EPA Reaches Agreement with GE to Reduce Exposure to PCBs in Upper Hudson Floodplain

(New York, N.Y.) EPA has reached an agreement with General Electric Company (GE) requiring them to reduce exposure to PCBs in four general areas along the Upper Hudson River where elevated levels of PCBs in floodplain soils could potentially present an unacceptable risk to public health and the environment. The work, expected to begin next month, will be performed by GE on about a dozen public and private properties in the towns of Fort Edward, Northumberland and Greenwich and in the village of Schuylerville. EPA will oversee GE’s work. The agreement requires GE to reimburse EPA for the cost of overseeing the work.

The settlement agreement requires GE to install warning signs, cover soils to prevent exposure to PCBs, and periodically monitor the areas and maintain them. These measures are temporary pending completion of comprehensive studies of floodplain areas and selection of a final floodplains remedy. EPA and GE currently are negotiating the terms of an agreement for GE to perform the comprehensive studies. EPA will decide on a final cleanup plan for the floodplain areas with input from the public. These floodplain measures are separate from the plan to dredge the Hudson River that is currently being implemented under a consent decree with EPA.

EPA and GE have met with property owners where the work will be performed and have provided information on the floodplains investigation work to members of the Hudson River PCBs Site Community Advisory Group. For more information about the Hudson River Project, go to the project Web site at http://www.epa.gov/hudson. For more information about the Superfund program visit http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund.