TIMELINES 12/27/18

Paul Rosenfeld, 57, of Tappan, continues to remain behind bars after allegedly threatening to blow himself up on the National Mall on Election Day and authorities removed a 200-pound bomb from his basement. Rosenfeld’s alleged manifesto has been released and compares humans to “two hyenas fighting over the same carcass.“ Rosenfeld dedicated his manifest to one of the founding fathers, John Adams, but believes the Constitutional form of government Adams helped create led to many of today’s problems. He is currently being held in the Brooklyn federal detention center. Before moving to Tappan, Rosenfeld lived in Berkley Heights, New Jersey and Piermont.  

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on Dec. 21 to provide sexual assault survivors with a bill of rights. This requires the Department of Health, Division of Criminal Justice Services and the Office of Victim Services to inform survivors of their rights under state laws. “We want to make sure sexual assault survivors are aware of the care and treatment available to help in the recovery process,” Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said. “In New York, we are taking important steps to ensure the security of victims and a safe environment for all women.” This bill of rights will include outlining a victim’s rights to appropriate healthcare at no cost, receive updates on their sexual offense evidence kit and case status, and enable them to consult with a rape crisis or victim assistance organization. 

A report by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) shows many parts of the Hudson River are more contaminated with PCBs than anticipated following dredging. This study was set to evaluate how effective the Hudson River PCB Superfund cleanup was. In the Upper Hudson almost 80 percent of sampled areas have concentrations above 1 part per million (ppm), the EPA threshold for Superfund sites. According to a release by Scenic Hudson, some samples had PCB levels as high as 60 ppm. The DEC also found sediment data used by the EPA was “highly skewed” toward low-PCB samples. “This analysis affirms that remaining PCB ‘hotspots’ in the Upper Hudson – several of which are located near population centers – continue to pose a significant health risk to humans and wildlife,” according to Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan.