Sister Patricia Daly, a Caldwell Dominican nun and the Executive Director of the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment representing GE’s Religious Shareholders from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. She charged GE with turning the Hudson River into America’s largest PCB spill on the planet.

"The PCB’s have simply been left there, embedded in the river sediment. These chemicals continually re-contaminate the fish and wildlife and endanger human health all the way downstream," she said.

On April 22, 1998 which happens to be Earth Day, the resolution got a 7.5 percent vote from shareholders who urged General Electric to support cleaning the toxic contamination from GE plants in the Hudson River along the Northeast rather than covering it up.

Sister Clear Regan of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility said the meeting was a victory.

"I think in a sense it’s a success because it’s out in the public forum and we can return next year. We’ll build up allies and strategies, maybe then we can try dialoguing with the big companies because they keep dodging our propositions," said Sister Regan.

The stockholder resolution was developed by a coalition of 16 religious institutional investors to draw attention to the severe problem of PCB contamination in the Hudson River resulting from GE’s disposal practices over a 30-year period.

"The coalition has about12 million shares compared with GE’s big company’s at 3 trillion shares withstanding," said Regan, "We realize we can’t have a serious debate until we get the public involved and Vice President Al Gore."

An EPA report, issued earlier this year, stated that during the 30-year period that ended in 1977; the two General Electric plants near Fort Edward discharged an estimated 1.1 million pounds of PCB’s into the Hudson. PCB’s, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are a number of toxic oils classified as potential human carcinogens associated with developmental health effects

Much of the PCB’s discharged by GE were trapped behind the Fort Edward Dam but were released to the lower Hudson when the dam was removed in 1973. The resulting contamination forced New York State in 1976 to ban all fishing in the upper Hudson and commercial fishing of most species in the lower Hudson.

Although GE stopped the intentional dumping of PCB’s in the Hudson in 1977, the plants are still contaminated with tens of thousands of gallons of PCB oil. In the early 1990’s pure PCB oil was found leaking into the River from the ground beneath the

Hudson Falls plant. GE is currently cleaning up the two plants under orders from New York State.

An "Eat None" health advisory from New York State applies to women of childbearing age and children for all fish species from the Hudson. For others, the health advisories vary by location and fish species, but generally limit consumption to one meal per week or per month.

John F. Welch Jr., GE’s chairman and chief executive officer, responded at the shareholders meeting that studies found no direct link between PCB’s and health problems. He said PCB contamination in the Hudson River fish is declining naturally, and further solution is needed.

"We simply do not believe that there are any significant adverse health effects from PCB’s," Welch said during the Shareholders’ meeting. "Living in a PCB-laden area is not dangerous."

The EPA has announced to wait until 2001 to make a clean up decision. For some this maybe too late.

It seems Gerald B. Solomon’s departure from Capital Hill could turn the tide in next years debate over PCB’s in the Hudson River.

Yes, said Klara Sauer, executive director of Scenic Hudson Inc. of Poughkeepsie. "It’s the best news I’ve heard."

Sauer’s group and Solomon have battled over forcing GE to clean up the Hudson River.

Solomon opposed dredging PCBs, while groups such as Scenic Hudson say removing PCB’s from the river should be a priority.

The future is up in the air says Wayne R. Gilchrest, Teacher of Environmental Science Dutchess County Boces.

"The answers to the PCB issue lies between the extremes held by GE and the environmentalist groups like Scenic Hudson and Clearwater. This is a complex issue that no one group has a monopoly on the correct answer. It is critical for those who live in the Hudson Valley to examine all sides of the issue, ruminate on the data and then make a wise and informed conclusion and decision," said Gilchrest.

To voice your opinion or for more information contact the Governor, EPA and New York’s Environmental Commissioner:

Governor George Pataki Ms. Carol Browner Commissioner John Cahill

Executive Chamber Administrator, U.S. EPA NYS Dept. Env. Conservation

State Capital 401 M St. SW 50 Wolf Road

Albany, NY 12224 Washington, DC 20460 Albany, NY 12233