The news of the latest setback was contained within the pages of a huge document, the final design report for the first phase of the PCB cleanup, which G.E. submitted to the E.P.A. last Tuesday.

Given G.E.'s infuriating, decades-long history of foot-dragging, obfuscation and aggressive passivity regarding the PCB cleanup, hardly any amount of skepticism about the company's intentions seems unreasonable anymore.

"The governor played a pivotal role in persuading the Bush administration to support the PCB cleanup of the Hudson River," he said.

In June, the owner of an industrial site in Albany, Vantrano Realty, sued G.E., complaining that a state-approved PCB cleanup plan the company is carrying out would fail to clean up the site.

Mr. Coppolino was banned after he had followed Dr. Chandler and her aides across campus, trying to get a comment on the PCB cleanup.

The original estimated cost of the PCB cleanup was $500,000; the actual cost to taxpayers so far is about $34 million, and one building is still closed.

The only thing that he and the video crew did, he said, was walk beside Dr. Chandler and her aides as they crossed the campus and politely ask about the PCB cleanup.

Mr. Coppolino believes that state officials were afraid of what could be disclosed about the PCB cleanup in a legal discovery process.

"We can't turn our backs now; we have to be forever watchful," said Tom Baldino, a volunteer captain, noting rising temperatures in the river, the uncertain status of G.E.'s court-ordered PCB cleanup and other issues.

The most common option for PCB cleanup is called "monitored natural attenuation", by the EPA.