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063 ., , - ~..~ Vnlage of Croton-an-Hudson, New York Mayor ROBERT W. ELLIOTT a~ D(O -~ Stanley H. KeJ/erhouse Municipal Building One Van Wyck Street Croton-an-Hudson, NY 10520 Trustees GEORGIANNA K. GRANT R JAMES HARKINS . r:-C r:- DEBORAH Y. McCARTHY eel v~. WATKINS JT. n er-Clerk DEe 2 ARD E HERBEK J 2000 Treasurer-Deputy Village Clerk SUPER ROBERT T. REARDON TOWN 6/S0R'S OFF/C .Attorney F WAPPINGERE SEYMOUR M. WALDMAN Engineer KARY IOANNOU, P.E. 271-4783 (914) 271-4781-2 FAX (914) 271-2836 HON CONSTANCE SMITH TOWN OF W APPINGERS SUPERVISOR 20 MIDDLEBUSH ROAD WAPPINGER FALLS NY 12590 Dear Supervisor Smith: Your past commitment to the "RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF EPA's REASSESSMENT OF PCBs IN THE HUDSON RIVER AND THE EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL REMEDIAL ACTIONS" was greatly appreciated. Previously, in 1997, 37 communities supported this resolution. Now as the Environmental Protections Agency's (EP A) proposed clean up has been released, your continued support is critical. In December, the EP A released the Feasibility Study/Proposed Plan for the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site. This report addresses the issue of remediation of PCB-contaminated sediment for the 'hot spots' in the upper Hudson River. The public has at least 60 days to comment on this study. The EP A is currently scheduled to issue its final Record of Decision (ROD) for the cleanup in June 2001. As you may be aware, some communities along the upper Hudson have passed resolutions opposing "dredging and dumping" along the upper Hudson. The EP A has recently announced that PCB contaminated sediment will not be landfilled in the Hudson Valley. We do not advocate dumping in the upper Hudson Valley but we do believe PCB-contaminated sediment must be safely removed from the upper Hudson. It is imperative that we communicate to EP A that there is support along the Hudson for a PCB cleanup. 200 miles of this great River have been, and continue to be affected by PCBs. The EP A, after ten years of an exhaustive Reassessment of the Hudson River PCBs site, has arrived at several incontrovertible conclusions that demonstrate the alarming extent to which upriver PCBs remain a major threat to human health and the environment. Among the conclusions: => The contaminated sediments in the Upper Hudson are the primary source of PCBs to the ecosystem; => PCB-contaminated sediments are not being buried and are bioavailable; => PCBs in fish throughout the river and estuary will remain at unacceptable levels into the foreseeable future. (over) 1 . r_ ...' . . . '" PCB-contaminated sediments in the upper Hudson River need to be removed for the benefit of the entire River valley, its ecosystem, the health of its residents, and the continued vitality of the region's economy. Enclosed is an updated version of the 1997 "RESOLUTION", Please pass this resolution as soon as possible and submit a copy to the individuals on the enclosed list. Also please forward a copy to your district congressional representative, Senators Schumer and Senator-elect Clinton. Please send me a copy as well. Hudson Valley communities can positively effect the outcome ofEPA's decision by expressing support for the cleanup. Thank you in advance for your continued support of this important resolution. Please contact me at (914) 271-4848 if you have any questions. Sincerely, f~ d! {'~ Bob Elliott 2 . , '- . Alison Hess/Doug Tomchuk Hudson River PCBs Public Comment U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 290 Broadway, 19th Floor New York, NY 10007-1866 John Cahill, Commissioner NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation 50 Wolf Road Albany,NY 12233 Honorable Robert W. Elliott Village of Croton-on-Hudson Municipal Building One Van Wyck Street Croton, NY 10520 Scenic Hudson 9 Vassar Street Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Attention: Donnal Lenhart Hudson River Sloop Clearwater 112 Little Market Street Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Attention: Manna Jo Greene Your Congressional Representative Senator Charles Schumer Hart 313 Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-3203 Senate Elect Hillary Clinton US Senate Post Office Building Washington, DC 20510-3204 3 Facts About Dredging Hudson River PCBs · Croton-on-Hudson was the site of a PCB clean up in the mid-1990's. Approximately 18.5 million pounds