Hope for the Hudson

Alex is absolutely right to point out the terribly inefficient protection efforts Suszkowski and D'Elia describe. After all, a wide array of governmental and non-governmental organizations at the local, tri-state (NJ, NY, and CT), and national level are responsible for protecting the Hudson and enforcing environmental policy. A quick look at table 22.2 presented on page 322 reveals just how complicated the system is. Multiple organizations collect data, but different organizations (on different levels of government) attempt to apply the data to policy. The entire system appears to be one massive big-government bureaucratic mess. A redundant experience in redundacy.

Yet there is still great hope for the Hudson. As Suszkowski and D'Elia report, the Hudson is considerably cleaner than she was in the recent past. For the first time in decades, the water above the Lincoln Tunnel meets New York State swimming standards. 67,800 acres of harbor shellfish beds are now safe to harvest from. New Yorkers can once again harvest shellfish from 30,000 acres of beds directly off of Queens. Beaches across New Jersey and the Boroughs are open again. There's less TSS (total suspended solids, measured in metric tons) in the river today than in 1900.

Attempting to govern the Hudson may be incredibly complicated. But we're making progress. The Hudson is cleaner than it's been in years. If the public continues to push for a cleaner Hudson and the government works to streamline bureaucratic efforts, we can continue to make the Hudson cleaner year by year.