Scenic Hudson Commends Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for Urging EPA to Continue PCB Cleanup
Ned Sullivan
President, Scenic Hudson, Inc.
(914) 489-4630, nsullivan@scenichudson.org
Leaders urge EPA to refrain from issuing GE a certificate of completion until the project meets its public health, environmental goals
HUDSON VALLEY—Scenic Hudson today praised New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand for urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to hold off on issuing polluter General Electric a certificate of completion for the Hudson River PCB cleanup until the agency can determine that the project has achieved its public health and environmental goals. In a letter sent to EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the Senators also called on him to “engage with GE and New York State to continue the PCB clean-up process.”
“We believe that more must be done to fully clean up the Hudson River,” the Senators stated.
Noting the results of a recent scientific analysis by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation showing that many areas of the river remain contaminated at levels far beyond what was expected post-dredging, the Senators said, “These outcomes are not acceptable, and additional work must be done to continue to monitor the effectiveness of the remedy in the upper Hudson and fully investigate contamination in the lower Hudson.” They added that until the project achieves goals agreed upon by GE and the EPA, “GE should not be released from its obligations as the responsible party and the certificate of completion should not be issued.”
“Scenic Hudson thanks Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for their leadership and support in urging the Environmental Protection Agency to compel General Electric to complete a Hudson River PCB cleanup that makes the river safe for humans and wildlife before issuing the company a certificate of completion. For decades, people in upstate communities have suffered serious health and economic impacts from this pollution. The EPA must not let GE off the hook until the Hudson receives a cleanup that will allow them to benefit from a healthy river,” said Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called for the EPA to determine that the cleanup to date is “not protective of human health and the environment” and to refrain from issuing GE a certificate of completion until the project meets these goals. In December, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney and five of his colleagues from New York’s Congressional delegation also sent a letter to Acting Administrator Wheeler urging him to take these steps.
The full text of the Senators’ letter is at this link.
About Scenic Hudson
Scenic Hudson preserves land and farms and creates parks that connect people with the inspirational power of the Hudson River, while fighting threats to the river and the natural resources that are the foundation of prosperity in the Hudson Valley. www.scenichudson.org