of PCB contaminated sediment were removed from a lagoon along the river. Once this impediment to development was eliminated the local economy improved and property values increased. The area now enjoys a cleaner environment and health risks have been significantly reduced. · The Hudson River is not "cleaning itself' of PCBs. Scientific studies have shown that less than 10% of PCB mass has been reduced by dechlorination over the past 20 years, and that PCB's are most often in the top nine inches of sediment. Five hundred pounds of PCBs flow over the Federal Dam in Troy each year and disperse downriver. · PCBs remain an unacceptable health risk for residents and wildlife in the Hudson Valley. PCBs are designated as' probable carcinogens and are known to cause neurological, reproductive, and endocrine problems. In Croton, as along the entire length of the river, subsistence fishermen and their families continue to eat their catch, despite health advisories. · Modem environmental dredging techniques can remove contaminated sediment by hydraulic suction. Equipment, such as the cutterhead dredge and the eddy pump, is designed to prevent resuspension of contaminated sediments. These operations should be clearly distinguished from the less contained methods used for navigation and construction and have been successful in environmental clean-ups throughout the country. · EP A's plan calls for cleaning up targeted "hotspots" in the Upper Hudson. The work will be completed in five years from the start of the project. The river will remain open to the public and to boating, except in the immediate area of dredging. Towns that use the river for their drinking water will be able to continue to do so, and strict monitoring will be in place. · Contaminated sediment will be dewatered, stabilized, and shipped by rail to licensed hazardous landfills outside the Hudson Valley. Two dewatering facilities will process sediment. These require 15 acres each and will be sited on existing commercial properties. All operations will be completely enclosed, and no farmland will be used for landfill or processing. . · Remediation will create important economic opportumtIes. The estimated $460 million dollar investment will significantly strengthen the local economy and create local jobs. Once PCBs are removed from the upper layers of sediment, the river will be safe to dredge for navigational purposes. The EP A dredging itself will improve navigational access. Within a few years after the clean up is complete, commercial and recreational fisheries will be restored. Trade and tourism in the region will also be enhanced as a result of the clean up. · Governor Pataki recently endorsed environmental dredging to clean up PCBs in the river. The EPA's Reassessment of PCB's in the Hudson has bipartisan support in the Hudson Valley Congressional Delegation. Sixteen House of Representatives members, as well as Senators Moynihan and Schumer, have signed a letter of support. . . RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF EPA'S REASSESSMENT OF PCBs IN THE HUDSON RIVER AND THE EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL REMEDIAL ACTIONS WHEREAS, the health and beauty of the Hudson River is critical to the economic vitality of our community and the Hudson River is a treasure asset; and WHEREAS, the Hudson River has been designated an American Heritage River, and the Valley as a National Heritage Area; and WHEREAS, nearly 200 miles of the Hudson River ~ from Hudson Falls to New York City - are a federal Superfund site due to the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination; and WHEREAS, PCBs are the most significant contaminant limiting full use and enjoyment of the Hudson River; and WHEREAS, PCBs were banned in 1976 because of a variety of known and suspected impacts on humans and wildlife; and WHEREAS, PCBs remain in the Hudson River exposing hU1}1anS and wildlife to their effects; and WHEREAS, an estimated $40 million annually has been lost over the last twenty years because of the closure of Hudson River commercial fisheries and restrictions on recreationally caught fish. As a result, the Hudson Valley has lost an important cultural heritage and way of life and the economic vitality of the Hudson River region continues to be hampered by the limitations on recreational use of the River and the stigma of PCB contamination; and WHEREAS, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund officials determined in