www.timesunion.com Open in urlscan Pro
151.101.64.200  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Times Union LogoHearst Newspapers Logo
Skip to main content


Subscribe
Weather
School closings
Capital Region

 * Best of the Capital Region
 * Education
 * Health
 * History

Hudson Valley

 * News
 * Food + Drink
 * Outdoors
 * Travel
 * Real estate
 * Culture
 * Makers + Growers
 * Catskills

New York

 * State Government
 * Marijuana
 * Health
 * Environment
 * Education
 * Capitol Confidential with Dan Clark

Business

 * Women@Work

Food + Drink

 * Table Hopping

Best of the Capital Region
Entertainment

 * Art + Exhibits
 * Movies + TV
 * Music + Concerts
 * Theater + Dance
 * Were you seen?
 * Events Calendar

Life + Culture

 * Kristi
 * Shopportunist
 * Travel

Real estate

 * For sale
 * For rent

Sports

 * High school
 * UAlbany
 * Siena
 * Saratoga Race Course
 * ValleyCats
 * Pro sports
 * Firebirds
 * How to Watch

Opinion
Fun + Games

 * Comics
 * Puzzles


Obituaries
Classifieds

 * Search classifieds
 * Place classified ad
 * Legal notices
 * Place legal notice
 * Realtor ads
 * Job listings

Local First
About us

 * Newsletters
 * Privacy notice
 * Terms of use
 * How to advertise
 * Subscriber Services
 * Archives

Subscribe

Times Union LogoSubscribeSign in

New York
Capital Region
Hudson Valley
Business
Opinion
Entertainment
Food
Sports
Obituaries
Puzzles
Best of the Capital Region
LIVE

High school football scoreboard


Opinion


EDITORIAL: DO THE RIGHT THING, EPA


THE HUDSON RIVER SUPERFUND SITE IS GETTING YET ANOTHER REVIEW; MAYBE THIS ONE
WILL RESPOND TO CONTINUING UNSAFE PCB LEVELS

By Times Union Editorial Board, OpinionFeb 26, 2024




The Hudson River Superfund site is getting yet another review. Maybe this one
will respond to continuing unsafe PCB levels. (Will Waldron/Times Union)

WW

This year marks the third time the federal Environmental Protection Agency has
conducted a review of the dredging of the Hudson River for polychlorinated
biphenyls dumped there over decades by General Electric Co.



The message to the EPA is that the river is unwell and will remain so for
generations unless the agency explicitly demands more action by GE. 

“The PCB levels in fish are still too high,” said U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
in a Times Union editorial board meeting when she was in town to also meet with
local officials and environmental leaders to push the EPA for more remediation.
“People are fishing along the Hudson — some to supplement their food purchases.
I’m very concerned they may not even know the dangers.”

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad



Even as work continues on the third five-year dredging review, a group of
federal and state agencies called the Natural Resource Trustees, a coalition
that includes the EPA, has been studying the “past, current and future PCB
injuries to (the river and environs) in order to identify and plan restoration
actions to address these injuries.”

The EPA has hedged with its two previous dredging reviews, offering both
accolades for GE’s work while adopting a wait-and-see approach to the river’s
rebirth. 

The Trustees — also including the state Department of Environmental
Conservation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S.
Department of the Interior — have been working since 2002 on what’s called a
Natural Resource Damage Assessment. That damage occurred from 1947 to 1977 as GE
dumped 1.2 million pounds of carcinogenic PCBs into the river from two capacitor
manufacturing plants in Fort Edward and Hudson Falls.

We're aware that this sort of data collection is neither quick nor easy, but
it’s 2024: The population of those who consume Hudson River fish is only
growing, and waterfront communities that could use the potential tourism boost
of reconnecting with the river are struggling.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad



Further, river advocates can point to data showing PCB levels are rising in some
places, and the river's fish remain as dangerous to eat as they were before the
dredging concluded in 2015.

GE, for its part, has maintained that the EPA-mandated dredging of the upper
Hudson worked, and the river is "healing." But the company's two most recent
annual reports to stockholders has acknowledged further money may have to be
spent on Hudson River remediation. 

In 2022, the environmental group Scenic Hudson shared with the Trustees its
estimated cost for the harm GE inflicted on the river: $11.4 billion. That
figure includes damage to drinking water, recreational fishing, wildlife and
more.

However much GE must ultimately pay to restore the river, the longer the EPA and
the other Trustees wait to demand action, the more generations will be harmed.
Time is of the essence. The watchdog coalition needs to seek further action by
GE, and they need to start with this coming five-year review.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad







Feb 26, 2024
Times Union Editorial Board
Opinion

EDITORIALS ARE THE INSTITUTIONAL VIEW OF THE TIMES UNION. THEY REPRESENT THE
CONSENSUS OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD, WHOSE MEMBERS ARE GEORGE HEARST, PUBLISHER;
CASEY SEILER, EDITOR; AKUM NORDER, SENIOR EDITOR FOR OPINION; JAY JOCHNOWITZ,
EDITOR AT LARGE; TENA TYLER, SENIOR EDITOR FOR ENGAGEMENT; AND CHRIS CHURCHILL,
COLUMNIST AND EDITORIAL WRITER. WHILE THE TIMES UNION’S NEWS COVERAGE FREQUENTLY
INFORMS OUR EDITORIALS, THE BOARD’S OPINIONS HAVE NO BEARING ON THAT COVERAGE.


