Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

TexasTowelie

(116,516 posts)
Mon Oct 23, 2017, 02:58 AM Oct 2017

Gillibrand, Tonko seek more cleanup of PCBs in the Hudson

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and six Congress members from New York are pushing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to declare more work is needed on the $1.7 billion PCB cleanup of the Hudson River.

In a letter Wednesday to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, Gillibrand and the other lawmakers said the seven-year cleanup, which concluded in the summer of 2015, failed to reach the goals of a 2002 agreement between EPA and General Electric Co.

GE dredged about 40 miles of river bottom between Fort Edward in Washington County and Troy in Rensselaer County to remove toxic PCBs. The company had legally dumped PCBs in the river from its former capacitor plants in Fort Edward and Hudson Falls until that became illegal in the late 1970s.

The lawmakers’ letter criticized a draft EPA report issued this summer that found the cleanup will reach its goals, although it will take five decades or more, and depends in part on a natural degradation of remaining PCBs in the river.

Read more: http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/278056/gillibrand-tonko-seek-more-cleanup-of-pcbs-in-the-hudson/

6 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

Rhiannon12866

(221,206 posts)
1. Dredging was very unpopular in my neck-of-the-woods, there were "No Dredging" lawn signs everywhere
Mon Oct 23, 2017, 04:54 AM
Oct 2017

And I'm not far from Hudson Falls and Fort Edward. Kirsten was our congresswoman until 2009 so she knows the area well.

Dennis Donovan

(24,839 posts)
3. It was only unpopular because GE spent millions on local ad campaigns
Mon Oct 23, 2017, 05:40 AM
Oct 2017

...to convince locals to oppose it. Plus many of those locals used to work for GE.

I had my cruiser on that part of the Hudson for a few seasons in the late 90's thru 2000 and film crews hired by GE in turn hired several local boaters from my marina for $3000 per weekend to allows the crews to film ducks, jumping fish, etc for GE commercials touting the notion that it was better to leave the river un-dredged as to not disturb the fish and ducks.

 

Not Ruth

(3,613 posts)
5. It is better to leave the river undredged for the animals
Mon Oct 23, 2017, 08:19 AM
Oct 2017

Boaters may disagree, but their priority is not the animals, mine is

 

Not Ruth

(3,613 posts)
2. The problem is that it is archeological at this point
Mon Oct 23, 2017, 05:33 AM
Oct 2017

The PCBs are buried under a lot of silt. And that part of the river has become very clean, and is a spawning environment for endangered species such as sturgeon. Removing the PCBs now will probably kill a lot of animals. I would rather see a big fine, maybe a trillion dollars, to be used as both punishment and to support the river.

Dennis Donovan

(24,839 posts)
4. That part of the river is a navigable waterway - part of the Barge Canal system
Mon Oct 23, 2017, 05:41 AM
Oct 2017

...and it has to be dredged so it remains navigable.

Latest Discussions»Region Forums»New York»Gillibrand, Tonko seek mo...