Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Phase 1 of PCB removal on Hudson wrapping up
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Phase 1 of PCB removal on Hudson wrapping up
By MICHAEL HILL,Associated Press Writer -
2 hours 28 minutes ago
Send
IM Story
Print
FORT EDWARD, N.Y. – Crews dredging a polluted stretch of the upper Hudson River this year battled high water, old logging debris and unexpected levels of PCB contamination that slowed progress.
But as the first phase of one of the most costliest and complex federal Superfund projects wraps up this month, regulators say results are generally positive and show dredging can work. They are already preparing for a far more expansive second phase, which would clean up 40 miles of river and likely push total project costs over $700 million.
"We took on Mother Nature. She threw everything at us but the kitchen sink, from timber, to boats that were sunk, to tree branches," said George Pavlou, acting regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency. "We prevailed in the end."
Dredging began in the rural area in May after decades of argument over how to deal with tons of PCBs that flowed down the river in 1973 after a dam was removed. Upriver General Electric plants in Fort Edward and neighboring Hudson Falls discharged wastewater containing PCBs for decades before the popular lubricant and coolant was banned in 1977. PCBs, or polychlorinated vinyls, are considered probable carcinogens.
Under an agreement between General Electric and the EPA, the company paid the cost of dredging concentrated pockets of PCBs this year about 40 miles north of Albany. GE treated the toxic waste at a nearby "dewatering" plant and shipped the dried remains by rail to a western Texas site for burial in a landfill designed to isolate the treated PCBs from the surroundings.
Crews managed to dredge 10 of 18 PCB "hot spots" targeted this year. They removed more than 240,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment, but expect to fall shy of the original target of 265,000 cubic yards when dredging ends mid-month.
Progress was slowed because contamination was often deeper and more concentrated than expected. In some areas, crews removed 60 to 80 percent more sediment than expected, said GE spokesman Mark Behan. In particular, contaminated debris left over from the old Adirondack logging industry complicated work.
"There was substantially more wood debris than expected, and the wood debris at the bottom of the river made it impossible for the sampling to determine the depth of the contaminated sediment," Behan said.
At one point, dredging crews accidentally ripped into the original Fort Edward, which had been buried in a river bank, prompting an archaeological excavation of the 1750s British fort and revelations about military engineering of forts in the wilderness.
It's still not clear if the eight unfinished hot spots will be cleaned up next year or rolled into Phase 2, which the EPA wants to start in 2011.
Barges will start leaving the river in the coming weeks. Results of the work will be analyzed by General Electric, the EPA and an independent panel of experts with an eye toward making improvements for the next phase, which could take five years.
The overriding question before the work began was whether dredging would be a cure worse than the disease. Opponents feared dredging would kick up contaminated silt and spike pollution levels in the river.
Two monitoring stations downriver have detected cumulative levels of PCBs above EPA standards. Also, the federal agency's thresholds for PCB "resuspension" in the water were exceeded twice, causing a temporary shutdown of work in August and a partial shutdown in September. There also were more than 90 instances when PCB levels in the air exceeded standards, likely from dredged sediment piled on barges or at the facility. Crews changed handling and operating procedures to reduce air releases.
The work _ involving tugs, barges and dredging scoops suspended from cranes _ got louder than desired sometimes. More than half of the 33 complaints by residents were noise-related. Five were about the smell.
Tim Havens, longtime president of the anti-dredging group CEASE, cited the shortcomings in calling the dredging a "miserable failure."
"They set the natural recovery of the river back for decades," he said.
But other locals welcomed the industrial armada, either out of belief in dredging or the stimulus effect of more than 250 local jobs.
"It's not bad at all, " Valerie Iuliucci said as she wrote up the lunch special on a board outside Jim's Broadway Cafe, in clear sight of a dredging barge. She said dredging crews have been a boon to the business.
"They all come in here at lunch time," she said.
