Hudson River community advisory group holds next meeting in Saratoga Springs

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will discuss its decision to issue the General Electric Co. a certificate of completion for the $1.7 billion dredging of the Hudson River, and its deferral until later about whether the dredging worked, at an upcoming meeting.

The meeting will be held from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 14, in the Hathorn Room of the Gideon Putnam Hotel, 24 Gideon Putnam Road in Saratoga Springs.

The update is just one item on a packed agenda for the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site Community Advisory Group. The group is made up of multiple stakeholders for the federal Superfund site, including local municipal leaders, environmental organizations, GE representatives and state and federal representatives.

EPA issues Hudson River cleanup certificate to General Electric

EPA officials will talk about the early April announcement that GE had completed the remedial action for dredging, capping and habitat restoration of the Upper Hudson River. EPA Region 2 Administrator Pete Lopez told reporters that does not mean GE is “off the hook,” adding that it will be decades before a final certificate would be issued to end the site’s Superfund status.

EPA has provisions, Lopez added, that could require GE to complete more cleanup activities.

EPA will also discuss its decision to defer a determination about whether the dredging worked. Lopez has said more fish tissue data will be collected, and a decision could be made in eight years or so.

Shortly after the EPA’s announcement, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the state would be suing.

Cuomo: State will sue EPA over Hudson River decision

Separately from this project, the EPA is considering project work to clean up the floodplains of the Hudson River. That, too, will be discussed at the meeting, along with the data collection process, sampling of high flow and flood mud and sampling of the Old Champlain Canal in Schuylerville.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation will also discuss its surface sediment data collection.

The meeting is open to the public. For more information and a draft agenda, go to hudsoncag.ene.com.

Reporter Gwendolyn Craig can be reached at (518) 742-3238 or gcraig@poststar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @gwendolynnn1.

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