DEC calling on EPA to increase sampling by over 1400 samples to pinpoint location of large amounts of high levels of PCBs still in the River
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today renewed its call on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require additional sediment sampling for Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) contamination in the upper Hudson River. In a letter to EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck today (PDF, 266 KB), DEC identified the need to expand the analysis of sediments by over 1400 samples in the Upper Hudson River, both in areas that were dredged, as well as those that were not, in order to determine the effectiveness of the dredging. The expanded sampling is critical to gauge whether the project will meet remediation goals identified in the Record of Decision (ROD), and the sampling must be undertaken before EPA issues its five-year review in early 2017.
EPA recently shared the limited scope of its required sampling with representatives of General Electric (GE) and DEC, despite DEC’s repeated requests for additional sampling to ensure the remediation is protective of New Yorkers and the environment, prompting today’s letter to EPA. DEC is demanding a response from EPA within 10 days. DEC will step in to undertake the analysis in the event that EPA fails to do so.
“The clock is ticking. EPA’s work is not done and its unwillingness to require GE to perform adequate sediment sampling undermines the five-year review process underway,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “That is why New York State is demanding that EPA undertake more comprehensive and scientific sampling no later than the spring of 2017. If EPA fails to act, DEC is ready to step in. And until such sampling occurs, the EPA must not deem the remediation project complete.”
If remediation objectives will not be achieved in the timeframes specified, the State is calling on EPA to identify specific areas of the Upper Hudson River that may require further remediation.
Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the National Contingency Plan (NCP), EPA is required to monitor effectiveness of the remedy to affirm that it is meeting the goals set by ROD. In March, EPA committed to perform a five-year review of the remedy, which it expects to issue in the spring of 2017.
However, the State believes that unacceptably high levels of contamination remain in river sediment, and DEC has called on EPA to reexamine its cleanup to ensure that the cleanup effectively protects public health and the environment over the long term.
EPA currently plans to collect only 375 samples, or fewer than 10 samples for every mile of river. DEC has determined that EPA’s sampling plans are inadequate and would not provide enough data to assess the efficacy of the remediation. At least 1,800 samples are needed to have the statistical power to draw timely, science-based conclusions from the sampling results.
It appears, once again, that the spectre of Big Business, (GE), strong arming our governmental organizations, might be at work here! The EPA has a Mandate that it should be a Protector of our Citizens, not big business!! Further testing seems a No-Brainer!!
The DEC better move its tail. When Trump’s slugs take over one of their first goals is to gut the EPA (which, by the way, was created by Richard Nixon, a Republican president, to stop so much of the abuse of the emvironment) to further shield corporations like GE from investigation and legal action.
The DEC better move quickly. When Trump’s people take over one of their first goals is to gut the EPA (which, by the way, was created by Richard Nixon, a Republican president to stop so much of the abuse of the environment) to further shield corporations like GE from investigation and legal action.
So an already GUTLESS waste of money gets gutted? GOOD!
Drain the swamp. The EPA leaders are a good place to start. The asswipes running the show are useless POSs. They persecute family farms then reward agribusiness.
Bring back A NEW EPA with it’s original intention, to help America/Americans. Not the EPAs cesspool drain of money and useless bickering. The current EPA has it’s head so far up businesses asses and gooberments rectums that they do NOTHING for Americans. Change that FIRST. That is a swamp that needs draining, NOW!
P.S. soory for the little men and women who think they are doing a good thing at the EPA, only to see their hard work smothered by asswipe politicians and connected industry thugs.
Yes. I’m deplorable and MAD/ANGRY
I’m 67 born and raised in Ossining, lived down by the Hudson always fished down the Hudson, had a boat in my teens belonged to Ossining boat and canoe club.
My point being we had pcb’s in our beautiful river back when I was a teen,If they couldn’t clean the river then ( and they tried ) What makes anyone think they can do it now?Been living in south Florida for 40 years still keeping tabs on my Hudson.By the way,Harry Gourdiene was a close friend and neighbor on Independence pl.
The PCB’s are largely encapsulated in layers of sediment. Let them stay there. The move to dredge the Hudson is nothing more than another of government jobs program masked in phony good deed. It will make multi-millions for the “connected class” and will actually cause environmental havoc on the river.
The EPA has been in bed with General Electric (the company that brings death to life) many years now.
They helped GE leave a toxic legacy for the whole of the housatonic watershed. Their “negotiator” Divillars ( also known as de VILLIAN) got GE off cheap then took a cushy job with GE.
The EPA is as corrupted and slimy as Jack Welch and GE.
Take GEs CEOs and grind their pensions into dust cleaning up their foul spoor