Floodplains Investigation
As part of the cleanup, the floodplains of the
Hudson River are also being evaluated for
the presence of PCBs. Since 2002, EPA and
GE have collected more than 2,000 soil
samples from the floodplain areas of the
Hudson. The results of the sampling will be
used to supplement a comprehensive study
to determine if interim cleanup measures
are needed.
Aerial photo of the Hudson River and its floodplain
For More Information:
Visit, call, or write to the Hudson River Field
Office at the address below or log on to
www.epa.gov/hudson
EPA Contact:
Kris Skopeck, Public Affairs Specialist
Hudson River Field Office
421 Lower Main Street
Hudson Falls, NY 12839
(518) 747-4389 or (866) 615-6490 Toll-Free
hrfo@roadrunner.com
The Field Office hours are Monday through
Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with evening
hours by appointment.
Cleaning Up
Hudson River
PCBs
To ask a question or register a complaint
during dredging, call General Electric's
toll-free hotline: (888) 596-3655
002260.HR07.02.03-Cleaning up Hudson.cdr-8/5/09-GRA
m
US Army Corps
of Engineersฎ
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Background
For 30 years, ending in the late 1970s, the
General Electric Company (GE) discharged as
much as 1.3 million pounds of polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) into the Hudson River from its
capacitor manufacturing plants in Hudson Falls
and Fort Edward, New York.
General Electric Hudson Falls Plant and Bakers Falls
In February 2002, the federal government
ordered GE to conduct targeted environmental
dredging of PCB-contaminated sediment in a
40-mile stretch of the Upper Hudson.
After many years of study, dredging has begun.
The ecological and economic benefits of
cleaning up the river will be enjoyed for
generations to come.
What are PCBs?
PCBs were
widely used as
a fire preventive
and insulator in
the manufacture
of transformers
and capacitors.
The chemical stability of PCBs, which made
them valuable for industrial uses, also
makes them hazardous to the environment.
Structure of Polychlorinated
Biphenyl (PCS) Molecule
The Decision to Dredge:
PCBs in the sediment are not safely buried.
River sediment is continually redistributed across
the bottom by erosion and river flows. This
movement exposes PCB-contaminated sediment,
making it available to fish.
PCBs degrade naturally over time, but the
process, called natural dechlorination, does not
make them harmless. EPA considers all PCBs,
regardless of their level of chlorination, to be
hazardous.
PCBs are harmful to people's health.
PCBs cause cancer in laboratory animals, are
considered a probable cause of cancer in
people, and can trigger reproductive and
immunological health affects and low birth
weight.
PCBs in the river sediment also affect fish
and wildlife.
Removal of PCB-contaminated sediments will
reduce PCB levels in fish, and result in a
reduction in the risk to people's health, wildlife,
and the environment.
must be returned lo the water
mmedtately, without unnecessary Injury
No baitfish or fish for bait are permittee
DO NOT POSSESS
REMOVE OR EAT FISH
FROM THIS WATER
Eating fish from the Hudson can
be dangerous.
For more than 30 years, concerns about PCBs
in Hudson River fish have prompted New York
State to issue health advisories that recommend
limits on eating fish from the river.
Women of childbearing age and
children under 1 5 should not eat any
fish from the Hudson River.
Between Bakers Falls (in Hudson Falls)
and the Federal Dam in Troy,
catch and release fishing only.
To reduce your exposure to PCBs, follow state
fish consumption advisories available at
www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/environ/
fish.htm
For more information, call the NYS Dept. of
Health at 1-800-458-1158x27815.
Dredging Project Information
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Hudson River
River
Dredging Project Area Map
Dredging will occur in two phases in the Upper Hudson section of the river. Phase I (the first
year of dredging) began in May 2009. Information and experience gained during the first
phase will be used to determine if adjustments are needed during Phase II. Extensive
monitoring will be done during both phases to ensure that the dredging operations are safe
and that public health is protected at all times.
