Surface and ground water, river sediments, floodplains, and associated fish and wildlife have all been heavily contaminated by PCBs for decades. The river has been designated as an American Heritage River, essential fish habitat, and contains 40 Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitats, and four National Estuarine Research Reserve coastal wetland sites. The Hudson River is a unique and nationally significant ecological, cultural, and economic resource. Over time, PCBs have contaminated nearly 200 miles of the Hudson River and beyond into New York/New Jersey Harbor, making it the country’s largest Superfund site. Since then, ongoing discharges of PCBs have continued from sediments and underground sources. These chemicals were a byproduct of GE’s industrial operations at Fort Edward and Hudson Falls, New York. Hazardous Waste Site | Hudson Falls, NY | 1947 to Present What Happened?īeginning in 1947 and continuing for approximately 30 years, General Electric (GE) Company released more than a million pounds of PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls a class of chemicals previously used in manufacturing that remain in the environment for many decades, accumulate in living creatures, and pose health hazards to humans, wildlife, and fish.
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