Watertown, NY, Nov 26, 2012 — At a packed public meeting November 7 in Watertown, state environmental and health officials spoke with members of the public concerned about pollution on the city's north side with the New York Air Brake plant at the center of concern.

Now, DEC officials say they're working with the information they got at the meeting and figuring out what might come next.  Go to full article

Massena, NY, Oct 04, 2012 — The St. Regis Mohawks say the federal government's plan to clean up toxic chemicals from the Grasse River has improved, but it's still not good enough. The Alcoa aluminum plant in Massena dumped cancer-causing PCBs into the river before they were banned in the 1970s.  Go to full article

Syracuse, NY, Sep 07, 2012 — Onondaga Lake sits right next to downtown Syracuse, and after that city's factories poured countless toxic chemicals and sludge into the water over more than 100 years, Onondaga became known as the most polluted lake in America. But today the final stage of a cleanup is underway.  Go to full article

Watertown, NY, Aug 24, 2012 — You may remember actor Julia Roberts' portrayal of environmental activist Erin Brockovich in the 2001 movie of the same name. The real Brockovich was scheduled to visit Watertown Thursday night. But she got sick and was unable to travel.

Instead, concerned residents who live near the toxic waste site caused by the New York Air Brake factory got to talk with Brockovich's representative. Some believe pollution in the area has caused them health problems.  Go to full article

Massena, NY, Aug 31, 2010 — The post-bailout arm of General Motors that's in charge of liquidating failed assets of the car-maker wants to tear down the Powertrain plant in Massena. The plant closed for good last year. But the buildings, the equipment, and the soil underneath is contaminated with toxic PCB oil. Federal environment officials now say Motors Liquidation Company has to clean it all up before demolition can begin. As David Sommerstein reports, the extent of the contamination has some former workers and the Massena community worried.  Go to full article

Apr 15, 2008 — In 1997, Massena's 200-year old dam breached, sending miles of slow, flat water downstream. Environmentalists saw the change as a victory for free-flowing rivers and the endangered fish that thrive in them. But many Massena residents miss the high, placid waters of the old Grasse River. People used to fish and boat there. Local leaders have started a movement to return the pond, by building a hydropower dam half-a-mile downriver from where the old dam used to be. The dam's fueled a classic debate of the economy versus the environment, but with a twist. A Superfund site of toxic chemicals is also in the mix. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Sep 30, 2005 — Environmentalists are marking the 25th anniversary of the Superfund by criticizing the Bush administration for not doing enough to clean up toxic waste sites. Karen DeWitt reports.  Go to full article

Sep 24, 2004 — After a 14-year impasse, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe will allow General Motors on to tribal land to clean up an inlet on the St. Lawrence River. Turtle Cove is contaminated with PCBs, a cancer-causing chemical. The EPA ordered the work to be done in 1990. But tribal officials wouldn't allow it because General Motors giant toxic landfill is right next to the cove and they feared the water would get re-contaminated. Different visions of what "clean" means have stalled clean-up of the GM landfill Superfund site near Massena. Listen again to David Sommerstein's report from 2001 on how GM, the EPA and the Mohawks see the PCB problem.  Go to full article

Mar 05, 2004 — An appeals court has ruled General Electric has the right to challenge federal orders to clean up toxic waste sires, a decision the Environmental Protection Agency warns could weaken the Superfund cleanup program. Jody Tosti has more.  Go to full article

Oct 20, 2003 — A toxic waste dump in St. Lawrence County will get the next stage of a clean-up this week. Federal contractors will install a filter to clean up contaminated groundwater at the Sealand Restoration landfill in the town of Lisbon. But as David Sommerstein reports, neighbors see the work as too little, too late.  Go to full article