February 1997 that PCB "hot spots" in the sediment of the upper Hudson are the "dominant source" of PCB contamination to the River, and that microbial breakdown will not rid the River of PCBs; and WHEREAS, the.EP A's Hudson River Reassessment has determined that without remediation, present levels of contamination will continue indefinitely; and -~ ! THEREFORE BE IT RESOL "ED, that the (name of city/town) hereby expresses support for the findings of the proposed remediation plan in the Hudson River Reassessment being conducted by the U. S. EPA under the Superfund, and urges EPA to complete the Reassessment and issue a Record of Decision (ROD) without delay, including the evaluation and timely implementation of remedial actions, which include environmental dredging, that can most effectively restore the Hudson River, as well as the evaluation of traditional disposal methods as well as innovative technologies that can be used to destroy PCBs. Further, the (nam~o'rcity/town) urges that the U. S. EPA fully consider public opinion and complete the Hudson River Reassessment as expeditiously as possible. 01/23/2001 14:05 9144547 53 CLEARWATER PAGE 01 ...\ Hudson Riye Sloop CLEARWA ER, Inc. 112 Little Market St., Pqug epsie, NY 12601-4095 845,.4S4~ 7673 . Fax: 845~4S4-7953 . e-mail: office@mail. earwater.org http://wwW.cl~... . .ter.org FAX To: ..... " Phone #:1 :1:.: Zern-&fSS8 I . :.~ Fax#: T otal Page~ . I I (including cover sheet) Date: From: S i: f1\w\(( y.- ASAlt' · i. ~~, I . , I ,: ~:;: ~j ':'.f ; ~~ ,: 1". ", (. B1/23/2BB1 14:B5 9144547953 . ~ ": \ ~ l'r , ~ "'.~ ,'.- ., CLEARWATER PAGE 132 -rt... .... . _ .~ .. I'~-: i fJease submit copies of the resolution to: i ' Alison Hess/Doq,g Tomchuk I Hudson River PCBs Public Commel',lt i u.s. Environmental Protection Agency I . , 290 Broadway, 19th Floor ' New York, NY 10007-1866 (.~ :~ l :;' i JOM Cahill, Oommissioner . i.'.~, ' ., NYS Department ofEnviro. Conservation : ~! 50 Wolf Road , Albany, NY 12233 ;J : ~( ., i~' " i.-' ,1 ;',1 I ,'. ,; :) f~ ~ ~:\~ <:i ;( ,:,11 ~!1 :~ . ~ \~ " " ." "i ;~' ;,;' ~ :: '~I ~, i i! !;. i j '~ I; " Honorable Robert W. Elliott Village of Cro~on:,on.Hudson Municipal Building One Van Wyck Street Croton, NY 10520 Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Irie. 112 Little M;u-ket Street Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Attention: Will Solomon Scenic Hudson 9 V ass~ Street Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Attention: Donna Lenhart Congressional Representative Senator Charles Schumer Hart 313 Senate Office Building Washington, pC 20510.3203 Senator Hillary Clinton US Senate Post Office Building Washington, DC 20510-3204 1 THE PLA TTSBURGH PCB CLEANUP Works." "Dredging by Jim Gordon Ihe completion of a PCB dredging project along Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, NY, has demon- strated that PCBs can be safely dredged from the Hudson River. Along the Lake Champlain shoreline waterfront homes were undisturbed, swimming beaches and motels stayed open during the three-year process, and former skeptics of dredging are now praising the operation. "I was not in favor of it initially. I was concerned about stirring stuff up. It did not make a lot of sense to me," said Dr. Djell Dahlen, an eye surgeon whose expensive home is immediately adjacent to the 34-acre beachfront site on Cumberland Bay. "But as an immediate neighbor, it has not bothered me a tiny bit." "Ducks sat on the dredge while the dredge was running," said Bill Ebert, site supervisor for project engineer Earth Tech Inc. The site is near city and state beaches, as well as motels. "The beaches stayed open. The motels were open. Everything went on normally:' he said. The dredging operation continued 24 hours a day, but received no complaints, Ebert said. "Sometimes people on their patios in the motel would wave at you." The PCB cleanup in Lake Champlain encompassed many of the same challenges a dredg- ing operation in the Hudson would entail, yet was completed on time, under budget, with no stirring up of contaminants. The operation removed 25,000 pounds of pure PCBs, reducing on-site contamination by more than 90 percent, while earning praise from neighbors. That success would be easy to duplicate on the Hudson River, according to the project engineers who oversaw the dredging in Plattsburgh. "The technology is there to do it right, you just ha\'e to set it up and control it:' said Lech Dolata, an engineer with the state