Fourth Season of Upper Hudson Dredging Commences
Dredging in the Upper Hudson River began yesterday, marking the fourth season and halfway point of the cleanup. Portions of the river are being dredged to remove sediment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a chemical that could cause cancer and neurological damage, especially in children.
The dredging project of the Upper Hudson River will remove an estimated 2.65 million cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediment in a 40-miles stretch between Troy and Fort Edward, New York. For this year, 350,000 cubic yards are expected to be removed. However, the entire project will take another three to five years in order to reach completion.
“Tremendous progress has already been made in the cleanup of this iconic river,” said Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “We’re seeing communities in the dredging corridor investing in the revitalization of their waterfronts. The dredging project supports these efforts to bring people back to the river to enjoy a tremendous natural resource.”
During the project, the EPA requires constant monitoring to make sure any re-suspended sediment both in the water and moving downstream is within acceptable limits. Dredging is being conducted by General Electric while the EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation oversees the entire cleanup.