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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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