I CAN'T BELIEVE GE CAN BE SO STUPID!

Unless you've been hibernating in the far reaches of the Adirondack 
Mountains for the last twenty years, or so; you're probably aware of
the controversy involving upstate corporate giant GENERAL ELECTRIC and
the ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.

GENERAL ELECTRIC, one of the largest corporations in the world, and at
one time the economic engine which powered the New York State Capital
District, more specifically Schenectady-Niskayuna; manufactured 
everything from giant steam turbines to ceramic electrical capacitors, 
and lent their name to everyday household appliances from AM-FM Radios 
to Hotpoint Washer & Dryer combinations.

During their century's old occupation of the Hudson and Mohawk River
Valleys, they raped the ecological sub-system which had served as the
home for thousands of assorted mammals, fish, and other flora and fauna
along the two mighty rivers.  Like a giant war-machine poised for 
plunder, they took all, and gave back little.  Nothing was, or is, 
sacred in their quest to garner all the wealth ever earned by the 
working men, women, and children that inhabit this now dying planet we 
call Earth.

In recent years, they have shown a tendency to back-pedal, and attempts
to justify their decades-old behavior are at best comical.  

SOMEBODY at some point, finally decided it was time to hold these big
corporations responsible for their actions.  Thus, the ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY was born.  

During the 1970's, the EPA sued GE for their cavalier dumping of PCB's
throughout the Upstate New York area.  These highly toxic, carcinogenic
chemicals used in the manufacture of many of GE's products, had been 
dumped whenever, and wherever the company decided.

The resultant damage was staggering.  Virtually all waterways in the
upstate regions of New York were contaminated with extremely high 
levels of contamination.  The fish were uneatable and in many cases,
species approached the endangered status.  The water itself became 
highly toxic, requiring expensive and extensive, purification and 
treatment before human consumption could be approved.  And at every 
level of the delicate food chain, damage was rampant.

Whether GENERAL ELECTRIC knew of the dangers when the dumping began in
the early part of the last century, is not known.  However, they 
certainly became aware of the problems as Medical Science discovered
links between the PCB's and various forms of cancer.  

Evidence would prove that people living around and near, the dumping 
and manufacturing areas, were shown to have an extremely accelerated 
incidence for cancer.

Of course, GE immediately took exception to this and began a Public
Relations campaign to battle the charges.  This campaign continues even
to this day, with a series of insulting telvision commercials aimed at 
the General Public purporting the Hudson River has "cleansed itself" of
the highly dangerous chemicals.

Whereby the levels appear lower than when measured in the 1970's, GE
has missed the point, or is deliberatly misleading the public as to the
signifigance of these statistics.  Their claim that dredging the river
would be too costly, and might possibly spread their contaminates to 
still further sites is a blatant, out and out lie.

GENERAL ELECTRIC seems loathe to accept it's responsibility for the
clean-up of our eco-system.