Environmentalists and elected officials are renewing their call for a broader PCB cleanup of the upper-Hudson River in what could be the final year of dredging.
General Electric is expected to begin its sixth and possibly final season of dredging next month as part of a $2 billion federal Superfund project.
Environmentalists have long called for GE to undertake additional dredging of PCB "hot spots" outside the project's boundaries. Advocates speaking at a news conference along the river Tuesday in Green Island said they hoped GE would agree to settlement including expanded dredging.
Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan:
"We're hoping that federal authorities responsible for overseeing the cleanup, New York State and GE come to an agreement on a comprehensive settlement of GE's long term liability for a healthy Hudson," said Sullivan.
GE officials have said they see no need to expand dredging and are meeting the project's requirements.
The Fairfield, Connecticut-based company discharged about 1.3 million pounds of PCBs from its upriver capacitor plants until 1977.
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