Hudson River Contamination and Cleanup

Between 1947 and 1977, GE dumped an estimated 1.3 million pounds of toxic Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) into the Hudson River in Upstate New York. Even to this day, the contamination of the Hudson River by PCBs affects residents of New York in close proximity to the Hudson River. Consumption of PCBs in any form can cause a multitude of serious health problems including thyroid disease, and learning, memory, and immune system disorders.

Beginning in 2002, there have been efforts to address the toxic contamination of the water in the Hudson River. The river was first assessed for which areas would be dredge sites. In 2009, dredging of the sediment to remove contaminated soil began, but this also poses a lot of possible harm to the surrounding environment. Dredging can cause immense damage to the wildlife and communities surriving near the Hudson river for many years following the actual act.

The water itself has to be continually monitored and tested for PCB levels before filtering for drinking use and for possible consumption of fish from the river. Levels of PCB contamination are still entirely way too high for any fish to be consumed or water to be drunk without filtering. Based on this information, the contamination of the Hudson River that happened decades ago is still affecting the rivers ecosystem and communities way more than was expected after conservation efforts.

As of right now, the human and ecological risks created by PCB contamination are still way higher than the “acceptable risk range” provided by the EPA. In addition to this, the Hudson River ecosystem has not and is not recovering at the rate anticipated in 2002 due to the sheer amount of toxic waste that was dumped into the river. Based on reports provided by the EPA, many of the presented targets for reversing damage have not been met.

As an Albany, NY resident, I see the Hudson River almost everyday and I worry about how the contaminated water is affecting both the ecosystem and the available water for the residents of the city. How can we improve our water quality with the least amount of damage to the wildlife that lives off of the ecosystem provided by the Hudson River?