The U.S. EPA was supposed to begin in 2005 to dredge up 1.3 million pounds of PCBs that GE had dumped in the Hudson River years ago. They've just postponed it (again) until 2009. Naturally, some people are upset, including the Poughkeepsie Journal [1]who called the delay "absurd, outrageous, inconceivable."

The paper also said that it was banking on Reps. Gillibrand and Hall and Gov. Spitzer to jump in and get the EPA to act since they have all been advocates of the cleanup.

Gillibrand did weigh in. She told The Saratogian [2] that the federal government's delay is giving time to address the concerns of riverside communities. As quoted: "The most important thing for me is that we are going to reach a place where our parties are working together to do this in the most effective way."

Rich Schiafo of Scenic Hudson [3] was also quoted on the matter. He said communities, particularly Fort Edward, are just being obstructionists. "Somebody needs to play tough with them. This is about public health."