Riverkeeper

Environmental group plans to sue Accord Speedway

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:27:11 -0400

Times Herald-Record Posted: June 04, 2009 - 2:00 AMRead Article

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Riverkeeper Files Notice of Intent to Sue Accord Speedway

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:23:48 -0400

may 31st, 2009

Hudson Valley Press Online
Read Article

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Riverkeeper Files Notice of Intent to Sue Accord Speedway

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:38:58 -0400

For Immediate Release: May 28, 2009

Riverkeeper Files Notice of Intent to Sue Accord Speedway

Polluted runoff into pristine trout stream violates federal environmental laws

(Tarrytown, NY) Riverkeeper has served the Accord Speedway with a notice of its intent to sue for continuously polluting a nearby stream and connected wetlands with turbid water, which Riverkeeper believes is laced with pesticides, anti-freeze, oil, grease and other petroleum products. Citing violations of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Riverkeeper is now preparing to file a case in federal court.

According to Riverkeeper investigator and attorney Joshua Verleun, the Ulster County racetrack has been illegally dumping a noxious blend of pollutants including turbidity, suspended solids, and settleable solids into the North Peter’s Kill, a pristine trout stream and tributary of Rondout Creek. “The operation of this large scale raceway without proper environmental controls is ruining this pristine trout stream,” Verleun said.

These illegal discharges are directly entering the North Peter’s Kill from several discrete points along the track’s “pit road.” Riverkeeper has documented the Speedway collecting polluted track runoff from a low point in the track’s infield and pumping it into a field on the southern portion of the property, adjoining a wetland area that connects to the North Peter’s Kill.

Riverkeeper also alleges that the Speedway is operating an open dump in violation of RCRA’s ban on open dumping. The open dumping regulations contain specific requirements for facilities that dispose of waste. In this instance the Speedway’s collection, pumping, and dumping of runoff from the track constitutes “liquid waste” that is being discarded in violation of waste disposal requirements. Any facility that accepts or dumps waste without following these requirements is considered to be an open dump. “It is unacceptable that there are no systems in place to prevent turbidity, oil, gas, and other chemicals from running directly into the North Peter’s Kill and connected wetlands,” Verleun said.

A Notice of Intent to Sue (NOIS), which Riverkeeper served on May 19, is the first step in initiating a citizen suit under the CWA and RCRA. During the required 60-day waiting period New York State is given the opportunity to step in and file their own enforcement case and the polluter is given an opportunity to halt all violations. Following the waiting period Riverkeeper will file a case in federal court if violations persist and the state has not enforced against the Speedway.

Background:
Riverkeeper is an independent environmental watchdog organization dedicated to protecting the Hudson River, its tributaries, and the watersheds that comprise the New York City drinking water supply. Since 1965, we have brought thousands of environmental lawbreakers to justice, forcing more than $1 billion in fines and remediation projects.

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Brooklyn's Lavender Lake Needs Superfund

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Tue, 26 May 2009 10:51:26 -0400

by Joshua S. Verleun
May 26, 2009

After almost 150 years of industrial use and decades of raw sewage discharges from New York City's combined sewer system, the Gowanus Canal has become one of the nation's most contaminated bodies of water....

Read Article:
http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20090526/255/2925

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Dredging starts today

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:40:21 -0400

Final preparations are made as historic PCB project begins By NICK REISMAN
reisman@poststar.com Updated: Friday, May 15, 2009 2:00 PM EDT Read Article

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GE to begin dredging PCBs from Hudson sediment

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:36:56 -0400

By Alexa JamesTimes Herald-RecordPosted: May 15, 2009 - 2:00 AMRead Article

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Poetic Injustice on the Hudson

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:34:35 -0400

On the funeral day for one of the last Hudson River fishermen, GE begins dredging PCBs from the Hudson River.