Though GE spent $629 million related to PCBs from 1990 through this spring, it has yet to agree to pay for Phase 2. Behan said the company will make a decision after the Phase 1 data is analyzed and the EPA determines the scope of what it wants for the next phase. If GE declines, the EPA still has options under Superfund law to make sure the work is done.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Economics this year's last Nobel prize award AP - Monday, October 12
Myanmar builds troops on border, says Bangladesh Reuters - Monday, October 12
Israel: Turkey calls off joint air force drill AP - Monday, October 12
Clinton warns Iran of need for nuclear progress Reuters - Monday, October 12
Pope elevates 5 new saints, 1 for work in Hawaii AP - Monday, October 12
News Search
Top Stories
Dollar facing 'power-shift': analysts
Boyzone singer Gately dies in Spain
Russian economy to shrink 7.5% in 2009: Medvedev
First clown in space lands back on Earth
Opel rescue dogged by European divisions
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Boyzone singer Gately dies in Spain
First clown in space lands back on Earth
Obama slams big business on credit reforms
Airlines set own emission targets
NASA blasts moon with rocket in search for water
More Most Viewed »
Oldest hominid skeleton sheds light on human origins
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Monday, 12 October 2009 US envoy leaves Mideast without peace talks deal
N.Ireland republican group 'to renounce violence'
Three blasts kill at least 16 in western Iraq
Abbas defends delay of Gaza war crime report vote
| International
|
Triple attacks kill 19 in western Iraqi city
Afghan vote fraud 'significant': UN special envoy
Victim's parents hang young Iranian murderer
Chavez says Obama did nothing to deserve Nobel
| International
|
Sri Lanka's president scores new election win
| International
|
U.S. experts train Iraqis to tackle bomb scourge
'Sixteen killed' in western Iraq car bombs
Phase 1 of PCB removal on Hudson wrapping up
CDC official downplays risk from swine flu vaccine
Profile of W.P. Snyder Jr. paddlewheel towboat
Groups help imperiled Iraqis come to US
US choppers bring aid in stricken Philippine city
UN chief acknowledges fraud in Afghan vote
Police say Irish priest abducted in Philippines
Commandos storm Pakistan army HQ, freeing 39 hostages
Gunmen abduct Irish priest in southern Philippines: police
Senate GOP leader says he would back troop request
50,000 short of water in south China drought
Obamas attend Episcopal church near White House
Pakistan nukes safe despite militant threat: Clinton
McCain says Palin remains strong force in the GOP
Philippines speeds up relief in typhoon-hit north
As economy grows, so do China's garbage woes
Afghan outlook bleak as Taliban grabs territory
China raises limit on foreign investment in stocks
Vince Vaughn victorious with "Couples Retreat"
Director Polanski feels depressed in jail: lawyer
Chinese directors pay tribute to quake-hit city
Indonesia detains 260 Sri Lankan migrants
Vince Vaughn victorious with Couples Retreat
| Entertainment
|
Boyzone singer Gately, 33, dies in Mallorca
| Entertainment
|
Ahmadinejad sees no obstacle to further nuclear talks
Environment activists occupy British parliament roof
Pakistan bombs militants, ground offensive imminent
| International
|
Mexico shuts down state-run power company
South Korea seeks talks with North on deadly floods
| International
|
Nobel Economics Prize wraps up awards season
Palestinians vow new push for war crimes report
Philippines orders rice imports as typhoon costs mount
| International
|
US Marines sweep 'Taliban' villages for home-made bombs
Dollar facing 'power-shift': analysts
Mitterrand, hit by sex furor, wins fresh support
| International
|
Insurers escalate criticism of health overhaul
Gay activists march for 'equality,' 'freedom' in US
Gay rights advocates march on DC, divided on Obama
Man arrested in '68 hijacking of flight from NY
Wash. landslide blocks highway, forces evacuations
Filipino troops search for kidnapped Irish priest
Attacks demonstrate Taliban resurgence in Pakistan
Filipino police search for kidnapped Irish priest
Official: Census takers want teams after Ky. death
Australia resettles boat explosion survivors
