Photo courtesy Matt Kierstead

Ulster County draws the line on crude oil: 2 resolutions demand safety 

Ulster County has taken a stand against the threat of explosions, fires and spills presented by the oil industry’s use of the Hudson Valley as a crude oil transport corridor. Let's hope other Hudson Valley counties follow suit. By a unanimous, bipartisan vote, the Ulster legislature passed two resolutions seeking a federal ban on the use of faulty DOT-111 rail cars and a full state review of proposed oil-shipping expansions in Albany and New Windsor. The industry wants to push yet more oil down the valley by building a pipeline along the Thruway. Make no mistake: This would not replace hazardous shipments along the river. It will only add communities exposed to the environmental and public health risk of a major spill like the one caused by the pipeline rupture in LA just this month.

Take Action:  Stop the Bomb Trains and demand full environmental reviews of proposed Hudson River oil terminal expansions. 

Carol Knudson from Columbia University's Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory and Brian Brigham of CUNY Queens College, Photo: John Lipscomb

Happy boating season! See our latest water quality data

As you break out the kayak or search for stripers, check out our latest Hudson River sampling data. The good news: Thanks to relatively dry weather prior to sampling, almost all the sites we sampled May 12-15 passed Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for safe swimming. There were two notable exceptions north of New York City: the Newburgh boat launch ramp and our sample site upstream of the Troy lock. You can learn much more from our interactive online Water Quality maps.

Read more: Capt. John Lipscomb’s May water quality report.

Get Involved!

 "The river community taking care of the river – that’s what it’s all about.”

— Karen McCaffrey
Sweep volunteer in Albany

Calendar:

June 4
Public Meeting on Indian Point Safety
Cortlandt Manor, NY

June 7
Earth and Water Festival
Montgomery, NY

June 7
Cornwall RiverFest
Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY

June 11
Meeting on the Future of Flushing Creek
New York, NY

June 14
Kingston Kayak Festival
Kingston, NY

June 14
Ossining Village Fair
Ossining, NY

June 15
Riverdale RiverFest
New York, NY

June 18
How's the Water in the Capital District?
Albany, NY

June 21-22
Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival
Croton-on-Hudson, NY

June 26
Huson River PCB Community Advisory Group Meeting
Croton-on-Hudson, NY

View our Calendar

Riverkeeper Sweep Slideshow on Flickr:

Hudson Water Quality Report: See the Data From Our May Patrol 
- John Lipscomb

A Watershed Moment - Patrol Explores Mohawk/Erie Canal 
-  John Lipscomb

2014 Riverkeeper Sweep: Our Biggest Day of Service Yet  
- Dan Shapley

Hudson River at Risk: Riverkeeper's Annual Report  
- Dan Shapley

View Report >

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Photo via Flickr, Socially Responsible Agricultural Project

Our day in court: Fighting for clean water standards at mid-size dairy farms

Riverkeeper presented court arguments May 16 against New York State's attempt to roll back clean-water protections at industrial dairy farms with 200-299 cows. This deregulation flies in the face of the Clean Water Act, and makes it likely that untreated manure will run off and contaminate nearby waters. A coalition of environmental groups, including Riverkeeper, sued the state Department of Environmental Conservation to restore the standards for medium-size dairy CAFOs, or concentrated animal feeding operations. The groups are co-represented by the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic and Earthjustice. A decision is possible as early as August.

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Riverkeeper in the Press

05.20.14 :: Bloomberg
U.S. Rule on Fish Kills at Plants Angers Environmentalists
“EPA codified a practice that has not worked. More than likely we will be back in court, because this doesn’t come close to what the Clean Water Act requires.”
– Reed Super, Attorney representing Riverkeeper

05.21.14 :: Albany Times Union
Foes mark crude line: Opponents say Pilgrim Pipeline opens Albany to unsafe oil shipments
"Whatever way these drillers can get their product to market will be used and the pipeline proposed by Pilgrim is not going to change that equation... Pipeline spills are inevitable."
– Kate Hudson, Watershed Program Director

05.12.14 :: City & State
Power Play: A Q&A with Mike Richter
"The better the water, the better the quality of life and the better the property values."
– Mike Richter, Rangers legend and Riverkeeper Board Member