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PCBs SUPERFUND SITE
Quality of Life Performance Standards
General Overview
Winter 2011 Update
Highlights
This fact sheet has been created to provide an overview of the objectives, intended use and primary compo-
nents of the Quality of Life Performance Standards for air quality, odor, noise, lighting and navigation.
Information on the performance standards can be found in individual fact sheets and in the Quality of Life
Performance Standards document, issued in May 2004 and in the technical memorandum on Phase 2
changes to the Quality of Life Performance Standards issued in December 2010,
Performance
Pollutant	Standard
PCBs
(Residential Areas)
0.11 micrograms
per cubic meter
PCBs
(Commercial/Industrial
Areas)
0.26 micrograms
per cubic meter
Background
The February 2002 Record of Decision (ROD) for the
Hudson River PCBs Superfund site requires the
development of performance standards that set
specific goals and requirements for the project. The
quality of life performance standards are intended to
reduce the effects of the dredging; sediment
processing, transferring and dewatering; and support
operations on the nearby community. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviews
project design plans for consistency with the quality
of life performance standards, and oversees cleanup
activities to ensure that they are met.
Quality of Life Performance Standards
*:• Air Quality
Various cleanup activities
such as sediment
handling and processing
could result in the release
of pollutants into the air.
The performance standard
for air quality addresses
the potential exposure of both adults and children
in the project area to pollutants from the project.
Goal: To minimize the effects on people's
health and the environment from air
emissions during the cleanup.
Key Components: The standard for air
quality has both monitoring and design
requirements. Air emissions are routinely
monitored to predict the amount of project-
related emissions from PCBs and other
pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides,
sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate
matter, and volatile organic compounds
released from cleanup operations. Since
PCBs are the primary pollutant in the
sediment, the performance standard sets
the following limits for PCBs:

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Odors
Odors may be generated by equipment and
cleanup activities. Odors are difficult to measure
because they vary depending on the concentration
of the pollutant and the sensitivity of the person
exposed to the odor. One of the most reliable
indicators of odor emissions is a smell detected by
the human nose. The most likely odor during
dredging and sediment processing activities would
come from hydrogen sulfide released by decaying
plants and other organic material found in the river
sediments.
Goal: To minimize odors from the project.
Key Components: The performance
standard for odor requires the control of the
sources of potential odors, and monitoring
hydrogen sulfide in the event of an odor
complaint. The performance standard sets
the following limit:
Pollutant
Performance Standard
Hydrogen sulfide
0.01 parts per million
Noise
Many of the activities associated with the removal
of PCB-contaminated sediments will have the
potential to produce noise.
Goal: To minimize the effects of noise from
the project on the quality of life in the
surrounding communities.
Key Components: The performance
standard for noise during Phase 2 requires
monitoring the sources of noise from the
cleanup at the beginning of any change in
operations that could result in increased
noise levels compared to compliant noise
levels recorded in Phase 1, or in response to
complaints. It establishes standards for
short-term operations (construction,
dredging, and backfilling) and long-term
operations (sediment processing/transfer
facilities). The standards vary depending
upon the time of day (daytime or nighttime)
and whether the noise occurs in a
residential or commercial/industrial area.
The performance standard, which is the
level at which action is required, sets the
following limits:
Location
Performance Standard
Short-term

Residential (nighttime)
65 decibels
Residential (daytime)
75 decibels (control level)*
80 decibels
Commercial/Industrial
(daytime and nighttime)
80 decibels
Long-term

Residential
(daytime and nighttime)
65 decibels
Commercial/Industrial
(daytime and nighttime)
72 decibels
*Control level is the level at which measures are
recommended or required
Typical noise levels in the range of the standard
include a running refrigerator, normal
conversation or summer nocturnal insects (about
65 decibels) to average street traffic or a
business office (about 80 decibels).
> Lighting
Since the dredging operation will be conducted on
a 24-hour basis, lighting systems will be used to
illuminate cleanup operations on the river and at
the sediment processing/transfer facilities.
Goal: To minimize the effect of lighting from
the project on the quality of life in the
surrounding communities.
Key Components: The performance standard
for lighting requires the monitoring of light
levels at the beginning of any operations that
could result in increased light levels compared
to Phase 1 operations or compared to
operations previously implemented in Phase 2,
or in response to complaints. The standard
varies with the type of area - rural and
suburban, urban or commercial/industrial. The
performance standard for lighting sets the
following limits:
Location
Performance Standard
Rural and suburban
residential areas
0.2 footcandle*
Urban residential
areas
0.5 footcandle
Commercial/
industrial areas
1 footcandle
* A measurement of light.
For comparison purposes, a 60-watt light bulb at
25 feet produces 0.1 footcandle.

