Senator Gillibrand Urges EPA To Reverse Its Decision To Stop PCB Dredging In The Upper Hudson River

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, today urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reverse its decision to stop polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) dredging in the Upper Hudson River.

"PCB dredging in the Hudson River should not have been stopped before the job was finished, and I urge the EPA to reverse its decision that dredging was complete," said Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "EPA required dredging of the Hudson River in 2002 in order to remove PCBs so that the Hudson River ecosystem can eventually return to normal, yet new science shows that the original goals have not been fully met. We have come a long way over the last decade to clean up the Hudson River, but if we don't follow through with dredging now, we will end up squandering our opportunity to make the Hudson River clean and safe for wildlife and for the communities that rely on the river."

"Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's letter calling on EPA to require GE to conduct additional cleanup of its Hudson River PCBs demonstrates the strong and decisive leadership needed to achieve a clean and healthy Hudson," said Ned Sullivan, President of Scenic Hudson. "General Electric's PCBs continue to foul our Hudson River, contaminating its fish and aquatic life, making the air unsafe to breathe and contaminating drinking water supplies. EPA has the authority, indeed the obligation, to require additional dredging. The health of the Hudson Valley and its economy depend on the additional cleanup Senator Gillibrand is demanding."

"The Five Year Review process by EPA must be transparent, inclusive, and result in a meaningful review of the data," said Paul Gallay, President of Riverkeeper. "That data will show that the cleanup of the Hudson River done by GE is not protective of human health and the environment. EPA must use this opportunity to figure out exactly how much and where additional dredging needs to take place to ensure the goals of the cleanup are actually met. Riverkeeper thanks Senator Gillibrand for stepping up and putting the health of the river and our communities first. We ask EPA to do the same."

In September 2015, Senator Gillibrand talked to EPA to discuss GE's cleanup of the Hudson River. Earlier this year in April, she questioned EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy about this issue during a Senate Environment and Public Works hearing.

In August, New York State called on EPA to reexamine its cleanup to effectively protect public health and the environment over the long term.

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