Department of Environmen- tal Conservation. "The bottom line is, dredging works." Dolata showed a simple yet effective dredging method for removing PCB- ],1clcn sludge. A notably small dredge vessel, about 20 feet long, is positioned using global positioning satellite (GPS) links direct! y along the desired line, and the opera tion pro- ceeds in grids using cables draped along the desired course to move the dredge. The operation is so smooth, wildlife and neighbors barely notice. Beneath the surface, an eight- foot-wide roto-tiller-like device breaks up the sediment and forces it inward, where a vacuum pipe sucks it into a co\'ered container onshore. Silk curtains and other barriers under water keep any turbidity enclosed, but in Plattsburgh there were was little stirring up of solids in any case. Georgia Pacific corporation operates an intake \'alve within fifty feet of one dredging site, and required water clarity with no NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2000 more then 2 parts per billion of suspende.d particles. Ebert said dredge opera tors tested con- stantly, but always kept within the tight requirements, and the valve was able to remain open throughout the dredging process. Once ashore, the sediment was dewate.i:ed to reduce its weight, and tested for toxicity. Hazardous sediment from Plattsburgh was sent to Buffalo for burning, while less-contami- nated sediment was trucked to a landfill in Quebec. The water was treated and returned to Lake Champlain. Tests showed that it was clean enough to rank as drinking water. General Electric, the company responsible for the PCB contamina- tion that makes the Hudson a federal Superfund site, claims dredging would disrupt the river ecosys- tem and dry up the local economy. GE is currently spend- ing millions of dollars a week on television ads depicting huge mud-dripping clamshell dredges. Bu t according to EP A and DEC officials, clamshells are naviga- tional, not environmental dredges, and are not under consideration for cleaning the poison GE dumped in the river. Under federal law, the multina- tional giant is responsible for removing the toxin, a cost GE does not want to pay. \Vhile General Electric dumped one million pounds or more of PCBs into the river, it is not all in one place, but spread over about 40 "hotspots" in the river between Glens Falls and Albany. The toxin migrates from those areas, getting into the food chain, the water column, mud along the shore, and the air. Dredging equipment would be scaled to the size requirements of each hot spot. The equipment for dewatering sediment and cleansing the water can be trucked in and out of sites where it is needed, duplicating the technique used in Pia ttsburgh. No permanent treatment facilities would be required. The USEP A is poised to announce a decision this Decem- ber regarding its remedies for the PCBs contamination that has turned the Hudson River into America's largest non-govern- ment toxic waste site. The Cumberland Bay in Plattsburgh within Lake Champlain was a state Class Two Superfund site, posing imminent danger to human health and the em'ironment. PCB concentrations averaged 2000 parts per million. 50 ppm concentration is officially deemed hazardous. The PCB cleanup on Lake Champlain reduced concentrations to an average of 10 ppm. The site encompassed some eight acres of wetlands and 50 acres of lmderwater lake bottom, where PCBs had accumulated. As the work finishes and equip- ment is removed, Plattsburgh is deciding whether the site will be a boat ramp, or perhaps a park. Dr. Dahlen, who has gone pleasure boating with workers from the dredging operation, laughingly said he preferred a park to a boa tramp, bu t added either was preferable to a hazard- ous waste site. . CLEARWATER NAVIGATOR 3 The PCB deanup in lake Champlain ~en~()(11p~~/I!1~nY/<3!; . of the same . chaUenges a dredging operation in the Hudson would entail, yet was completed on time, under bud- get, with no stining up of contaminants. Jim Gordon is a freelance journalist. NOVEMB ER/DECEMBER 2000 HUDSON RIVER SLOOP CLEARWATER,INC FACTS ABOUT DREDGING HUDSON RIVER PCBs . The Hudson River is not "cleaning itself' of PCBs. Scientific studies have shown that less than 10% of PCB mass has been reduced by dechlorination over the past 20 years, and that PCB's are most often in the top nine inches of sediment. Five hundred pounds of PCBs flow over the Federal Dam in Troy each year and disperse downriver. . PCBs remain