Time Stands Still on the Time Stands Still on the Hudson: A Case StudyHudson: A Case Study

Anil Anil KulangaraKulangaraJean FoleyJean Foley

Branden BuehlerBranden BuehlerRuth HallRuth Hall

Hudson River: Why this case?Hudson River: Why this case?

•• One of the largest dredging sites in the One of the largest dredging sites in the United StatesUnited States

•• Relatively localRelatively local•• PCBs determined dangerous in late 1970sPCBs determined dangerous in late 1970s

–– Long time scale to examine evolutionLong time scale to examine evolution

The ProblemThe Problem

•• PCB Contamination of the Hudson RiverPCB Contamination of the Hudson River–– ““Probable Human CarcinogenProbable Human Carcinogen””–– Persistent: 500 lb/yr flow into the HudsonPersistent: 500 lb/yr flow into the Hudson

•• Environmental ImpactEnvironmental Impact–– Uneven decline of fish populationUneven decline of fish population–– High PCB levels in fish and humansHigh PCB levels in fish and humans

•• General Electric, Co.General Electric, Co.–– Legally released into Hudson until 1977Legally released into Hudson until 1977

Big map courtesy of the Hudson River Watertrails Association, insert courtesy of the EPA http://riverkeeper.org/map_ge_pcbs.php

ActorsActors

•• Government: EPA and NY State Government: EPA and NY State –– 2.65 million cubic yards from 38 miles2.65 million cubic yards from 38 miles–– Expensive: $460 million to be paid by GEExpensive: $460 million to be paid by GE

•• Community: NGOs and publicCommunity: NGOs and public–– NGOs and downriver community unitedNGOs and downriver community united–– Upriver communities fracturedUpriver communities fractured

•• Market: General ElectricMarket: General Electric–– ReluctantReluctant–– Yet, cooperative?Yet, cooperative?

Epoch Discourse AnalysisEpoch Discourse Analysis

•• MazmanianMazmanian and Kraft frameworkand Kraft framework–– Temporal analysis: Epoch II, transition towards Temporal analysis: Epoch II, transition towards

Epoch IIIEpoch III•• How does their model fit this case?...How does their model fit this case?...

The Role of GovernmentThe Role of Government

•• EPAEPA–– Lead oversight agencyLead oversight agency

•• New York StateNew York State–– Support agencySupport agency

•• Role codified in Superfund lawRole codified in Superfund law

The Role of GovernmentThe Role of Government

•• Greater involvement with other actors?Greater involvement with other actors?–– EPAEPA

•• Review processReview process•• GE design implementationGE design implementation•• Community Involvement PlanCommunity Involvement Plan

–– Community Advisory GroupCommunity Advisory Group–– Grants for expertsGrants for experts

–– New York StateNew York State•• Advisory function to publicAdvisory function to public

The Role of GovernmentThe Role of Government

•• Actuality Actuality ––limited partnershiplimited partnership–– GE GE

•• Reluctant to pay, cooperate with EPAReluctant to pay, cooperate with EPA

–– CommunityCommunity•• No necessary impact on decisionNo necessary impact on decision--makingmaking

–– EPAEPA•• Much more power than other actorsMuch more power than other actors

General ElectricGeneral Electric

•• ““diversified technology, diversified technology, media and financial media and financial services company services company dedicated to creating dedicated to creating products that make life products that make life betterbetter””

http://www.ge.com/en/commitment/ehs/hudson/remediation.htm

http://www.ge.com/files/usa/en/commitment/ehs/hudson/tunnelproject.pdf

General ElectricGeneral Electric’’s PCBss PCBs

•• 87 active Superfund 87 active Superfund sites, with sole sites, with sole responsibility at 8, responsibility at 8, including the Hudson including the Hudson RiverRiver

•• GE will design the GE will design the environmental environmental dredging project that dredging project that EPA has chosen for the EPA has chosen for the Upper Hudson RiverUpper Hudson River

•• GE has already begun GE has already begun two year sediment two year sediment sampling programsampling program

http://riverkeeper.org/campaign.php/ge_pcbs

The GE Factory at Hudson Falls

Market ResistanceMarket Resistance

•• BUTBUT, GE has fought to , GE has fought to reduce the PCB reduce the PCB contaminated contaminated sediment removal sediment removal requirement and is requirement and is fighting to overturn the fighting to overturn the Superfund lawSuperfund law

http://www.schmidtwriting.com/articles/clients/ehp/superfund.html

NGOsNGOs

•• Scenic HudsonScenic Hudson•• ClearwaterClearwater•• RiverkeeperRiverkeeper

•• Coalitions of NGOsCoalitions of NGOs–– NRDCNRDC–– Friends of a Clean Friends of a Clean

HudsonHudson

•Support EPA Plan

•Wanted more remediation

Thompson Island Pool is a beautiful place that has been badly damaged by the illegal dumping of PCBs.

http://www.scenichudson.org/pcbs/index.html

CommunityCommunity

•• Community Advisory GroupCommunity Advisory Group–– Required by SuperfundRequired by Superfund–– Diverse representation of communityDiverse representation of community

•• EPA Community Involvement ProgramEPA Community Involvement Program–– Required by SuperfundRequired by Superfund–– Information disseminationInformation dissemination

•• Informal GroupsInformal Groups–– Local informal group against deLocal informal group against de--watering siteswatering sites

•• Local GovernmentLocal Government

What does this all mean?What does this all mean?

•• Evidence for Epoch III?Evidence for Epoch III?–– Community participation programsCommunity participation programs–– Cooperative veneerCooperative veneer–– GEGE’’s environmental ethics environmental ethic

••Stuck in Epoch IStuck in Epoch I–– Command and control structureCommand and control structure–– Absence of market incentives for Absence of market incentives for

remediationremediation–– Limited integration of community inputLimited integration of community input

M&K: A Good Fit?M&K: A Good Fit?

•• No indication of Epoch evolutionNo indication of Epoch evolution•• Why? Why?

–– Spurred by an ecological crisisSpurred by an ecological crisis–– No need for prevention, just clean upNo need for prevention, just clean up–– No obvious market incentivesNo obvious market incentives–– Powerful decision maker needed as a catalyst for Powerful decision maker needed as a catalyst for

changechange•• Future??Future??

–– Environmental outcome: good or bad?Environmental outcome: good or bad?•• Still too early to tellStill too early to tell•• Scenic Hudson believes if the EPA plan is followed Scenic Hudson believes if the EPA plan is followed

that the Hudson will recoverthat the Hudson will recover

http://www.epa.gov/hudson/map.htm#photos