The Hopewell Precision Superfund siteFaced with serious and ongoing water contamination issues, U.S. Rep. John Hall (19th District) is planning a House subcommittee hearing to examine the issues and potential solutions. The Field Hearing, entitled "Water Resources Contamination and Environmental Cleanup in the Hudson Valley," will be held April 11 at 9:30 a.m. at the East Fishkill Town Hall.

 

A large stretch of the Hudson River has been designated a Superfund site as a result of the PCB dumping, resulting in serious downriver impacts. In addition, Hopewell Precision Superfund site, located in East Fishkill, is one of seven sites in the 19th Congressional District on the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund National Priority List, a designation of the nation's most severely polluted locations. Furthermore, many municipalities in the region are tasked with improving their sewer infrastructure to meet Clean Water Act obligations and avoid polluting lakes, rivers and streams.

"Water pollution in the Hudson Valley is a serious challenge and the cleanup is going to require strong and organized cooperation," Hall said. "I've asked the Water Resources Subcommittee to hold a field hearing here so that we can examine how the EPA is currently working with New York's Department of Environmental Conservation, local governments, and private groups. I want this hearing to spur the federal government to redouble its commitment to remediation in the Hudson Valley."