East Hudson Valley News

Senators Michelle Hinchey and Rob Rolison have taken a firm position on the necessity for further PCB clean-up in the Hudson River. In a bipartisan effort, they sent a letter co-signed by 28 State Senate colleagues to EPA leaders, Administrator Lee Zeldin and Regional Administrator Mike Martucci. They urged the EPA to proclaim the current clean-up efforts as "not protective" in its ongoing five-year assessment and requested a timeline for a comprehensive Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study. This study would evaluate the extent of PCB contamination across the Hudson River's sediments, water, and wildlife, especially in the lower regions, which they believe have been significantly neglected.

The contamination originates from General Electric's historic discharge of more than 1.3 million pounds of PCBs into the Hudson River, a practice that spanned more than 30 years. Although GE's cleanup concluded in 2015, persistent data suggest the measures fall short of adequately safeguarding human health and the environment, highlighting the need for continued efforts.

Senator Hinchey emphasized, "General Electric dumped toxic chemicals into our Hudson River for decades, and it's an injustice of epic proportions that this billion-dollar corporation is still to this day allowed to sidestep responsibility. Full remediation falls squarely on the polluter, not the Hudson Valley and not our Environmental Justice communities. The EPA must mandate General Electric to immediately resume clean-up and restore the health of our Hudson River."

Senator Rolison added, "The Hudson River is the backbone of our region's economy and environment, yet PCB contamination continues to jeopardize public health, waterfront development, and economic opportunities for our communities along the river. This isn't just about cleanup, it's about restoring a river that the people and businesses that rely on the river can live, work, and play in safely and every year of inaction holds back economic growth, public health, and recreational access. The EPA must step up now to ensure a full cleanup, so the Hudson can be a thriving resource for all who depend on it."

Tracy Brown, President of Riverkeeper, also supported this initiative, stating, "The scientific evidence is clear, the Hudson River PCB cleanup is failing to protect public health and the environment. Every day of inaction allows these toxic chemicals to continue harming our communities, our waters, our wildlife, and our economy." Brown highlighted the need for the EPA to intensify its efforts to tackle PCB pollution across the entire Superfund Site.

Ned Sullivan, President of Scenic Hudson, expressed gratitude toward the senators for their leadership, saying, "Scenic Hudson thanks Senators Hinchey and Rolison for their leadership in requesting that EPA take long overdue actions at the Hudson River Superfund Site. EPA has the data it needs to acknowledge that the cleanup has failed to meet the fundamental Superfund standard: 'protective of human health and the environment.'" Sullivan called for the EPA to expedite its review process and deliver its judgment by year-end.

The EPA faces mounting pressure to address the longstanding issue of PCB pollution in the Hudson River, with stakeholders calling for immediate and decisive action to hold polluters like GE accountable and restore the river to a healthy state.