During the April Hudson 7 council meeting, Riverkeeper's Science Director Shannon Roback provided a helpful presentation on PCBs and Drinking Water. This was especially important as the Hudson 7 waits for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) release of its draft third five-year review (FYR) report of the Hudson River PCBs Superfund site to determine whether or not the dredging remedy is achieving key PCB-reduction targets established in the 2002 Record of Decision. The Hudson 7 is fully engaged on Hudson River PCBs having both a primary (Randy Alstadt, H7 Technical Advisor, Treatment Plant Operations) and alternate (Dorothy DiNobile, Technical Advisor, Laboratory Analysis) representatives serving on the Hudson River PCB Superfund site Community Advisory Group (CAG) that meets periodically. The council will ask its Water Treatment Plant Committee to compile data from plant influent that shows PCB concentration going into facilities in preparation for the FYR public comment period. "If we have that data available, we can use it when the time comes." said Hudson 7 Chairman and Mayor of the Village of Rhinebeck Gary Bassett. What is the Hudson River Drinking Water Intermunicipal Council (Hudson 7) ?
The Hudson 7 is a collaboration of the mid-Hudson municipalities and counties that draw drinking water from the Hudson River Estuary for more than 100,000 people in the Town of Esopus, Town of Hyde Park, Town of Lloyd, Town and City of Poughkeepsie, Town and Village of Rhinebeck located in Dutchess and Ulster Counties. These communities are served by five drinking water treatment plants that utilize Hudson River water, operated by the City and Town of Poughkeepsie, Village of Rhinebeck (for the Village and Town of Rhinebeck), Town of Esopus, Town of Lloyd and Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority (for Hyde Park). What makes the Hudson 7 important and unique? The Hudson 7 is the first intermunicipal council of its kind in the history of the Hudson River. It provides attention and advocacy to ensure that water protection is a primary goal, amid competing uses of the Hudson River. How did the Hudson 7 come about? The concept was the brainchild of the Village of Rhinebeck Mayor Gary Bassett and Riverkeeper’s Dan Shapley. At a meeting on the banks of the Rondout Creek, they decided to reach out to each of the other communities that rely on the Hudson River as a drinking water source, and develop a platform that would encourage a collaboration between the five drinking water treatment plants. What are the source waters for the Hudson 7? The source waters for the Hudson 7 is the stretch of the Hudson River roughly between the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge and the Mid-Hudson Bridge; however, the land area that influences water there is vast. The Hudson River watershed is 13,400 square miles, encompassing much of southeastern New York State, and smaller portions of Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut. Much of this watershed is “upstream” of the intakes of the Hudson River intakes, and because the river is tidal, water flows both ways. Based on NYS Department of Health Source Water Assessments developed as a requirement of the Safe Drinking Water Act in the early 2000s, Dutchess County created this map to show the portion of the river and its watershed that was thought most important water for Hudson 7 communities. In 2021, the Hudson 7 communities were selected to participate in the Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2), a locally led, state-supported program that empowers municipalities to take action to improve and protect their public water sources and surrounding environment. The program offers free technical assistance to develop and implement community-specific drinking water source protection plans. The effort is focused in part on defining different geographic areas that are relevant to different types of potential contamination concerns. We expect that through the focus of the Hudson 7 on source water protection, we will continually refine understanding of the complexities related to potential contamination sources at different distances from our intakes. When did the first Hudson 7 organizational meeting take place? The first organizational meeting of the Hudson 7 took place on July 10, 2017 with Mayor Gary Bassett (Village of Rhinebeck), Randy Alstadt, (City of Poughkeepsie), Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia (Town of Rhinebeck), Supervisor Diane McCord (Town of Esopus), Supervisor-elect Shannon Harris (Town of Esopus), Water Superintendent Don Kiernan (Town of Esopus), Board member Bill Carlos (Town of Poughkeepsie), Supervisor Jay Baisley (Town of Poughkeepsie), Neil Curri (Town of Lloyd ECC), Board member and Deputy Supervisor Emily Svenson (Town of Hyde Park), Dan Shapley and Rebecca Martin (Riverkeeper). An informal collaboration began with Riverkeeper to produce a report using Riverkeeper’s “Drinking Source Water Protection Scorecard” to develop recommendations. That report, authored by the Center for Watershed Protection and commissioned by Riverkeeper with funding from the Park Foundation, was released in February, 2018. Forming an intermunicipal council was among the top recommendations of the report, with a focus for the long term protection of the Hudson River as a drinking water source. The NYS Drinking Water Source Protection Program, which didn’t then exist, is now guiding the creation of a source water protection plan for the Hudson 7, building on the Scorecard report. When was the intermunicipal agreement for the Hudson 7 established? The Hudson 7 intermunicipal council representing the seven municipalities that draw drinking water from the Hudson River was officially formed on May 31, 2018 when all seven municipalities gathered to sign an intermunicipal agreement and bylaws with a ceremony at Marist College’s historic Cornell Boathouse on the banks of the river in Poughkeepsie. The Hudson 7 has met monthly since then. What are the Hudson 7’s goals? The Hudson 7 has outlined its goals each year since 2020. In the Hudson 7 Bylaws, the council’s function is to do the following:
