The Hudson River is not a place most of us want to swim in, but it’s come a long way since the 1970s. Part of that improvement is because of laws like the Clean Water Act, as well as nonprofits like Riverkeeper.

Riverkeeper’s patrol boat regularly scours the Hudson for polluters. For the first time in more than 20 years, that patrol boat will be captained by a New Yorker. Reporter Jesse King went to Westerly Marina in Ossining to meet him.