Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Peekskill council urges EPA to reassess Hudson River PCB cleanup
Summary
The Peekskill Committee of the Whole unanimously passed Resolution J20 asking the city manager to send a letter urging EPA to adopt a "not protective" determination in its 3rd five‑year review and to evaluate additional remedial work to address persistent PCB contamination in the Upper Hudson River.
The Peekskill Committee of the Whole on Sept. 23 unanimously approved Resolution J20 asking the city manager to send a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency urging a reassessment of the remedy for PCBs in the Upper Hudson River.
Councilwoman Talbot, who read the resolution in full, said the city is requesting that EPA "reassess the remedy that would ensure the removal of polychlorinated biphenyls from the Hudson River." The resolution recites GE’s historic discharges, EPA’s 2002 two‑part cleanup plan and language from EPA’s draft 3rd five‑year review (released July 10, 2024).
The resolution states the draft review "does not adequately address scientific data or analysis that show that there has been little improvement in fish and sediment PCB concentrations since the completion of dredging" and urges EPA to acknowledge failures of the current remedy and begin assessing additional remedial actions. Mayor Vivian McKenzie called for the vote and the measure carried unanimously.
Why it matters: the resolution asks a federal agency to revisit a Superfund remedy covering a 40‑mile Upper Hudson stretch and references potential downstream transport of PCBs to the Lower Hudson and New York Harbor. The council's action is a local expression of concern and a request for federal follow‑up; the resolution directs the city manager to send the requested letter to EPA.
What happens next: the city manager was authorized to transmit the letter to EPA; the resolution does not itself compel federal action and does not set remedial measures — it requests EPA take further assessment and consider additional remedial options.