Opinion


LETTERS: VOTERS HAVE THEIR WORK CUT OUT FOR THEM THIS YEAR


This week's roundup starts off with several views on the upcoming presidential
election and then dips into a state issue or two and climate change policies.


YOUR VIEWS

Opinion


LETTERS: CAPITAL REGION RESIDENTS SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS

All eyes are on the presidential election in 2024 but some local races get an
opinion or...


Opinion


LETTERS: KUDOS TO SAVIORS, FARMERS, OF AMERICAN CHESTNUT TREE

Other writers look at nursing home failures, climate change, national politics,
more...


Opinion


LETTERS: NO WAY TO PRESERVE 'PLAINSMEN' AS SHEN MASCOT GIVEN STATE DEMANDS

Other writers look at gun violence, home-schooled students participating in...


Opinion


SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Complete this form to submit your letter to the editor.

NEWSLETTER


SIGN UP FOR THE OBSERVATION DECK NEWSLETTER


Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on
Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter.





MOST POPULAR

1.


LOST IN THE DYING LIGHT OF CELLPHONES, HIKERS RESCUED FROM ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN


2.


NAUMAN HUSSAIN, IN PRISON FOR SCHOHARIE LIMO CRASH, MOVED TO ATTICA


3.


HAWKINS: 'EIGHT OR NINE' DOGS CARRIED OUT KILLING OF SCHENECTADY MAN



4.


ART SUPPLY SHOP PLEADED FOR HELP ON FACEBOOK. CUSTOMERS NOTICED.


5.


SEEN: MOHAWK HUDSON HUMANE SOCIETY OKTOPURRFEST


OPINION

Opinion


EDITORIAL: A PARTIAL WIN FOR VOTERS


Opinion


COMMENTARY: NEW YORK CANNOT WAVER IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS


Opinion


COMMENTARY: EXTREME WEATHER EMPHASIZES THE URGENCY OF CLIMATE POLICY ACTION


Opinion


EDITORIAL: THE CASE OF OFFICER JOHNSON


Opinion


COMMENTARY: CITY OF HUDSON MUST PASS GOOD-CAUSE EVICTION PROTECTIONS


Opinion


EDITORIAL: LANDFILL CLOSURE SHOULD BE A DUNN DEAL


Opinion


COMMENTARY: FOR WAREHOUSE WORKERS, AMAZON'S PRIME DAY ISN'T SUCH A GREAT DEAL


Opinion


EDITORIAL: FACE THE MUSIC, ALBANY: CABARET LAW DOESN’T WORK




LET'S PLAY

 * Really Bad Chess
 * Typeshift
 * Pile-Up Poker
 * SpellTower
 * Cross|word
 * Flipart
 * Wordbind
 * CubeClear


Return To Top
Times Union Logo



About

Our CompanyCareersBecome a CarrierStandards and PracticesOur Use of AI

Contact

Contact UsCopyright and Reprint

Services

AdvertisingOnline StorePhoto StoreCorporate SubscriptionsMobile AppArchives

Account

Subscribee-EditionNewsletters
About

 * Our Company
 * Careers
 * Become a Carrier
 * Standards and Practices
 * Our Use of AI


Contact

 * Contact Us
 * Copyright and Reprint


Services

 * Advertising
 * Online Store
 * Photo Store
 * Corporate Subscriptions
 * Mobile App
 * Archives


Account

 * Subscribe
 * e-Edition
 * Newsletters



Hearst Newspapers Logo
© 2024 The Hearst CorporationTerms of UsePrivacy NoticeInterest Based Ads
Your California Privacy Rights
Privacy Settings



YOUR CHOICES REGARDING COOKIES

We and third parties may deploy cookies and similar technologies when you use
our site. Please review the information below and select the cookies that you
want to enable. You can continue to the site without accepting these cookies but
certain features may not be available or function properly.


EDITORIAL, FUNCTIONALITY AND SOCIAL MEDIA COOKIES

We use third-party services for commenting, videos, and embedding posts as part
of our news coverage. The providers of these cookies may use the data as
explained in their privacy policies.

JW Player(Privacy Policy)
Twitter(Privacy Policy)
Facebook(Privacy Policy)
Select All



PERFORMANCE, CONTENT RECOMMENDATION AND PERSONALIZATION COOKIES

We use our own and third-party services to provide content recommendations and
customize your user experience and advertising. The providers of these cookies
may use the data as explained in their privacy policies.

Nativo(Privacy Policy)
Blueconic(Privacy Policy)
Realm
Select All



ANALYTICS

We use cookies to analyze and measure traffic to the site so that we know our
audience, what stories are read, where visitors come from, and how long they
stay. You can opt out of these analytics cookies by unselecting the boxes below.

Parsely(Privacy Policy)
Google Analytics(Privacy Policy)
Chartbeat(Privacy Policy)
Select All
Privacy Notice
Decline AllAccept All


YOU HAVE AD-BLOCKER TURNED ON

Only subscribers can read articles in this mode. To continue, log in or
subscribe or turn off your ad blocker.


GET UNLIMITED DIGITAL ACCESS FOR 99¢

 * No more paywall interruptions!
 * Access any story, weather alert, investigation, map or guide
 * Share articles paywall-free with others
 * The products are all yours: e-Edition, app, website, newsletters
 * And the puzzles too: Sudoku, Word Sleuth and crosswords
 * Join your neighbors in supporting a trusted source for local news