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> Navigation
The river is used by public, commercial, and
project-related vessels during the cleanup.
Goal: To avoid unnecessary interference with
or the slowdown of vessels unrelated to the
cleanup that are within the project area.
Key Components: The performance
standard for navigation requires compliance
with the applicable sections of federal and
state navigation laws, rules and regulations.
It also calls for the following requirements, as
needed, to meet the goal of the standard:
•	Evaluating vessel movement,
•	Restricting access to work areas and
providing safe access around them,
•	Keeping mariners informed about
scheduled project work that might
affect vessel movement,
•	Establishing temporary aids to
navigation such as signs and buoys to
maintain safe and efficient vessel
movement,
•	Scheduling project activities to consider
vessel movement, and
•	Using a vessel tracking system to assist
with safe passage of vessels through
the project area.
/ \
In addition, there is routine monitoring of vessel
traffic, regular outreach to mariners, and follow up
on complaints. EPA developed the navigation
performance standard in consultation with the New
York State Canal Corporation (NYSCC) and other
appropriate agencies.
Compliance With the Performance Standards
Compliance with the quality of life performance
standards is achieved through the evaluation of
potential effects during the design and by meeting the
following requirements during the cleanup:
•	Monitoring to measure the sources of potential
emissions/effects on people and the
environment. Monitoring instruments are
placed between the potential source of the
quality of life concern and the potentially
affected area.
Complaint evaluation and resolution includes
communications with individuals raising complaints,
investigations of the complaints, and appropriate
responses such as monitoring or controls to address
the issues of concern. The complaint evaluation and
resolution process is described in the Remedial
Action Community Health and Safety Plan and is
overseen by ERA.
•	Mitigation and contingencies are carried out
during the cleanup to prevent and/or minimize
potential effects on people and the
environment.
•	Reporting and notification is required to keep
EPA and other appropriate agencies informed
regarding compliance.
The quality of life performance standards are based
on well-established regulatory, environmental, and
scientific criteria. In the Record of Decision, EPA
identified performance standards for air quality and
preliminary standards for noise. EPA has developed
these standards in consultation with the state and the
federal Natural Resource Trustees. EPA evaluates the
methods and frequency of sampling and monitoring
throughout the project and considers any necessary
changes when appropriate.
EPA works with local officials and communities
through various stakeholder groups, including the
Community Advisory Group (CAG), to keep them up-
to-date on compliance with the performance
standard. EPA and/or personnel responsible for day-
to-day operations will provide updates through verbal
and written notifications and regularly scheduled
stakeholder and CAG meetings.

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For More information
The Quality of Life Performance Standards and
related fact sheets are available at the information
repositories located in Glens Falls, Ft. Edward
(Hudson River Field Office), Ballston Spa, Albany,
Poughkeepsie, and New York City (EPA Region 2
offices) and in Edgewater, New Jersey. Electronic
versions can be found on the EPA project Web site
(www.epa.gov/hudson). Copies are also available in
print and on CD-ROM by calling the Hudson River
Field Office. Visit, call or write to the Hudson River
Field Office at the address below or log on to
www.epa.gov/hudson.
Visit, call, or write to the Hudson River Field Office at the address below or log on to www.epa.gov/hudson.
EPA Hudson River Field Office Team:
Larisa Romanowski
Public Affairs Specialist
Hudson River Field Office
421 Lower Main Street
Hudson Falls, NY 12839
(518) 747-4389 or
(866) 615-6490 Toil-Free
romanowski.larisa@epa.gov
Dave King
Director
Hudson River Field Office
421 Lower Main Street
Hudson Falls, NY 12839
(518) 747-4389 or
(866) 615-6490 Toil-Free
king.david@epa.gov
Gary Klawinski
Project Manager
Hudson River Field Office
421 Lower Main Street
Hudson Falls, NY 12839
(518) 747-4389 or
(866) 615-6490 Toil-Free
klawinski.gary@epa.gov
The Field Office hours are Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, with evening hours by appointment.

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