Arbor Hill
Environmental Justice Corp.
Hudson River Sloop
Clearwater
Scenic Hudson
Sierra Club,
Atlantic Chapter
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact:
May 19, 2000 Jeff Jones, Environmental Advocates,
518-462-5526 ext. 233
Rich Schiafo, Scenic Hudson, 914-473-4440
Baret Pinyoun, Sierra Club, 518-587-9166
Cell: 518-796-2540
In its current misleading ad
campaign, General Electric charges that “some activists are urging the EPA to
order dredging in the Hudson.” Many
activists, along with other citizens and elected officials in the Hudson River
Watershed, do support dredging, but are opposed to landfilling PCBs in Ft. Edward, AND are opposed to GE’s
misleading ad campaign.
“GE
would have you believe that there is a plan in place to dredge the entire 40
miles of the upper Hudson River, and that this will have devastating
implications for Hudson River communities.
We are united in our demand that GE stop trying to influence the outcome
by delivering misinformation to the public,” stated David Higby, spokesman for
Environmental Advocates.
GE
is running full-page ads in several upstate newspapers in an effort to frame
the debate over cleanup strategies for the contaminated Hudson River. They are highlighting communities, some of
which passed resolutions over 3 years ago, opposing dredging and landfilling of
toxic PCB contaminants. Recently, EPA’s
human health and ecological risk assessments underscored the continued severity
of the problem; the decision on Hudson River cleanup strategies is expected in
December 2000.
“We
call on GE to stop using misleading information to manipulate public
opinion. We call on them to accept
responsibility and instead put their PR dollars into the Hudson River PCB
cleanup,” said Cara Lee, Environmental Director of Scenic Hudson, “End the
delay and cleanup the Hudson River today,” she added.
At
the last GE Shareholder meeting on April 26th there was proposal to
require GE to disclose their public relations and lobbying expenditures related
to the PCB remediation. This proposal
received enough support to be revisited at the next annual meeting.
“Residents
of the Upper Hudson River and indeed all New Yorkers want this issue
resolved. The time for corporate
propaganda is over and the time for constructive dialogue on cleanup and PCB
removal strategies is now,” said the Sierra Club’s Legislative Director, John
Stouffer. “On the heels of the recent
shareholder actions urging disclosure of GE funds spent on PR, we call on Jack
Welch, Chairman of General Electric, to suspend this PR effort immediately,”
added Stouffer.
Speaking
for “Some Activists,” David Higby of Environmental Advocates urged all New
Yorkers to weigh in on behalf of the little people in this classic “David vs.
Goliath” drama.
“After
over a decade of delay on the cleanup, we urge New Yorkers to let their voices
be heard and to effectively counter the GE propaganda polluting our public
airwaves,” Higby concluded.
###
Background:
· GE dumped more than 1.3
million pounds of PCBs into the Hudson River over a 30-year period from their
Hudson Falls and Fort Edward plants.
More PCBs were used at these two facilities than at any other location
nationwide. The Hudson River remains
the largest PCB Superfund site in the United States. GE is responsible for more federal Superfund sites than any other
corporation.
· EPA began its reassessment
of the PCB contamination of the Hudson River in 1990. Since then, the reassessment process and a cleanup decision have
been delayed 11 times. The EPA has made
a commitment to render a decision by December 2000. Any more delays in this process are unacceptable.
· Polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) are a class of 209 synthetic chemicals that were used as insulating
fluids in electrical transformers and capacitors. Because of their human health and ecological effects, manufacturing
of PCBs was banned in 1977. In addition
to being suspected of causing cancer, PCBs are now understood to have subtle
but indelible effects on neurological, hormonal, and reproductive systems of
animals and humans and have the ability to permanently affect intelligence and
behavior, including IQ, attention span and irritability. These non-cancer health effects are
suspected of occurring at lower levels than previously considered. PCBs do not degrade or break down in the
environment. They are very persistent
and can be found worldwide, in places far from where they have been used.
· PCBs remain a problem in the
Upper Hudson as they continue to be available to the life in the River. A cleanup by GE is necessary for the
restoration and recovery of the Hudson River.