The Hudson River spans some 315 miles from its source in the Adirondack Mountains to its connection with the Atlantic Ocean near the southern tip of Manhattan, NY. It is the only major river in North America which still keeps strong spawning areas for all of its original migratory species. Furthermore, the river has always had important historical significance.

Beginning in the early 1600’s, the Hudson provided safe passage for settlers, and a trading route for goods and produce between upstate New York and New York Harbor. Our forefathers built geographically key forts along the Hudson’s banks at West Point and Constitution Island during the American Revolution. The completion of the Champlain and Erie Canals by 1825 further intensified the role of the Hudson in the lives of settlers, making it the only water route that took people North to the Great Lakes and eventually West beyond the frontier.

The Hudson River today looks very much like it did back in 1524 when it was discovered by the French, and years later navigated by Henry Hudson. A closer inspection, however, will yield countless pollutants, most derived from untreated sewage which has leaked or been dumped into the river. Although the river is cleaner than it was in the middle of the century, it is still a far cry from its peak condition. New York Harbor has become a toxic "hot-spot" due to the hundreds of pipes that illegally channel waste from Manhattan businesses into the harbor. Going beyond illegal dumping, power plants draw in millions of gallons of the river each year to use as a coolant, and in the process kill thousands of fish and marine life.

These abuses were recognized by the Hudson River Fisherman’s Association, a group founded by environmental activist Robert Boyle. In 1983 they hired former commercial fisherman and congressional aide John Cronin to patrol the river and watch for polluters. Cronin’s army, once limited to only perceptive fisherman, now consists of environmental experts and a strong legal counsel. The mainstay of that representation is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former New York City Assistant District Attorney and current professor at Pace University School of Law. Kennedy and the Pace University Litigation Clinic, who teamed up with Riverkeeper in 1984, have prosecuted over 100 violators of environmental laws. This combination of environmental activism, scientific knowledge, and courtroom muscle, has led Riverkeeper in stopping law-breaking individuals from damaging the sacred waters of the Hudson.

Without downplaying the importance of the watchdogs and scientists who search for abuses and test the potential of lawsuits, it is important to note the importance of Riverkeeper’s legal branch. No matter how groundbreaking a piece of passed legislation is, its power to deter violators is diminished if its validity is not challenged in a court of law, and subsequently strengthened in some way from that contest. The Clean Water Act of 1972 is such a law. It established important guidelines for levels of pollution in our nation’s waters, and is the most important piece of legislation contributing to Riverkeeper’s success.

The legal representation for Riverkeeper is done through the Pace University Environmental Litigation Clinic, with Kennedy as chief legal counsel. In addition to Kennedy and a second professor, the clinic employs a staff of ten students whose "coursework" is to prosecute environmental polluters. They are graded essentially on their ability to understand the coursework, and their success in bringing polluters to justice.

Kennedy’s experience in the courtroom and immense knowledge of our nation’s legal framework have taken Riverkeeper’s cause to new heights. The 100 or so cases that Riverkeeper has prosecuted include suits against small marinas and businesses to prosecutions against Central Hudson Gas & Electric, the New York State Department of Transportation, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.

Kennedy and his legal team have had success too, and lots of it. They have forced power plants to experiment with water-permeable screens on their cooling water intake pipes. Riverkeeper has also forced the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct research regarding the damaging effect of this practice, and caused them to look into a proposal which would limit water intake for these plants. Kennedy and Riverkeeper are currently looking into a suit against the Yonkers Sewage Treatment Plant for failing to treat millions of gallons of sewage which found their way into the Hudson River.

Riverkeeper’s success has also encouraged others to follow in its path. Presently, there are 23 other environmental organizations like Riverkeeper across the country. The very nature of the "keeper" philosophy, that we are all connected in some way to our rivers and environment as a whole, is attractive. So too is the balance between activism, science, and the law which Riverkeeper has embraced. This combination of environmentalists is changing the face of the environmentalist movement, and is bringing others with them to the next millennium.