DEC to Hold Public Hearings on Gas Drilling

GE PCB Dredging Update

Phase I of the GE PCB Hudson clean-up is now coming to a conclusion.  As of October 10, dredging crews had removed about 264,100 cubic yards of sediment, compared to a removal target of about 265,200 cubic yards to this point. Dredging has been performed approximately 70 percent of the 24-hours-a-day, six-days-a-week schedule, and 559 barges filled with sediment removed from the river have been transported to the processing facility on the Champlain Canal.  An additional 100,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment was removed after it was found at deeper levels than the initial core samples had indicated.  Thus, according to EPA, the true scope of Phase I was really about 100,000 cubic yards more than planned, and Phase II will be expanded as a consequence. Following the Phase I work, EPA and GE will separately prepare reports assessing the dredging and related data. These reports will be submitted to an independent peer review panel and to the public for evaluation.  Although pursuant to the Consent Decree, GE retains the option to elect not to do Phase II, and is currently pursuing a law suit to declare the Superfund law unconstitutional, but many environmentalists and EPA are hopeful that Phase II will commence as soon as possible. Riverkeeper is following the process closely and is participating in the law suit with NRDC, Scenic Hudson, and Clearwater, with an amicus brief defending EPA’s authority to order the complete clean-up pursuant to the Superfund law. 

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RvK Comments on NRC's Evacuation Planning

Riverkeeper submitted comments on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s proposal to supposedly “enhance” current emergency preparedness requirements which apply to nuclear power plants, including Indian Point.  Disappointingly, the proposed changes would do nothing to address the fundamental problems which render Indian Point's  Emergency Plan completely inadequate at protecting public health and safety in the event of an actual emergency.

The proposed changes, while slightly improving procedures, fail to establish any binding, performance based standards by which the emergency plan would be approved or denied. The lack of clear, mandatory standards has led to an emergency plan at Indian Point that is devoid of any connection to the daily realities of heavy traffic, extremely high population density, and poor communication with surrounding communities, thereby rendering it unworkable.

Riverkeeper is calling on the NRC to establish such standards to ensure that nuclear power plant operators unequivocally demonstrate that their plans will work in an emergency.

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