Since 1976, high levels of PCBs in fish have led New York State to close various recreational and commercial fisheries and to issue advisories restricting the consumption of fish caught in the Hudson River. The primary health risk associated with the site is the accumulation of PCBs in the human body through eating contaminated fish. PCBs build up in the environment (bioaccumulate), increasing in concentration as they move up the food chain.
Once PCBs entered the river, they were deposited and mixed with the sediments at many locations on the river bottom and at some locations along the shoreline in the floodplain.Īctions Prior to EPA's 2002 Record of Decision During a 30-year period ending in 1977, when EPA banned the production of PCBs, it is estimated that approximately 1.3 million pounds of PCBs were discharged into the Hudson River from two General Electric (GE) capacitor manufacturing plants located in the towns of Fort Edward and Hudson Falls, New York. Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, were widely used as a fire preventive and insulator in the manufacture of electrical devices, like transformers and capacitors, because of their ability to withstand exceptionally high temperatures. Today, 200 miles of the Hudson River is classified by EPA as a Superfund site – one of the largest in the country. However, an era of industrial pollution left its mark on the treasured river. Industry provided jobs, created communities, and brought economic growth to the region. It guided Henry Hudson in search of a northwest passage and served commerce as a transportation route during the Industrial Revolution. The 315-mile Hudson River is steeped in American history. Why is the cleanup of the upper Hudson River needed? What's being done to address the contamination?.Why is the cleanup of the upper Hudson River needed?.
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