The Daily Green - May 15, 2009 at 9:43AM by Dan ShapleyRead Article

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Riverkeeper Applauds Dredging of Hudson PCBs and Calls on EPA to Ensure Full Cleanup Calls on EPA to Ensure Full Cleanup

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:29:46 -0400

May 14, 2009 (Tarrytown, N.Y.) – The long delayed clean-up of the Hudson River PCBs is scheduled to begin tomorrow morning. While Riverkeeper salutes the commencement of the dredging, it is calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make sure the entire clean-up occurs and that it is thorough.

“We are very pleased that the PCB dredging project will finally begin,” Riverkeeper president Alex Matthiessen said. “General Electric dumped these toxic chemicals into the Hudson and then spent decades – and hundreds of millions of dollars – trying to evade responsibility for cleaning them up. Now, at last, a cleanup is underway. Riverkeeper, which first called attention to the PCB problem 30 years ago, will continue to closely monitor the project and the company’s commitment to a full and thorough remediation. Communities upriver and down deserve nothing less.”

The clean-up includes two phases. Phase 1, scheduled to begin tomorrow and last about six months, will focus on the removal of approximately 265,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment. That amount represents only about 10% of the total amount of contaminated sediment originally slated for removal under the 2002 Record of Decision by EPA. A separate legal agreement between EPA and GE, known as the 2006 Consent Decree, provides that GE will notify EPA of its intention to perform Phase 2 of the remediation after Phase 1 is complete. Phase 2 is currently designed to remove approximately 1,500,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment. Needless to say, the fact that GE can attempt to avoid Phase 2 is quite troubling to many observers.

As early as 1983, EPA studied the PCB contamination in the Hudson River, but it wasn’t until the 2002 Record of Decision that EPA required dredging of approximately 65% of the total PCB mass in the Upper Hudson. More delays and negotiations resulted in the 2006 Consent Decree, specifying additional details.

Federal Superfund law and the 2006 Consent Decree give EPA the authority to take additional action to compel GE to perform Phase 2 and finish the remediation. But, that could result in untold delays and additional legal action, according to Riverkeeper attorney Rebecca Troutman. “We are hopeful that the new EPA Administrator will follow this closely and minimize that possibility. We intend to do the same,” Troutman said. Meanwhile, in 2000, GE commenced a lawsuit challenging the validity of the Superfund law – specifically regarding EPA’s authority to order clean-ups. Although the suit did not succeed in the lower courts, GE filed a notice of appeal this March with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Before they were banned in 1970s, PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, were used in hundreds of industrial and commercial applications, including the manufacture of capacitors (devices for storing electrical charge) at the GE’s Hudson Falls and Fort Edwards plants. Estimates indicate that as much as 1.3 million pounds of PCBs were discharged by those plants into the Hudson River between 1947 and 1977. Once released, PCBs adhered to river sediment and also accumulated downstream. Historically, their highest concentration was in the upper Hudson, but studies show that erosion and water movement have caused redeposits as far down as the Battery in NY Harbor. PCBs accumulate in fatty tissue and their levels increase as they travel up the food chain. Human exposure to PCBs – mostly from PCB-laden fish – has been linked with cancer, thyroid disease and liver damage and is believed to affect learning, memory and immune system disorders, reproduction, birth weight and brain chemistry.

The federal Superfund law, also known as “CERCLA” or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, gives the United States government the authority to compel cleanups of “hazardous substances” and to recover costs incurred. The Hudson River “Superfund site” consists of an approximately 200 mile stretch of the River from the Village of Hudson Falls to the Battery in New York City.

ABOUT RIVERKEEPER: Riverkeeper is an independent member-supported environmental organization. Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect the Hudson River, and its tributaries, and the New York City drinking water supply. For more information, please visit www.riverkeeper.org.

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Riverkeeper Salutes Paterson for Phasing Out Bottled Water

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:49:12 -0400

May 6, 2009 (Tarrytown, NY) – Riverkeeper applauds Gov. David A. Paterson for making the environment a top priority by signing an Executive Order phasing out New York State’s purchase and use of bottled water. The Order will gradually stop government spending on single serve as well as cooler-size water bottles that state agencies use. It also requires each executive agency to stop buying bottled water and to make ordinary tap water available, through water fountains and dispensers.