Schwarzenegger OKs school bill required by US law
Russian spacecraft with circus tycoon lands safely
1 adult killed, students hurt in Idaho bus crash
Omaha police search for suspect in street shooting
China mine owners flee after accident kills 14: report
Thousands of 'Red Shirts' rally against Thai govt: police
California tests ignition devices for DUI drivers
News
S.Korea says to keep close eye on house prices
Seoul shares weighed by refiners;Lotte Shopping up
Japanese stock markets closed for national holiday
Korea Hot Stocks
S.Korea fin min reaffirms to keep easing policy
Seoul shares open up on techs, Hyundai Heavy
NZ guest nights flat in August
First clown in space hosts show to save Earth's water
| Entertainment
|
Former East German model city fears ghost town future
A bruising 'Oleanna' tackles political correctness
Gately, of Irish boy band Boyzone, dies in Spain
Streisand pulls off US, British charts double
Filmmaker Nichols graduates to AFI lifetime honor
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Boyzone singer Gately, 33, dies in Mallorca
China, sector crisis to dominate Frankfurt Book Fair
Pope canonises 'lepers' apostle' and four others
Armenia leader to pursue thaw in Turkey visit
Britain announces £16 bln state asset sell-off
US-TECH Summary
Poorer nations to get donated swine flu vaccine: WHO
China bans foreign investment in online games industry
Policeman, attacker hurt in Milan blast
UK halts business with Iran firms on nuclear fears
North Korea fires missiles
| International
|
Recession-hit Britain to sell off state assets
Advancing Marines test new Afghan war doctrine
| International
|
China sentences six to death over Xinjiang riots
| International
|
UK halts business with Iran firms on nuclear fears
| International
|
Polls show Russians back crisis plan: Putin's party
| International
|
Indonesia confirms two wanted militants killed
| International
|
Israel not undermining al-Aqsa foundations: Netanyahu
| International
|
Kenyan police arrest American heading for Somalia
| International
|
Watchdog alters Afghan recount rules
| International
|
Four Sudan Islamists to hang for US diplomat murder
Afghan member of panel investigating vote resigns
AP NewsAlert
Clinton vows help to solve N. Ireland deadlock
Disease outbreak concerns after Indonesian quake
Stars in singing tribute on Lowery's 88th birthday
Suspect in 1968 hijacking 'arrested in NY'
Arthur Levinson quits Google board amid govt scrutiny
| Technology
|
Yale to hold memorial service for slain student
Blast near Pakistan's Swat valley kills 41
Acer sees revenue up as tech demand returns
| Technology
|
Tropical storm in Pacific strengthens off Mexico
US wants 'new relationship' if Karzai re-elected
Analysis: Vitriol, invective at the speed of light
Bangladesh police: Man confesses to 11 slayings
China bans foreign investment in online games industry
| Technology
|
A 6.4-magnitude quake hits South Pacific
Malaysian state offers free trips to warring couples
NM school goes from worst to among best in 3 years
Energy high on agenda for Putin visit to China
Indonesia remembers Bali bombing
China asks WTO to rule on trade dispute with EU
Tengzhong seeks govt approval for Hummer deal
Philippines readies rice imports after typhoons
Taiwan dollar falls on U.S. rate expectations
India August industrial production jumps 10.4 pct
India industrial output surges
India August industrial production surges 10.4 pct
China's Huijin new shares purchases: banks
Seoul shares slip on refiners; Lotte rises
Vietnam launches 3G mobile services
New Michael Jackson single hits the airwaves
| Entertainment
|
Former flight attendant sues Oprah over sex claim
| Entertainment
|
Up rises again overseas
| Entertainment
|
ETimor lawmakers attack govt on militia leader
Australians mourn Bali blast victims
UK artist shrugs off critics of Trafalgar piece
Iraqis finally enjoy a night at the theatre
New Michael Jackson single hits the airwaves
"Up" rises again overseas
Former flight attendant sues Oprah over sex claim
Bertrand Russell 'maths comic' hits bestseller lists
Filipino directors: Don't pander to festivals
Michael Jackson's new song released
Television 'ban' for Australian toddlers: report
Discreet sex education breaks Indian taboo
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights