By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-886373.mp3
Albany, NY – The plan to dredge the Hudson River was developed by General Electric and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency : Four different federal administrations, starting with the senior Bush administration, determined that cleaning up PCBs is technically feasible and will benefit the public. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas explores some of the science involved in PCBs and the Dredging process.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of organic compounds, most commonly used as coolants in transformers and capacitors. The oily liquids are colorless to light yellow. PCBs readily penetrate human skin. Some PCBs can exist as a vapor in air: they have no known smell or taste.
GE released PCBs into the water from its Hudson Falls and Fort Edward plants from 1944 to 1977. Following years of debate, dredging was ordered in 2002 and began last year.
GE Officials are concerned that current dredging practices are undermining the project's goal by releasing higher-than-expected PCB levels into the water, some heading downstream in unacceptable amounts. Officials say the EPA wants to evaluate procedures before continuing the dredging process.
Nearly 300,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment was removed from the river from May 15 to Oct. 27. Concentrations at some places, such as Rogers Island in Fort Edward, were higher than expected. Experts say the Hudson River dredging process is logistically the most complex environmental cleanup project that has ever taken place in the United States.
The next opportunity to resume dredging will come in May of 2011... Due to PCB's toxicity and classification as persistent organic pollutants, PCB production was banned by the United States Congress in 1979.