This policy change is a major win for Riverkeeper, which joined a coalition of environmental groups in lobbying the state to stop buying and using bottled water in state agencies.

“We are pleased that Governor Paterson is making New York a leader in curbing our national addiction to bottled water,” said Hudson Riverkeeper Alex Matthiessen. “For decades, we have turned our back on municipal water in favor of bottled water which has been bad for our environment and bad for our wallets. Take our water fountains – in both office buildings and public spaces – which have fallen into disrepair, depriving New Yorkers of easy access to New York’s safe and delicious municipal drinking water. Governor Paterson’s order gives us the incentive to reinvest in our public water supply and deliver systems.”

Last year, Riverkeeper launched a tap water campaign to educate New Yorkers about the health, economic and environmental benefits of drinking tap water. Riverkeeper is the public watchdog of the New York City watershed, which supplies up to 1.5 billion gallons of unfiltered, top-quality drinking water per day to more than 9 million people. Tap water is actually safer than bottled water, because it is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and is tested multiple times each day, while no government agency tests bottled water.

Bottled water is also a thousand times more expensive than tap water, and its production and transportation across hundreds or thousands of miles causes pollution, which contributes to global warming. Plus, approximately 85% of the empty plastic water bottles in the U.S. end up in the garbage instead of being recycled, adding about 2 million tons of plastic bottles in U.S. landfills each year. New York is now the third state to end the purchase and use of bottled water.

Riverkeeper is an independent member-supported environmental organization. Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect the Hudson River, and its tributaries, and the New York City drinking water supply.

For more information, please visit www.riverkeeper.org.

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Riverkeeper Press Room

Daily News - Gowanus Canal fails odor test, stinks

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:59:47 -0400

BY Erin Durkin
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Friday, April 24th 2009, 8:41 AM

Read Article

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New Gowanus snag: Developer claims Superfund designation for canal will derail housing development

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:04:15 -0400

BY Erin Durkin
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Thursday, April 23rd 2009, 4:00 AM

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2009/04/23/2009-04-23_new_gowanus_snag_developer_claims_superfund_designation_for_canal_will_derail_ho.html

Riverkeeper Press Room

WNYC - Underreported Update: Newtown Creek

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:34:42 -0400

We take a look at the status of cleanup efforts in the heavily polluted Newtown creek on Brooklyn/Queens border. Alex Matthiessen and Phillip Musegaas are with the Riverkeeper organization.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2009/04/16/segments/128825

Riverkeeper Press Room

RIVERKEEPER’S STAR-STUDDED EARTH DAY BENEFIT MARKS LAUNCH OF FESTIVITIES CELEBRATING 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF HENRY HUDSON’S VOYAGE

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:25:47 -0400

Tony Bennett Set to Perform at April 22 Gala in NYC; Mayor Bloomberg Among Honorees

NEW YORK – April 15, 2009 - A celebrity-filled guest list will add glamour and excitement to Riverkeeper’s Fishermen’s Ball, at Pier Sixty on the Hudson (Chelsea Piers, Manhattan) on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22. The evening will also feature an intimate live performance by Tony Bennett.

The dinner dance begins with a cocktail reception at 6:30, followed by dinner and honors for environmental advocates who have given generously to improve the health of our waterways, including the Honorable Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, “green” architect William McDonough, Majora Carter, Pete Seeger and others.

Riverkeeper’s Fishermen’s Ball marks the launch of festivities celebrating the 400th Anniversary of Henry Hudson’s memorable voyage of discovery. Special events are scheduled throughout summer and fall, including a 10-day river flotilla in June that marks the start of Hudson’s voyage and visiting Dutch dignitaries in September marking its completion.

