Introducing New York River Watch: Charting a Regenerative Course for Clean Water
New York River Watch, formerly the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers Leachate Collaborative, is a new organization that embraces a holistic approach to protecting New York’s rivers. Our team brings nearly fifty (50) years of experience protecting the Hudson River and its tributaries—a legacy of dedication poured into this work. The Leachate Loophole campaign remains our primary focus, exposing regulatory gaps that allow landfill leachate—a toxic garbage soup loaded with harmful chemicals—to flow untreated into rivers and streams. This harmful practice threatens the health of millions of New Yorkers and the wildlife that depend on these essential water sources. New York River Watch is leading the movement to advocate for comprehensive, sustainable statewide solutions.
This campaign began in 2023 by raising awareness about landfill leachate contamination in the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers—drinking water sources for nearly 370,000 people. With generous support from donors and fiscal sponsorship from the Good Work Institute, we released a landmark report in December 2024 titled, The Threat of Landfill Leachate to Drinking Water in the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. The report revealed that municipal sewage treatment plants, which cannot filter out harmful chemicals, discharge 89 million gallons of toxic leachate into these rivers every year.
Building on this momentum and the urgent need to address this problem, we expanded our work statewide in 2025, launching New York River Watch. Our latest results show that over half a billion gallons of toxic landfill leachate are discharged untreated into rivers, lakes, and streams across New York each year, with a substantial proportion entering drinking water sources. This is not just pollution—it’s a direct and preventable threat to public health, wildlife, drinking water, and the environment. We are literally poisoning our communities to keep landfills operating cheaply.
How can you help us to close the Leachate Loophole? Your donation supports critical data analysis, coalition-building, and advocacy efforts to protect our lakes, rivers, and drinking water across New York. Landfill leachate management isn’t just about water pollution; it’s a key leverage point for confronting fossil fuel dependency, reducing plastic waste, and mitigating climate change. The system is broken and it needs to change. Together, we can demand better regulations, hold polluters accountable, and secure clean, safe water for all.
We are a fiscally sponsored project of the Good Work Institute, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.
Rebecca Martin, Co-Founder and Executive Director
Rebecca Martin is a seasoned organizer and campaign strategist with over 20 years of experience building impactful campaigns across New York State. A native of Maine, she has deep expertise in targeted communications and grassroots mobilization. She is a founder of KingstonCitizens.org, a platform that supports civic engagement and served as Executive Director of the Kingston Land Trust, leading it to receive national recognition by the Land Trust Alliance as a “National Model” for innovative community programming. At Hudson Riverkeeper, she helped create a grassroots organizing platform, co-founded the Water Justice Lab in Troy, NY, and helped establish—and currently serves as Source Water Protection Coordinator for—the Hudson 7, an intermunicipal council protecting the Hudson River as a drinking water source for over 100,000 people. As Director of Community Partnerships and Trainings at Beyond Plastics, she leads the organization’s national advocacy training program and Speakers’ Bureau. She is also an accomplished musician and lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband, jazz bassist Larry Grenadier, and their son, Charlie.
Contact: newyorkriverwatch (at) gmail.com
Jen Epstein, Co-Founder and Director of Science
Jen is a freshwater ecologist, geospatial scientist, and water quality advocate who combines data and policy analysis to address complex problems and generate actionable insights. She focuses on stormwater and wastewater management in towns and small cities, emphasizing ecosystem restoration and reconnecting people with nature. Her experience includes managing Hudson Riverkeeper’s community-based water quality monitoring program, mapping restoration outcomes for NYC Parks, and designing and implementing urban and brownfield restoration projects. Originally from Poughkeepsie, Jen now lives in Arusha, Tanzania, with her husband and two children. In her free time, she enjoys planning mountain or water adventures for her family and reading science fiction.
Contact: newyorkriverwatch (at) gmail.com
Maureen Cunningham, Strategy and Management Advisor
Maureen Cunningham has served on the Bethlehem Town Board since 2018 and is currently in her second term. A Delmar resident since 2008, she lives with her husband and two sons and is a founding member of We Are Bethlehem, a community group focused on equity and justice. She has held roles on the Conservation Easement Review Board, Open Space Working Group, Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, Bethlehem Youth Court, and the Friends of Five Rivers Board. Professionally, Maureen was Chief Strategy Officer and Director of Water at the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), where she advanced clean water policies grounded in equity and innovation. She previously served as Senior Director for Clean Water at Environmental Advocates NY and Executive Director of the Hudson River Watershed Alliance. Earlier in her career, she led international conservation programs at Rare in Washington, DC. Maureen holds a Master’s in Environmental Management from Yale and a BA in International Studies from American University. Fluent in Spanish and French, her priorities on the Town Board include protecting open space, expanding parks, advancing clean energy, improving bike and pedestrian safety, and building a healthy, equitable community for all.
Captain John Lipscomb, Advocacy Technical Advisor
John Lipscomb was Riverkeeper’s boat captain since 2000 (John recently retired in 2024), dedicating his career to protecting and restoring the Hudson River. Growing up in Irvington and Tarrytown, he developed a deep connection to the river, learning to swim and sail there. In the early 1970s, he apprenticed with WWII-era boat builders at Petersen’s Boatyard in Nyack, gaining expertise in wooden boat maintenance and repair. He has worked in boat building and repair on both wood and fiberglass vessels and as a rigger, serving as General Manager of Petersen’s from 1991 to 2000. As Riverkeeper’s boat captain, Mr. Lipscomb patrolled the Hudson River aboard the “R. Ian Fletcher,” a 36-foot Chesapeake Bay-style wooden vessel. From April to December, he traveled 4,000 to 5,000 nautical miles between New York Harbor and Troy, monitoring pollution, tributaries, and waterfront facilities. His work includes conducting a fecal contamination sampling program, supporting scientific studies, and taking decision-makers and media on the river to raise awareness about its needs and challenges. John has also contributed to environmental documentaries for National Geographic, Audubon, Turner, and ABC, covering topics such as the protection of polar bears in Hudson Bay, a Yukon River raft expedition, and conservation in the Kalahari Desert. His ongoing commitment to the Hudson River continues to shape efforts to hold polluters accountable and advocate for the river’s long-term health. John has received numerous awards, including the Environmental Quality Award in 2011, presented by former US EPA Region 2 Administrator Judith Enck.