Notes from July 30 EPA Meeting re: Wappingers Creek Cleanup
EPA Staff members came to Grinnell Library to meet with members of the public on July 30th. About 30 people attended the 1 hour session. What was presented was an outline of an interim plan.. that is estimated to cost $88M.. but is yet to go out to contract etc.
The Full Plan can be found here https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0201758
Highlights of the plan..
The EPA remit was to study from the falls/Industrial Park to the Hudson River, they did take samples at Wappingers Lake to use as a baseline. The area below the falls has been designated as a Superfund site since 2016.
There are a number of contaminants found at the site, but the most "worrying" is mercury, which in some samplings was over 200% of the "safe" level.
Several redmediation plans were reviewed, but the EPA is recommended the most extensive one which would be removing sediment from the creek bottom/shore line - trucking the sediment away from the site to be cleansed off site, and cleaning the water at the site.
The "site" would be from the falls to about in front of the entrance to Reese Park because that is where the majority of the mercury was found.
The project will take several years before it begins -- and will probably take about 3 years to complete (work would not happen during winter months).
The whole area of Wappingers Creek -- from the falls to the Hudson will continue to be monitored during remediation and after remediation.
By removing Mercury, the process will also be removing a lot of the other contaiminants which were found in the sediment - the full extent won't be known until more monitoring is done.
Next Steps --
Public Comment period - July 23, 2026 to August 21, 2026
Please write/e-mail to the EPA Project Manager/Community Contact person your support/non-support/questions etc. Also include your thoughts on how/when you would like to be updated on the project's progress.
Community Involvement CoordinatorOlivia Cappo cappo.olivia@epa.gov(917) 631-6529
Remedial Project ManagerEmily Wong Wong.Emily@epa.gov(212) 637-4303
Assuming the EPA recommended plan is accepted, RFP to contractors who would be responsible for the remediation will be published and the contracting process will be followed. NYS also has to agree to the plan.
A member of NYS DEC, who was at the meeting, commented that a lot of materials (like a very large oil tank) that were buried at the Industrial Site have been removed by the DEC.