Wappinger Creek is a tidal waterway in Dutchess County, New York, running about two miles from Wappingers Falls down to the Hudson River. More than 180 years of industrial activity at an adjacent park, including manufactured gas plants, textile dyeing operations, and metal plating facilities, discharged waste into the creek. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) on September 9, 2016. The NPL is the federal government's list of the most contaminated sites in the country.
Sampling found mercury and benzo(a)pyrene, a type of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), in creek sediments at levels well above background. Additional testing also turned up lead, chromium, and other PAHs in sediments near and downstream of the industrial park. A shallow embayment on the western shore, roughly three-quarters of a mile downstream, holds some of the highest contamination levels, especially in silty, organic-rich sediments. EPA advises people not to eat fish from the creek.
EPA started a combined Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) in January 2017. The RI/FS is the process of mapping the full extent of contamination and then evaluating cleanup options. That study is expected to finish between September and November 2026. A Record of Decision, which will formally identify the chosen cleanup remedy, is also estimated for that same window. Remedial design work is expected to begin between November 2026 and January 2027. No physical cleanup construction has started yet. EPA is also searching for potentially responsible parties who could be required to fund or carry out investigation and cleanup work.
Human exposure status at the site is currently listed as insufficient data, meaning assessments cannot yet confirm whether unacceptable exposure pathways exist. The site is not classified as a groundwater site, and it is not yet ready for its anticipated use. Those determinations may change as the investigation moves forward. EPA has completed an investigation report on contamination, and details are available in the April 2025 Community Update.
Community members can stay involved through EPA's Community Involvement Plan, which outlines outreach methods and public engagement opportunities throughout the cleanup process. Public records can be reviewed in person by appointment at EPA's Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, in New York City, or at the Grinnell Public Library at 2642 E Main Street in Wappingers Falls (phone 845-297-3428). The EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator and Remedial Project Manager are available to answer questions directly.