Riverkeeper has produced a touring exhibit and lecture, titled: “A Hudson River Journey: 1609 - 2109” that will travel to communities throughout the Hudson Valley as a featured attraction at state sponsored and local events. The exhibition examines the Hudson River from three perspectives, including: pre-contact when the Lenape lived on the river’s shores, the present day, and a look ahead to a possible future for the Hudson 100 years from now.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Riverkeeper’s Chief Prosecuting Attorney and Waterkeeper Alliance founder, commented, “When Henry Hudson sailed into New York Harbor on the Half Moon in 1609, he found a vibrant and healthy river valley inhabited by our region’s first “riverkeepers” – Native Americans who lived off the abundance of the river and the river valley. Today, we are all stewards of the river, and it is our hope that this Anniversary inspires a renewed dedication to the protection and revitalization of the Hudson River.”

Alex Matthiessen, Hudson Riverkeeper and President, said, “The restoration of the Hudson River is one of our nation’s great environmental success stories. But major challenges remain. While overall water quality has improved in the nearly four decades since passage of the Clean Water Act, we are now witnessing more raw sewage overflows, significant declines in local fish populations, and an increase in the amount of radioactive material entering the river from Indian Point. This year’s annual dinner is dedicated to celebrating our long-term progress while recruiting a new generation of river advocates to help us address these new challenges.”

The April 22 Fishermen’s Ball is expected to raise more than one million dollars to benefit Riverkeeper’s critical, year-round environmental work. For more information, please email riverkeeper@eventassociatesinc.com or call 212-245-6570 ext. 23.

About Riverkeeper: Riverkeeper is an independent member-supported environmental organization. Riverkeeper's mission is to protect the ecological integrity of the Hudson River and its tributaries, and to safeguard the drinking water supply of New York City and the lower Hudson Valley. For more information, please visit www.riverkeeper.org.

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Riverkeeper Press Room

Hudson Confidential: NYC's aqueduct problems out of this world

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:57:25 -0400

4-8: Record Online

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090408/COMM/904080335/-1/NEWS

Riverkeeper Press Room

Groups debate Supreme Court's power plant ruling

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:19:28 -0400

4/2/2009 - New York Times:

Environmental groups are downplaying the significance of a Supreme Court ruling yesterday that held U.S. EPA may weigh the costs and benefits of new water regulations on power plants. Read Article:

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/04/02/02greenwire-groups-debate-supreme-courts-power-plant-rulin-10424.html

Riverkeeper Press Room

Take Me To The River(keeper)

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:17:40 -0400

DEP Progresses in Providing Aid, Advocacy Group Keeps Watch

4/2/2009 - Shawangunk Journal

http://www.shawangunkjournal.com/2009/04/02/news/0904024.html

Riverkeeper Press Room

5/13 - Daily Star - Support recreational use of reservoirs

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:26:42 -0400

Letters for March 13, 2009

Support recreational use of reservoirs
www.thedailystar.com/letters/local_story_072041533.html

Your Feb. 20 article "Sailing kayaking and canoeing are coming to the Cannonsville" reported that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection plans to expand recreational boating. Riverkeeper supports this effort and applauds DEP for recognizing the recreational value of the reservoirs. For decades, many have gazed longingly at these waters, paddle in hand, but unable to enjoy them because DEP regulations limited access to rowboats only.

This pilot program will allow the public to demonstrate to DEP that allowing sailing, kayaking and canoeing on the reservoirs will not impair water quality. We urge the public to view this pilot program as an opportunity to do just that. Certain reasonable restrictions apply to the program. After all, no one wants zebra mussels or other invasive species to forever change the reservoirs' ecology and negatively impact the water supply.

In addition, bald eagles have chosen isolated reaches of the reservoirs to build nests for a reason _ they need and enjoy the solitude in order to thrive. The Cannonsville in particular is one of New York's most productive bald eagle habitats. DEP, in partnership with local community officials and other regulatory agencies, properly recognized this threat to the eagles and tailored the pilot program to address this concern.

