EPA & NY Announce They Will Restore Hudson River to Former Glory

Imagine being able to swim in the Hudson River and eat fish caught on its shore. New York says that they are committed to making that a reality again.

On Tuesday the EPA announced that it has reached a settlement with GE that will help determine just what needs to be done to address contamination levels once and for all. The Hudson River hasn't been the same since the 1940s when GE began discharging PCBs into the water from two of their New York manufacturing facilities. For thirty years GE continued to pollute the Hudson River, forcing generations of New Yorkers out of the water.

The settlement means that GE will foot the bill for a massive study of fish, sediment and water chemistry to help structure a plan to clean up the river. While PCBs will be the main focus of the study, the EPA says it will also be looking for all other forms of contamination in an effort to bring the river back to a healthy level.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos says that New York's goal is to restore the Hudson River to its former glory.

New York State is committed to a comprehensive cleanup and restoration of the Hudson River. EPA’s agreement directing GE to undertake additional sampling in the lower Hudson is a critical step to address historic PCB contamination. This new data will supplement the extensive sampling efforts previously conducted by DEC, EPA, and GE to evaluate the health of one of New York’s most important waterbodies.

The study will take sediment samples from various depths below the river to determine the best way to move forward with the restoration. Two sediment programs will take place next year and in 2024 GE will implement a more in-depth collection to study samples buried deeper under the river.