EPA Delays Decision on Hudson River Dredging

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has delayed a certificate of completion for General Electric Company’s massive Hudson River polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) dredging work.

The EPA sent a letter to GE earlier this week, saying that the agency needs more time to complete its review.

New York Governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, released the following statement after EPA delayed issuing the certificate: “The Hudson River is one of our most valuable natural assets, serving as a vital economic driver for communities across the state, and we must do everything we can to protect this cherished waterway.”

“Based on extensive data, it is overwhelmingly clear that GE’s cleanup of PCB contamination is not complete. The EPA made the right decision by heeding our warnings and not issuing a certificate of completion this past month.

“As I have said before, if the EPA reverses course and chooses to ignore the facts, we will partner with New York’s Attorney General to sue the federal government. The health and wellbeing of New Yorkers is at stake, and we will not rest until the cleanup is completed once and for all,” said Cuomo.

Last month, Governor Cuomo unveiled the second proposal of the 2018 State of the State and the first part of a comprehensive environmental program: New York would immediately take action against the EPA if they accepted the Upper Hudson River dredging of PCBs as complete.