Moreover, we hope the pilot program will increase tourism and economic activity around the Cannonsville Reservoir. Canoes, kayaks and sailboats will need to be serviced and stored; recreational users will need to buy supplies and lunches; and local inns and motels may see increased guests.

It is now up to the public to demonstrate to DEP that this pilot boating program is a good idea that should be made permanent and expanded to other reservoirs.

James L. Simpson
New York City
Simpson is a staff attorney for Riverkeeper Inc. of White Plains.

Riverkeeper Press Room

While searching for new fuels, leave New York's drinking water alone

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:39:57 -0500

Daily News - Op Ed - By Alex Matthiessen

Wednesday, March 4th 2009, 4:00 AM

www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/03/04/2009-03-04_while_searching_for_new_fuels_leave_new_.html

Riverkeeper Press Room

Riverkeeper and Whole Foods Market® Promote Tap Water for Clean Water Week

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:35:57 -0500

For Immediate Release: February 20, 2009

Riverkeeper and Whole Foods Market® Promote Tap Water for Clean Water Week

New Yorkers will be learning about their world-class tap water from the experts—Riverkeeper—at their local Whole Foods Market throughout the week of 2/23 – 2/27

New York, Feb. 20, 2009 – In recognition of Clean Water Week, Feb. 23-28, Riverkeeper and Whole Foods Market are teaming up for the Tap Water Awareness Project, a collaborative effort designed to educate consumers about the high quality of NYC’s tap water.

Riverkeeper—the leading protector of the NYC Watershed—will have representatives at 5 different Whole Foods Market stores conducting blind taste tests where visitors can test their ability to distinguish between bottled water and NYC’s finest. They will also share information on the NYC Watershed, the upstate source of New York City’s drinking water, and provide guides on how to read your water report to determine if you need a filter in your home.

New York City tap water, which flows unfiltered from reservoirs in the Catskill Mountains and Westchester County, is some of the finest in the world. It is also far less expensive than bottled water, a plus in these tough economic times.

Riverkeeper’s tap water advocacy focuses on increasing the availability of tap water in public and institutional settings and passing legislation to properly fund and maintain our local and national water infrastructure. Riverkeeper also focuses on land preservation and pollution controls within the watershed.

To further promote the campaign, Whole Foods Market is selling Riverkeeper’s “I Bottle My Own” reusable stainless steel bottles. 100% of the proceeds go to support Riverkeeper’s work in the watershed.

Riverkeeper representatives will be conducting blind taste tests at the following Whole Food Market stores:

Monday, Feb. 23: Tribecca store from 11:30am to 2pm; White Plains store from 5pm to 8pm
Tuesday, Feb. 24: Chelsea store from 11:30am to 2pm
Thursday, Feb. 26: Columbus Circle store from 5pm to 8pm
Friday, Feb. 27: Bowery store from 5pm to 8pm

Riverkeeper is an independent member-supported environmental organization. Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect the Hudson River, and its tributaries, and the New York City drinking water supply.

For more information, please visit www.riverkeeper.org.

Riverkeeper Press Room

RIVERKEEPER TO HOST STAR-STUDDED BENEFIT

gchambers@riverkeeper.org — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:30:05 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

NEW YORK, NY – A celebrity-filled guest list will add glamour and excitement to Riverkeeper’s annual Fishermen’s Ball, which returns to the Chelsea Pier 60 dining room on Earth Day, Wednesday, Aprill 22. The evening will also feature intimate live performances by top performance artists. Recent appearances have included Lenny Kravitz and Patty Smyth.

The dinner dance begins with a cocktail reception at 6:30, followed by dinner and honors for environmental advocates who have given generously to improve the health of the earth, including “green” architect William McDonough, Majora Carter, Pete Seeger and others.

The event, which raises more than $1.5 million annually to benefit Riverkeeper’s critical, year-round environmental work, will also pay tribute to the Quadricentennial Anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage up the mighty river bearing his name.

For more information, please email riverkeeper@eventassociatesinc.com or call 212-245-6570 ext. 23.

Riverkeeper Press Room