New York Senator Michelle Hinchey is calling on fellow Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul to push for more cleanup of Hudson River pollution by General Electric.
Hinchey, a Democrat from Saugerties, and 30 Senate colleagues are calling on Governor Hochul to bring Hudson River Trustee agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric together to demand that a full remediation and restoration be completed by G.E.
The company dumped 1.3 million pounds of toxic P-C-B’s into the Hudson River between 1947 and 1977 in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward. Democratic lawmakers remain critical of a recent settlement between G.E. and the EPA, which calls mostly for study and sampling of the river and stops short of further remediation and restoration efforts.
Hinchey’s letter says the toxins left by G.E. have had adverse health, economic, and tourism impacts.
“For more than 70 years, GE-dumped toxins have had significant adverse impacts on public, environmental, and economic health, including increased cancer rates, reproductive issues, the contamination of clean drinking water and local fish species, which communities rely on for sustenance, the shut down of a vibrant commercial fishing industry, and threats to recreational tourism.”
New York State Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos responded on behalf of the Hochul administration in a recorded statement.
“As you know, we've been at this for decades, with rigorous oversight during GE’s historic operations. New York is committed to a comprehensive cleanup and restoration of the Hudson. This has been my priority since I first took office," the DEC commissioner said.
Seggos said further sampling is critical to understanding the remaining scope of the project. But he adds full restoration is required for future generations and wildlife.
“EPA recently directed GE to undertake additional sampling in the lower Hudson. And it's really a critical step to address the historic contamination which really stretches all the way from Troy down to New York City,” Commissioner Seggos said.
Mark Behan, a spokesman for G.E., contends work is moving along at an appropriate pace.
"We're collecting environmental data with EPA in the lower Hudson. And we're sharing environmental data with Federal and State Trustees as they assess Hudson River natural, natural resources,” said Behan.
Behan is highly critical of the work of environmental group Scenic Hudson, which concluded G.E. should be on the hook for $11 billion for the damages in addition to the outstanding responsibilities for remediation.
”The Scenic Hudson report is not a reliable analysis of what's going on in the Hudson River. It's a political advocacy document, it's not been subjected to any sort of independent review. And it selectively excludes information that shows the very positive characteristics of the health of Hudson River wildlife populations," said Behan.
Behan says G.E. has been appropriately responsive for years. ”But most importantly, it doesn't take account of what's going on in the Hudson River on the ground, the results of the massive dredging project that took place in the upper Hudson, the removal of the vast majority of PCBs, and the reduction of PCB levels and water, sediment and fish, as well as the ongoing work that's going on in both the upper and lower Hudson," Behan stated.
”We are ensuring that EPA requires GE to to do whatever it takes, investigations, cleanup actions, and whatever is necessary for the remaining 160 miles of the of the Hudson River Superfund site," said Seggos.
Hinchey, who was born and raised near the Hudson River, says New York can’t let up pressure on GE or risk long-term risks to health, drinking water, natural habitats and wildlife.
Seggos agrees.
”We look forward to working with our partners in a continuous basis at EPA and, and DOH until the job is done," Seggos said. "We're not going anywhere until the job is done.”
