptly settle its outstanding NRD liability.
Interviews are available through the above contacts.
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
Emerging and unregulated contaminants
Toxic chemicals can harm the health of people, wildlife, aquatic ecosystems
Remediating and preventing contamination
Cleaning up decades of pollution and preventing more requires scientific understanding, targeted legal action, and sustained advocacy