Who are the voting members of the Hudson 7? The Hudson 7 voting members currently include one primary representative and one alternate member from the seven (7) municipalities and two (2) counties for a term of two years (Dutchess and Ulster County became voting members of the Hudson 7 in the summer of 2022, bringing the council voting members to nine). The primary representative is an elected official. The alternate representative may be an elected official, an employee or contractor of the municipality, a resident of the municipality, or another appropriate representative. Both primary and alternative representatives are always invited to attend the monthly council meetings. When the primary representative is not available to meet in person, the alternative representative, if available, will vote on behalf of the municipality/county. Please read the Hudson 7 Bylaws for more information. Who are the non-voting members of the Hudson 7? The council may include other non-municipal entities or individuals as non-voting members. Non-voting members also include pro bono technical advisors with various topics of expertise from agencies, entities or individuals that can assist in the implementation of source water protection actions. Where does the council meet for their monthly meetings? The Hudson 7 council’s monthly meeting is hybrid, held at the Poughkeepsie Water Treatment Facility (PWTF) located on the Marist College campus and on zoom. The Hudson 7 has a YouTube channel where it streams its monthly meetings live for the public to view in real time. Recordings are also available at the YouTube channel. What constitutes a quorum during the Hudson 7’s monthly meetings? A quorum, consisting of a majority of the voting primary or alternate membership, is required for the council to vote on an action. With a total of nine (9) voting members, five (5) voting members must be in-person at the PWTF for the council to vote on any agenda items. How does the Hudson 7 make decisions? At any meeting of the council, the general principles of parliamentary procedure, or Robert’s Rules of Order, are observed. The council is governed by its bylaws that were adopted in August of 2019 with amendments along the way. Each municipality and county has one vote, which may be exercised during the council’s hybrid meetings, by the designated primary representative, or in their absence, by the designated alternate representative. All actions taken by the council shall be by an affirmative vote of the majority of the total voting members. How can I track the Hudson 7’s work history? The Hudson 7 shares all of its agenda, minutes, key source materials and video from its monthly meetings located on its website under the meetings page tab. Notable press is also available. The Hudson 7 recently released a motions document that tracks its motions since it started to meet officially in 2018 to present. Does the Hudson 7 have committees? Yes. The council forms committees, to work in conjunction with the council, as necessary to carry out the functions and goals of the council. Responsibilities of each committee are determined by the council at the time each committee is formed. A committee may include voting members and non-voting members of the council and any other non-council member appointed to the committee by the council to fulfill the charge of the committee and to obtain public input and participation in ongoing activities. Currently, the council has several working committees that include Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE), Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2), Hudson River Anchorages, Water Treatment Plant Operator and Organizational Structure. The Source Water Protection Coordinator is currently creating materials on all of the Hudson 7’s committee and campaign work to share with the council and the public. Does the Hudson 7 have any funding currently? All seven municipalities and two counties have contributed to fund the council’s first Source Water Protection Coordinator in the summer of 2023 for at least three years. The total amount contributed between nine entities is $75,000 per year. The council hired Rebecca Martin as a part-time consultant, who will develop a work plan for the council to approve each year that she remains in the position. These documents are all public facing, and can be found on the Hudson 7’s about page on the council’s website. Dutchess County also made a contribution of $19,999 to fund a lawyer specifically to help the Hudson 7 create a not-for-profit organization and to re-write its Bylaws to reflect its new organizational structure. That work is ongoing. Whatever remaining county funds designated for this task will sunset at the end of 2024. How can the public participate? The Hudson 7 council meetings provide public comment at the beginning of its monthly meetings in person, on zoom or in writing. Hudson 7 meetings are also live streamed on the council’s YouTube page. You can find this information on the Hudson 7’s website meeting page. In a letter to Governor Hochul, the Hudson 7 requests that the governor not cut Clean Water Infrastructure and Hudson River funding, and instead commit at least $600 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act in the SFY 2024-25 budget
