Document x1VwvLLoq84ZLBK0vrQaGGe6

Hudson's PCB woes far from restilved BYJMDETJKN 4 "If teat's the case, I feel the money CaimrtfNr m !>rrk> should be spent to do ft," said Dr. Leo The General Electric Corppanv stepped dumping PCBs The ailing HetUng, rfirectorof the BureauofWater Research. "After all, we have spent (polychlorinated biphenyls) into the Hudson Riveron July 1st. S lbe.Moasadn Chemical Corp, the country's sole manufacturer of the toxic industrial chemical, is planning to halt all national production of the Hudson lids la the second of three tttkhs about poteHoa hi the Hudson River. The not story on Tuesday wfll cnutlnua to detafls billions constructing sewage treatment plants. Can't we spend $20 milion, if needbe, torestore the Hudson?" Betting thinks the state "should have a pretty good handleon what we should do" by 1975. Dredging, seen as the leading con substance on Oct. 31. the pnteam that Miwd tee tender for removing the heavily- The Environmental Protection problem fa the Hudson, par contaminated sediments from the Agency (EPA) will prohibit the ticularly on PCBs. upper Hudson, gained favor as a discharge of this long-lived organic method after a previous brainstorm to compound kilo all waterwaysafter next - Feb. 2nd. Ft. Edward landfifi, already beginning throwing out earbonless carbon paper Ihe PCB problem must be over. 10 migrate in the leachate as rusting releases PCB intotheenvironment. Right? releases than. In contrast, the Hudson General Electric has agreed to halt Wrong. River sediment may contain about the PCB dumping, and also to con- both the EPA and the 500.000 pounds ofPCBs In total." tribute $4 million towards restoration of let fish "harvest" the PCBs felt through. ' Fish concentrate PCBs in their tissues to such a great extent that state officials thought it might be possible to remove PCBs by timply capturing Stlfli Department of Environmental teste by the EPA last December the Hudson - a quarter of that for CMUtyatlon acknowledge the problem found surprisingly higi contamination research, and the rest a lump sum te ter from over. It may be getting levels of PCB's as far south as West- damages payment. wurse. Chester County, Among the more hitfUy Moat of the research will be on bow to At Mht 12 landfills throughout New contaminated areas were shallow bays restore the upper Hudson, tht dtote are known to be leaching near the Tappan Zee Bridge. Foundry The Department of Environmental pcflateto the environment, according Cove near Cold Spring, Saugerties, and Conservation will kick m S3 million for enoughcontaminated fish. "But we found for every 10 pounds of PCBs you would remove, you'd have to harvest one million pounds of fish." netting said. "Then you'd have to figure out what todo with the fish" Tra0cai]y, it was a decision made by toftosaeOMt. Pleasant, director of the State's Bureau of Monitoring and $a*ettlance. r The State's Dtvtoon of Pure Waters lijlfldUHliiito if iiiuiuh uf HTi 111 to Hull nyerltnr rnfflns hi fl>a near Albany. TBe EPA estimates during the next few decades, the ataountof PCBs in the enyfronment wffl increase by 3** times --from current estimates of UQad&toci powds to 540 mttUoo pwte. Evee restoration costs, once the best course is decided. There are supposedly 458,000 pounds of PCBs in the upper Hudson alooe, and ft may cost as much as a* mBHon to remove them. the Department of Environmental -Conservation that may have caused contaminated .sediment to move Into the lower Hudson River. In the early 1970's, the Nuqpra O ^ - Z SARMOW.% V> WBHVt KW.fft *'-** a it.* o 0C1 2 4 <377 0 d> * Mohawk Power Corp. asked both the state and the Federal Power Com mission for permission to remove a 586(oot-tong dan across the Hudson at Fort EdNrard width had been used to generate hjfdiveieHtric power. Both agencies Agreed. * "It was a resit bfander" Dr. Hetlinfe said. "They bievf up tee dam and much of the sedhnentjbehind the dam began to move downstream, itwas extremely contaminated ujttb PCBs." The situation wasn't helped when a spring flood pi 1976 washed more sediment over/ the Federal Dam at exotic possibilities arebeing considered. of activated carbon, lity to absorb PCBs. Laboratories of b currently using to remove Kepone. toxic organic chemical. River in Virginia. _ ` 1 using a belt-type behind a barge, to ab'trum the sediment. This technique baa peen practical so far oolv in igrooving j PCBs from municipal water supplies. One of toe most intriguing possibilities [involve* the se of dtocardedautsmobBe tires Accenting to one engineering com pany, oM tertofaed tins are capable of sbeortifag heavy metals from storm water runoff. Since dtecgrdcd tires are readily available fa large quantities, the idea And 0 eld tires would serve as a form of banter system fa the river to reduce the river's velocity near the sediments, Mace cutting dtera on the otteg poisoned