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Region 2: NJ, NY PR, VI • 290 Broadway, New York, NY 10007
                               STATE OF NEW YORK
                               DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
                                                     Hudson^Rlver
                                                     PCBs SUPERFUND SITE
PCBs and the Upper Hudson River Floodplain
Information Sheet
May 2011

     Introduction
     Sediments within the Upper Hudson River are
     contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls
     (PCBs) as a result of industrial discharges that
     occurred between the  1940s and 1970s. PCBs
     were discharged to the river from the General
     Electric (GE)  plants in  Hudson Falls and Fort
     Edward and were subsequently transported
     downstream. Once PCBs entered the river, they
     were deposited and mixed with the sediments
     at many locations on the river bottom and at
     some locations along the shoreline. In 2002, the
     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
     signed a Record of Decision (ROD) for the cleanup of the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site. The
     PCB-contaminated sediments on the river bottom are being remediated as part of the Hudson River
     dredging project currently underway. The ROD also states that concerns related to possible exposure of
     residents and ecological receptors to PCBs in the floodplain must be evaluated. This information sheet
     is intended to provide you with information that will help you to minimize your potential exposure to PCB-
     contaminated soils in floodplain areas along the Hudson River between Fort Edward and the Troy Dam.
   Deposition of PCBs in Floodplain Areas
   The river is a dynamic system that has the ability
   to pick-up, carry, and move river bottom
   sediments, some of which may contain PCBs,
   further downstream. During periods of flooding,
   fine-grained sediments, and any PCBs that they
   contain, may be deposited above the riverbank
   upon the floodplain and become part of the soil.
   Certain areas of the floodplain are more likely to
   accumulate PCB-contaminated soil. These include
   low-lying areas right next to the river that are
   subject to frequent flooding, backwater areas, and
   areas on the inside of large bends in the river. In
   many instances,  soils within floodplain areas may
   appear wet and muddy throughout the year. It is
   these areas where flooding occurs and floodplain
   deposits accumulate that people may be exposed
   to soils contaminated with PCBs.
 Floodplain Sampling
 Since 2002, EPA and GE have collected
 approximately 5,000 soil samples from floodplain
 areas of the Hudson. The results of the sampling
 will be used to supplement a comprehensive
 Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study.
 Previous years' results have been reported to EPA
 and distributed to private land owners. All of the
 data collected to date have been compiled  into a
 set of Data Summary Reports that are available at
 the EPA Region 2 Hudson River Field Office, 421
 Lower Main Street, Hudson Falls, NY 12839. The
 reports detail  sample collection procedures and all
 investigation analytical results.
 Based on those results, GE, with oversight from
 EPA, has taken actions to reduce the potential for
 people to be exposed to  PCBs in floodplain soils.

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These actions have been taken where elevated
levels of PCBs have been detected in areas that
people use on private and some public properties.
The actions have consisted primarily of the
installation of cover material to prevent direct
contact with PCBs or the placement of signage to
warn people that PCBs are present. GE and EPA
will continue to evaluate the necessity of taking
additional actions to address potential exposures
as the project moves forward.

Minimizing Exposure to PCBs in
Floodplain Soil
In the Hudson River floodplains, the best way
people can reduce their exposure to  PCBs is to
be aware that PCBs may exist in soils in
frequently flooded areas near the river banks
edge and to take simple precautions when using
these areas. The New York State Department  of
Health  recommends that people take the
following precautions:
    • Children may come into direct contact with
     PCB-contaminated soil while  playing  or
     digging in the floodplain soil. To reduce
     potential exposures, children's hands, feet
     and toys should be washed after playing or
     digging in the dirt, especially before eating.
Avoid tracking soil and mud from potentially
contaminated areas into your home by
rinsing off shoes that may have sediment or
soil on them. Additionally, wipe your pet's
feet before it enters your home.
Avoid digging in and relocating soil from the
areas where frequent flooding occurs.
Wash soil from skin whenever possible,
especially after working in areas where
flooding occurs. To further reduce
exposures,  minimize skin contact while
working in soil by wearing clothing such as
gloves, shoes, and long pants to minimize
soil contact.
Gardening and eating homegrown
vegetables  are not major sources of PCB
exposure for most people. This is because
PCBs are generally found in low-lying areas
next to the river, which are usually not good
for residential gardening due  to frequent
flooding. Should you choose  to garden in a
low-lying area next to the river be sure to
thoroughly wash and/or peel vegetables
grown there. This will help to remove soil
that adheres to the vegetables.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are PCBs?
PCBs are a group of chemicals consisting of 209
individual chemicals. PCBs were widely used as a
fire preventive and insulator in the manufacture of
electrical transformers and capacitors because of
their exceptional ability to withstand high
temperatures. At the concentrations detected in
the sediments and fish, people are unlikely to be
aware of PCBs by their smell or taste. Many
commercial PCB  mixtures are known in the U.S. by
the trade name Aroclor.

