ALBANYThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has indicated that a large-scale dredging of the Hudson River is its preferred option for removing PCBs in sediment at the river's bottom.
We oppose this plan. We are unconvinced about the effectiveness of dredging and of the need to do it. And we remain deeply concerned about the economic and social effects of large-scale dredging. The 70-some communities that have forcefully opposed dredging know it would put their towns and lives into turmoil for many years as their use of the river is disrupted and dredged materials are moved, de-watered, decontaminated, and shipped.
The burden of dealing with all this disruption would fall squarely on the EPA. We urge the EPA to reconsider its recommendation and, in particular, to weigh carefully how it would minimize the social, economic, and recreational effects of large-scale dredging on the individuals and businesses in these communities.
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