Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas announced an initiative Tuesday aimed at cleaning up the city's polluted waterways. 

Thomas said he wants to open up the waterfront to the people by turning the city's recycling center into a beach and park. He says the project would help clean up the Hutchinson River once and for all. 

Also, the initiative would go toward fixing the city's aging water system. 

The mayor didn't put a price tag on the project, but critics say it could cost tens of millions of dollars. Thomas says he has the support of the City Council and the city's comptroller. 

Environmentalists say Mount Vernon has some of the most polluted water in all of Westchester.