First phase of Hudson
River dredging project
complete
Community Update
November 2009
PHASE 1 STATISTICS
•	Dredging took place 24 hours
a day, six days a week
•	265,000 cubic yards were tar-
geted, but nearly 300,000 cu-
bic yards of sediment and
debris were removed
•	18 areas of approximately
five acres each were origi-
nally identified for dredging,
10 were completed
•	In the 10 areas dredged,
152,000 cubic yards of sedi-
ment was removed, as well as
an additional 130,000 cubic
yards that was unexpected
•	Depth of contamination was
greater than expected, and
included dense logging debris
•	Up to 12 dredges ran at a time
•	626 barges were processed at
project's dewatering facility
•	More than 500 people worked
on the project, many local
people were hired
•	81 -car unit trains transported
dredged sediment to a
disposal facility in Texas
•	150,000 tons of backfill will
cover or cap dredged areas
ENVIRONMENTAL DREDGES
Mechanical dredges with environmental buckets scooped
contaminated sediment from the river bottom and loaded it into
195-foot-long, 35-foot-wide hopper barges. Dredge operators
used computer software programmed to identify where to dig.
Depth and location of digging was determined by satellites.
Forty, or more, sediment cores were collected after dredging in
each five acre area and were analyzed for PCB concentrations.
High concentrations called for additional sampling and more
dredging, while low concentrations allowed for backfilling
with clean material. The project was designed to remove as
much PCB-contamination as possible, but it is impossible to
remove all of the PCBs from the river.
PURPOSE OF PHASE 1
This phase allowed EPA and GE to evaluate project progress
and make program adjustments to improve compliance with
EPA's project performance standards. These standards were
http://www.epa.gov/hudson/
INTRODUCTION
The first phase of the
Hudson River dredging
project was conducted by
General Electric Co. (GE),
and overseen by EPA, from
May 15 to Nov. 15 to
remove PCB-contaminated
sediment from a six-mile stretch of the Upper Hudson River
near Fort Edward, New York. In this phase, GE removed
approximately 10 percent of the contamination to be dredged
during the six-year project.

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Community Update
November 2009
AREAS DREDGED
•	Eighteen areas of approxi-
mately five acres each were
to be dredged in Phase 1
•	Dredging actually occurred in
areas 1-8, 17 and 18
•	Due to extra PCB-
contaminated sediment found
in excess of original estimates
in areas dredged, no dredging
occurred in areas 9-16
•	Phase 2 dredging will begin
with the areas that could not
be completed during Phase 1
Moses Kill
Key:
""]	Planned Phase 1
I	I	Dredge Areas
j	Actual Phase 1
designed to ensure dredging operations were done safely and
public health was protected at all times. Three engineering
performance standards were created to protect water intakes
and the environment: resuspension (transport of PCBs down
river), residuals (PCBs left behind), and productivity (complete
the project in six years). Five quality of life performance
standards were developed (air quality, noise, lighting, odor, and
navigation) for the purpose of reducing the effects of dredging
on people, businesses, and communities.
IN-RIVER MONITORING
The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act standard of 500 parts per
trillion (ppt) was used as the resuspension standard for the
project. There were three exceedances of this standard during
Phase 1, and dredging was halted on those occasions when data
showed PCB levels at the first monitoring station were above
the 500 ppt standard. Challenges contributing to the
exceedances were heavy rains, tug and propeller wash, and
dredging in several highly contaminated areas at a time.
COMMUNICATING DATA RESULTS
EPA established a Website to provide the public with access to
data generated by the project: www.hudsondredgingdata.com.
There were more than 4,000 visits to this Website.
A.
o
%
NEXT STEPS
During late 2009 and early 2010, EPA and GE will evaluate
whether the engineering performance standards need to be
changed for Phase 2. Evaluation reports prepared by EPA and
GE will be provided to the public and to an independent peer
review panel for recommendations about possible changes to
make the project more effective and efficient. Dredging is
targeted to start for Phase 2 in May of 2011.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Email the Hudson River Field Office (hrfo@roadrunner.com),
or call 518-747-4389 / toll-free 866-615-6490, or visit 421
Lower Main Street, Hudson Falls, NY, 12839, from 8-4:30 pm.
http://www.epa.gov/hudson/

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