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 ------- 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 y ------- reaging tha Kuidson 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. Glint Fi WARREN Rฐ9ers COUNTY Forjner Fort Edward Dam HuiBon foils Champlain I Canal Dewaterlng Facility Upper Hudson River Moses Kill Thorn p son I si ai Fort Miller Dam Northumberland Dam Schuylerville (far-field station) I Fish Creek . Saratoga Springs SARATOGA COUNTY -Thompson Island (far-field station) Look 6 Waterford (far-field station) Tc P< (far-fi . \ffl (far-field station) Cohoes" I Co Albany and , Federal Dam 'oughkeepsie I \A/ and Troป Lock C r-field station)! ' ฐ 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. P< erormance 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 ------- |