![]() GE spent $1.7 billion dredging roughly 310,000 pounds of PCBs from the bottom of 40 miles of the Hudson River north of Albany, considered the most polluted, under a 2002 agreement with the EPA. Upon further review, the PCBs were also found to have spread to other wildlife, including birds. The chemical settled into river-bottom muck and collected in fish tissue, prompting health advisories and devastating a commercial fishing industry that had existed for more than a century. PCBs are likely human carcinogens, and have been linked to other adverse health effects, such as low birth weight, thyroid disease and immune system disorders. ![]() “EPA is continuing to evaluate whether other parties may also be liable for PCBs, as well as other contamination in the lower Hudson,” the agency said in a release.įrom 1947 to 1977, GE dumped an estimated 1.3 million pounds of PCBs - an oily fire retardant and insulator - into the river from two manufacturing plants it operated in Fort Edward and Hudson Falls. Timeline: How GE's Hudson River PCB cleanup began Report: Why Scenic Hudson claims GE could owe Hudson Valley billions Hudson River recovery: EPA begins next PCB contaminant review here's what it means The EPA in its release noted “GE remains legally responsible for its PCBs that migrated to” the lower Hudson. ![]() ![]() While PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, will be a focus of the data collected, other contaminants will be evaluated as well, according to the EPA.Ī spokesperson for GE said the company was “voluntarily working with the EPA” after “years of close coordination” with the federal agency on the cleanup project. to continue dredging toxic PCBs from the upper Hudson River, to the dismay of elected officials and environmental groups.īut the agency also announced it would begin deeper study of contaminants in the lower 160 miles of the Hudson, stretching through the Mid Hudson Valley to New York City.įollowing a legal settlement announced by the EPA Tuesday, General Electric will be responsible for that investigation, which will determine the next steps for addressing the river's health and potentially develop plans for additional remediation. ![]() Environmental Protection Agency announced it would not force General Electric Co. ![]()
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