Every spring the river floods my yard, does
this mean that there are PCBs in my yard?
PCBs may be present in areas that have been
flooded  in the past and that may  be subject to
frequent flooding  by the river. Residents can
reduce the potential for exposure to PCBs by
following the precautions indicated above when in
areas that are frequently flooded  by the river.

What are the health effects associated with
contact to PCBs?
PCBs have been  extensively evaluated for their
toxicity in animal studies and human
epidemiological studies of workers and the general
population. PCBs cause many effects in animals.
In humans, skin conditions, such  as chloracne and
rashes, have occurred in workers exposed to high
levels of PCBs. PCBs are suspected of causing a
variety of other effects in humans. Information on
other effects, risk, and toxicity of PCBs is available
at two EPA websites:
(1) visit http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris/index.cfm?
   fuseaction=iris.showSubstancel_istfor
   separate information on Aroclors 1254 and
   1016 and PCBs in the EPA Integrated Risk
   Information System, a consensus database of
   toxicity information developed by EPA.
(2) visit http://www.epa.gov/hudson/faqs.htm at
   the USEPA Region 2 Hudson  River PCBs
   website for Frequently Asked Questions about
   PCB  Health Risks. Additional information can
   be found at two websites of the U.S. Agency for
      Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
      (ATSDR):
       (1) visit http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/
         index.asp for the Toxicological Profile for
         PCBs
       (2) visit http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/
         index.asp for the ToxFAQs for PCBs

   As with all chemical exposures, the nature and
   extent of any health effects from PCBs are related
   to the amount and duration of chemical exposure.
   In addition, people differ in their response to the
   same or similar exposures. This difference in
   sensitivity is due, in part, to the individual
   differences among people. People, for example,
   differ in age, sex, diet, family traits, lifestyle,
   genetic background, the presence of other
   chemicals in their body (e.g., alcohol, prescription
   drugs), and state of health. Differences in
   sensitivity should be kept in mind when reading
   the information on the human  health  effects of any
   chemical including PCBs.

*!• Can I fish in the river?
   Yes, you can fish in the river, but due to PCB
   contamination you should not eat the fish or share
   them with others. Be aware that New York State
   Department of Environmental Conservation
   (NYSDEC) "Catch-and-Release" regulations
   require that all fish  caught from the Hudson River
   between Bakers Falls (in Hudson Falls) and the
   Federal Dam at Troy must be immediately returned
   to the water unharmed. Equally important, the New

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York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has
issued extensive fish advisories for most of the
Hudson River due to elevated PCB levels in fish.
The NYSDOH advisories recommend that no one
eat any fish caught between South Glens Falls
and the Troy Dam. PCB exposures from eating
contaminated fish are greater than those arising
from contact with contaminated floodplain soil and
hence pose a greater health concern.  For
additional fish advisory information for New York
State waters (including the entire Hudson River)
call NYSDOH's toll free information line at 1-800-
458-1158 (select option 6) or view the fish
advisories online at http://www.health.ny.gov/
environmental/outdoors/fish/fish.htm.
  For additional information contact:

  Ms. Larisa Romanowski
  EPA Hudson River Field Office
  421 Lower Main Street
  Hudson Falls, NY 12839
  (518)747-4389
  (866) 615-6490 Toll-Free

  Mr. William Shaw
  NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
  625 Broadway
  Albany, New York 12233-7013
  (518)402-9676
Mr. Justin Deming
NYS Department of Health
547 River Street
Troy, New York 12180
(518)402-7860
1-800-458-1158,  (select option 6) Toll-Free

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