Features: May 6, 2002

Rensselaer Named to Hudson River Task Force

Rensselaer has been named to a task force created recently by Governor George Pataki to review issues related to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) plan to remove PCBs from the river and make recommendations on specific aspects of the cleanup. The Hudson River Task Force will allow state officials to discuss critical issues with local communities, share information, and help the state convey its concerns and views to EPA.

"When we announced our support for the EPA plan to remove PCBs from the river, we promised New Yorkers that we would make sure our upriver communities are protected," Governor Pataki said. "As the remediation to restore our magnificent Hudson River to its full potential moves forward, we will continue to work closely with the EPA to ensure that the needs and interests of local communities are given full consideration."

The task force will be chaired by State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Erin Crotty '92. Other members include representatives of Congressman John Sweeney, New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chair Robert Hall, Washington County Board of Supervisors Chair Donald Cummings, New York State AFL-CIO, Friends of a Clean Hudson, the Adirondack Regional Chambers of Commerce, the New York Farm Bureau, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Columbia Earth Institute of Columbia University, and New York State Departments of Health and Agriculture and Markets.

The EPA's remediation plan for the Hudson River will be conducted in two phases, with work expected to last six years. Following the active remediation, there will be extensive monitoring of fish, water, and sediment from the Hudson River to determine the short- and long-term impacts of the work.