WHAT'S THE ISSUE?

For decades, communities have been fighting for a comprehensive cleanup of the Hudson River. Today, Friends of a Clean Hudson (FOCH) — a coalition of organizations including Riverkeeper, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Sierra Club, Scenic Hudson — continue to lead the fight for a clean river that enhances the quality of life for all Hudson Valley residents and visitors.

The mighty Mahicannituck (mah-hih-can-nih-tuck) — “water that flows both ways,” the Mohican name for the Hudson River — is central for people and wildlife, transportation, commerce, and recreation. Today, it is one of the largest Superfund sites in the country.

From the 1940s to the 1970s, General Electric (GE) dumped toxic PCBs into the river, contaminating a 200-mile stretch from New York Harbor up to Hudson Falls in the Adirondack foothills, and causing immense harm to communities and wildlife that rely on the river. PCBs are known carcinogens that have also been linked to neurological damage, asthma, and diabetes. This toxic pollution has burdened the entire region for generations — making it unsafe to consume the river’s fish, shutting down its fishing industry, and compromising its ecological health.  

WHAT'S THE STATUS?

Every five years, the EPA is required to review the PCB cleanup process and determine if it is working as anticipated and is “protective of human health and the environment.” The latest draft review, released in July 2024, again claimed that there is not enough scientific evidence to make a determination.

We strongly disagree with this finding. The remedy is not working — and we have the science to prove it! 

The Friends of a Clean Hudson (FOCH) coalition released an independent report in November 2023 detailing how the concentration of toxic PCBs in the river’s fish and sediment remains higher than anticipated. In June 2024, the FOCH released an addendum to the November 2023 report to provide additional analysis of PCB concentrations in fish and sediment.

WHAT CAN YOU DO RIGHT NOW?

Without changes to the cleanup approach, the current elevated human health and ecological risks from PCB contamination will remain at unacceptable levels for generations to come. The EPA must find that the cleanup remedy is “not protective of human health and the environment,” and take steps to reevaluate the cleanup to put the Hudson River on a real path to recovery.  

SIGN THE PETITION! This is your opportunity to let EPA know that a healthy river is important to you and that they can’t keep kicking the can down the road on the cleanup. Although the 11/7 comment period has passed, we will keep the petition open in hopes to keep up pressure on decision makers.

MORE INFORMATION ON PCBS from: Riverkeeper, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Sierra Club & Scenic Hudson