vyEPA

www.epa.gov

EPA-540-FS-09-126

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES FOR COMMUNITIES



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at the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site

This fact sheet is part of a series that illustrates the services provided by U.S. EPA's Technical
Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) program.

Community Technical Assistance Needs

The Hudson River PCBs site is one of the largest
Superfund sites in the country, encompassing a 200-mile
stretch of the Hudson River between New York City and
Hudson Falls in upstate New York. Over three decades,
the General Electric Company discharged as much as
1.3 million pounds of poly chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
from two capacitor manufacturing plants into the Hudson
River. Because PCBs can accumulate in fish tissues and
contribute to negative health effects, U.S. EPA listed the
site on its National Priorities List of contaminated sites in
1984. The upper 40 miles of the river were most heavily
impacted; cleanup of this area is ongoing.

Communities located along the Hudson River have been
very engaged in the cleanup process. The Hudson River
Community Advisory Group (CAG) was formed in 2004
to:

•	promote broad, balanced representation of
communities and stakeholders along the entire
Hudson River;

•	encourage more routine and consistent
communications and coordination between EPA
and the community;

•	solicit ongoing recommendations about ways to
enhance community involvement;

•	provide an avenue for the community to voice its
needs and concerns; and

•	provide for a consistent source of dialogue for
EPA to gauge interests and needs.

The CAG contacted EPA Region 2 in early 2008 to request
technical assistance. The C AG's technical assistance priority
was to ensure that CAG members were well-informed
regarding the findings of a recently released technical report,
which described the General Electric Company's second-

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Technical Assistance Services for Communities



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phase plan to dredge part of the Hudson River. The report
proposed an approach that might remove less sediment
and extract more PCBs than had been previously planned.
The CAG sought an independent review of the approach's
feasibility and anticipated outcomes, presented in a manner
appropriate for a community audience.

The TASC Response

EPA Region 2 contacted TASC on May 22, 2008 with a
formal request for assistance. With EPA's presentation date
for the report scheduled for June 4, 2008, TASC moved
rapidly to address the CAG's priority. TASC selected
a Technical Assistance Specialist with the requisite
background in sediment geochemistry. The specialist
reviewed the report and prepared a Power Point presentation
outlining the report's major sections and information
highlights. The specialist presented the information
to the CAG and participated in a question-and-answer
discussion session at the June 4, 2008 CAG meeting. The
specialist used specially created diagrams to explain how
the proposed dredging approach could feasibly remove
less sediment and more PCBs than previously identified
approaches.


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Process Outcomes: Community
Benefits

TASC services ensured that CAG members were
well-informed regarding the findings of a key
technical report, addressing the CAG's priority.

•	The Technical Assistance Specialist's analysis
of the report's proposed dredging approach
confirmed the feasibility of the approach and its
anticipated outcomes.

•	The specialist's presentation to the CAG built
community understanding regarding the report's
proposed dredging approach.

•	The subsequent question-and-answer session
provided an opportunity for CAG members to
discuss the report with an independent technical
expert.

What are PCBs?

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry, polychlorinated biphenyis
(PCBs) are a mixture of individual chemicals
which are no longer produced in the United
States, but are still! found in the environment.
Health effects that have been associated
with exposure to PCBs include acne-like skin
conditions in adults and neurobehavioral and
immunological changes in children, PCBs
are known to cause cancer in animals. PCBs
have been found at more than 500 Superfund
National Priorities List sites.

For more information on PCBs and
other toxic chemicals, please visit:

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html

What is the TASC Program?

www.epa.gov/superfund/community/tasc

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For more information
on EPA's TASC program,
please contact:

Wanda Ayala
TASC Coordinator - EPA Region 2
ayala.wanda@epa.gov
(212) 637-3676

Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC)

is a U.S. EPA program that provides educational and technical
assistance to communities affected by hazardous waste sites
regulated by the Superfund and Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act programs. TASC provides independent technical
advisors to explain hazardous waste issues and to interpret plans
for cleaning up contamination. TASC offers assistance to help
communities better understand local hazardous waste issues
and engage in the cleanup process.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Technical Assistance Services for Communities

Printed on 100% recycled/recyclable paper


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