Dredging the entire 40-mile section of the river is estimated to take sixyears.
Sediment Removal,
Processing, and Disposal
Mechanical dredges are being used to remove
PCB-contaminated sediment from the river
bottom. Dredges mounted on deck barges use
clamshell buckets to place dredged sediment
into barges. Tugboats then push the filled
barges to a dewatering and sediment-
processing facility located on the Champlain
Canal in Fort Edward, NY. Once there, the
sediment is off-loaded and debris is removed.
The sediment is then processed and the water is
extracted. The water is treated on-site before
being returned to the Champlain Canal. The
remaining sediment, called "filter cake," is
loaded onto railcars for transport to a secure,
PCB-approved landfill in Andrews, Texas.
This is what dredge
operators see and what
allows them to identify
where to dig. The depth
and locations are
determined by satellites.
The computer software
being used is specific to
the Hudson River
dredging project.
Fast Facts
Dredge areas were identified
using the results of a multi-
year sediment sampling
program conducted by GE
that began in 2002 and
generated more than 50,000
sediment samples taken from
the bottom of the Upper
Hudson River.
Dredging occurs 24 hours a
day, six days a week, when
the Champlain Canal is open
(May to November).
Up to 11 dredges can operate
in the river at one time.
In total, about 490 acres of
the Upper Hudson River will
be dredged, removing
1,795,000 cubic yards of
sediments that contain
approximately 113,000 kg
of PCBs.
Hudson River PCBs
Superfund Site Map
The Hudson River PCBs Site
encompasses a nearly 200-mile stretch
of the Hudson River in eastern NY from
Hudson Falls, NY to the Battery in NYC.
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Phase 1 Dredging Area
Phase 2 Dredging Area
Water Monitoring
Location
D Miles
Dredging will occur in the upper 40-mile section of the Superfund
Site, from Fort Edward, NY, south to the Federal Dam in Troy.
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Engineering Performance Standards
Strict Engineering
Performance
Standards have
been developed
to minimize
resuspension of
PCBs during
dredging. The
resuspension
standard created
for the project was specifically designed to:
Protect drinking water intakes downriver of
the dredging operations, and
Limit the downriver transport of
PCB-contaminated dredged material.
The Resuspension Standard
The performance standard for dredging sets a
resuspension level of 500 parts per trillion (ppt) total
PCBs- the EPA drinking water standard under the
Safe Drinking Water Act.
In-River Water Monitoring
An extensive water quality
monitoring program is in
place at upstream, near-
field, and far-field stations.
Near-field monitoring:
100 meters downstream ^_^_
of dredging.
Far-field monitoring: Permanent stations placed
greater than 1 mile downstream of the dredging.
(See map for far-field monitoring locations)
Water Quality Protection
EPA is committed to making sure that the project is
completed in a way that is protective of human
health and the environment.
EPA is providing an alternate water supply to
the towns who draw their water from the river
Automated water sampling collects
continuous information
If the water quality standard for PCBs is
exceeded, dredging will be stopped and
monitoring will continue
Project Safety
The Phase 1 Remedial Action Community Health
and Safety Plan (CHASP) addresses potential
health and safety issues for the public associated
with the dredging project.
Components of the Plan:
Identifies potential hazards to the community
during work in-river, on-shore, and at the
processing facility
Discusses the control of potential hazards
Outlines the measures that are being taken
to protect drinking water supplies
Includes emergency response plans for
spills/releases/accidents
Discusses the community notification process
Identifies project safety personnel &
emergency contacts
Outlines the complaint-resolution process
For the CHASP and other project-related
documents go to: www.epa.gov/hudson
Quality of Life
Performance Standards
EPA wants to minimize the impacts of the Hudson
River cleanup on local communities. In response to
public concerns, Quality of Life Performance
Standards have been developed for:
Air quality
Noise
Odor
Lighting
Navigation
For more information about the performance
standards and to view monitoring data during
dredging go to www.hudsondredgingdata.com
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