"The Executive Budget for New York State contains worrying cuts to environmental funding and environmental law enforcement that the Hudson River and its communities depend on," said Mayor Gary Bassett (Village of Rhinebeck), the chair of the Hudson 7 wrote. "These cuts mean fewer investments in replacing aging water pipes and wastewater treatment plants, a diminished ability to address harmful algal blooms that deplete oxygen in the water and kill fish, fewer communities accessing grants for drinking water protection projects, a reduction in hands-on classroom programs through the Hudson River Estuary Program, and fewer funds to enforce our environmental laws on the ground." "We believe that strengthening our seven communities and preparing them for the future happens from the ground up, beginning with the infrastructure - underground and often unseen in our day-to-day lives - that conveys clean water to our taps and takes wastewater away from our houses. In our communities, like much of the state, water infrastructure is old and outdated" he wrote. "We support our allies request for a commitment to at least a $600 million investment in the Clean Water Infrastructure Act and oppose any funding raids or cuts to the EPF, Hudson River Estuary Program, and our environmental law enforcement and urge you to keep these key sources of funding to remain in the state budget without any offloads from the previous year." The public is encouraged to take action out ahead of the budget negotiations that will unfold between the Governor, Assembly and Senate, leading up to a final budget on April 1st. Visit Riverkeeper to learn how. The Hudson 7 celebrated its five-year anniversary in 2023. Here are some of the council's highlights from the year. If you have any questions about our work, please contact us at: hudson7info (at) gmail.com Signs of a Paradigm Shift There is increasing evidence that the Hudson 7’s formation and ongoing work has created a paradigm shift in awareness about the Hudson River as a source of drinking water. To cite one example, prior to the formation of the Hudson 7, a cleanup plan for manufactured gas coal tar in Poughkeepsie was developed in close proximity to Poughkeepsie’s water intake, with limited consideration of the potential to disturb contaminants that might impact drinking water. In 2023, in contrast, the DEC directed the entity responsible for a similar cleanup in Hudson, NY - 20-plus miles from the nearest intake – to consult with the Hudson 7 on its cleanup plan in its early stages of development. The Hudson 7 hires Source Water Protection Coordinator After many years of planning, the Hudson 7 hired its first Source Water Protection Coordinator in July. The position, funded by annual contributions from Hudson 7 municipalities and counties, was filled by Rebecca Martin, who serves part time as a consultant. Martin is a founding member of the Hudson 7, providing coordination for the group through her former position at Riverkeeper since 2017. She has more than 20 years of experience building effective campaigns and projects through coalition-building and collaborative strategies with targeted communications. Salt Front Advancement in the Hudson River due to Climate Change receives $500,000 funding for study by NYSDEC In February, 2022, Hudson 7 Technical Advisor Paul Malmrose introduced a problem that had been of interest to the scientific community but hadn’t been a priority for the state: the Salt Front Advancement in the Hudson River Due to Climate Change and Action Plan to Prevent Salt from Entering the Drinking Water. While the concentration of salt always fluctuates in the Hudson, a tidal estuary, it is well-established that sea-level rise will increase the concentration of salt farther north more frequently. It remains unknown, however, how quickly or significantly this change will be, and how it might affect the river at Hudson 7 intakes. His presentation and coordination of partners helped the council and the state to recognize the gap of knowledge and led to the NYSDEC announcing $500,000 in funding for a Hudson River Salt Front Study in partnership with U.S. Geological Survey, a first critical step to approach the issue. United States Coast Guard (USCG) Temporarily Pauses Anchorage Plan One of the core concerns of the Hudson 7 has always been the risk of spill of hazardous materials from rail, barge and tanker shipping on and along the Hudson. When the Coast Guard announced changes that would allow more vessels to anchor in the Hudson, including in the vicinity of Hudson 7 intakes, the Hudson 7 worked with Riverkeeper to convene Coast Guard officials and communicate concerns. The Coast Guard is now reconsidering its proposal, and the Hudson 7 and the public will have the opportunity to influence its decision. Hudson River PCB Superfund Site With General Electric Co. investigating potential PCBs hotspots in the 150-mile Hudson River Estuary, and environmental groups pressuring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to commit to additional remedial measures to reduce contamination in fish, the Hudson 7 was invited to join an expanded Community Advisory Group, giving it access to information and a voice in decisions going forward. Due to their chemical nature, PCBs are primarily a concern for fish, rather than drinking water, because fish accumulate higher levels of contamination and can deliver a significant dose to those who eat them. Hudson 7 receives “Building Bridges Award” In December, the Hudson 7 received the “Building Bridges Award” from the Hudson Valley Regional Council (HVRC). The event honored Mid-Hudson municipalities for their achievements in economic development, water quality planning, and clean energy and climate smart actions. The Hudson 7 is also frequently cited as an example of intermunicipal cooperation on drinking water source protection. Hudson 7 Source Water Protection Plan The Hudson 7 has completed substantial portions of a first-ever draft Drinking Water Source Protection Plan for the Hudson River. A landmark effort, the plan will define various potential threats and management recommendations to reduce and eliminate threats, including building on the extensive collaborative networks that the Hudson 7 has already built with agencies at the state and federal levels, as well as actions that municipalities can take at the local level. Department of Health advisors Grant Jiang and Mike Forgeng’s technical assistance have been critical in supporting the Hudson 7. For more on the Hudson 7's past accomplishments: 2022: Watershed WaveMaker: Paul Malmrose 2020: Coal Tar and Crude Oil: Milestones in protecting the Hudson River drinking water source 2019: Seven signs of progress for the Hudson 7 2018: Hudson 7 form pioneering river protection council 2018: Hudson 7 sign agreement to protect Hudson River drinking water supply |
Hudson 7 adminRebecca Martin, Source Water Protection Coordinator Archives
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