an unacceptable health risk for residents and wildlife in the Hudson Valley. PCBs are designated as probable carcinogens and are known to cause neurological, reproductive, and endocrine problems. Along the entire length of the river, subsistence fishermen and their families continue to eat their catch, despite health advisories. . Modem environmental dredging techniques can safely remove contaminated sediment by hydraulic suction. Equipment, such as the cutterhead dredge and the eddy pump, is designed to prevent resuspension of contaminated sediments. These operations should be clearly distinguished from the less contained methods used for navigation and construction and have been successful in environmental clean-ups throughout the country. . EPA's plan calls for cleaning up targeted "hotspots" in the Upper Hudson. The work will be completed in five years from the start of the project. The river will remain open to the public and to boating, except in the immediate area of dredging. Towns that use the river for their drinking water will be able to continue to do so, and strict monitoring will be in place. . Contaminated sediment will be dewatered, stabilized, and shipped by rail to licensed hazardous landfills outside the Hudson Valley. Two dewatering facilities will process sediment. These require 15 acres each and will be sited on existing commercial properties. All operations will be completely enclosed, and no farmland will be used for landfill or processmg. . The successful completion of a PCB dredging project along Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, NY has demonstrated the effectiveness of environmental dredging. The three year process removed 25,000 pounds of PCBs, reducing on-site contamination by 90%. Waterfront homes along the shoreline we're undisturbed, and swimming beaches and motels stayed open during the process. A Georgia Pacific intake valve, which required water clarity with no more than 2 parts per billion of suspended particles, remained open throughout the dredging. (over) 112 LmLE MARKET STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE, NY12601 . 845-454-7673 . FAX 845-454-7953 . EMAIL: OFFICE@MAIL.CLEARWATER.ORG . WWW.CLEARWATER.ORG . Remediation will create important economic opportunities. The estimated $460 milliondollar investment will significantly strengthen the local economy and create local jobs. Once PCBs are removed from the upper layers of sediment, the river will be safe to dredge for navigational purposes. The EP A dredging itself will improve navigational access. Within a few years after the clean up is complete, commercial. and recreational fisheries will be restored. Trade and tourism in the region will also be enhanced as a result of the clean up. . Governor Pataki has endorsed "active remediation" of PCBs in the river. The EP A's Reassessment of PCB's in the Hudson has bipartisan support in the Hudson Valley Congressional Delegation. Sixteen House of Representatives members, as well as Senators Moynihan and Schumer, have signed a letter of support. Written comments on EPA's Proposed PCB Remediation Plan for the Upper Hudson River will be accepted until April 17. 2001 and may be sent to: Alison Hess and Doug Tomchuk Hudson River PCBs Public Comment US Environmental Protection Agency 290 Broadway, 19th Floor New York, NY 10007-1866 Or visit our website to create a custom e-mail letter to EP A: www.clearwater.org/epa Please make your voice heard at the upcomin2 EPA Public Meetin2s: January 31,2001 at 7:00 p.m. Nelly Goletti Theater at the Student Center, 3rd Floor Marist College, 3399 North Rd., Poughkeepsie, NY The Tishman Auditorium, The New School for Social Research 66 West 12th Street, New York City Albany Marriot, Wolf Road, Albany, NY Hudson Falls High School, 80 E. LeBarge St. Hudson Falls, NY January 23,2001 at 7:00 p.m. February 6,2001 at 7:00 p.m. February 7,2001 at 7:00 p.m. For further information please contact: Hudson River Sloop Clearwater Manna Jo Greene, Environmental Action Director 112 Market Street Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 (845) 454-7673 mannaj o@mail.c1earwater.org Printed on Recycled Paper HUDSON RIVER SLOOP CLEARW A TER,INC ENVIRONMENT AL DREDGING FACT SHEET Navigation and Construction Dredging: This technology is used to remove accumulated sediment and debris from waterway channels in order to improve navigation and also used for construction projects. Large open clamshell dredges fall into this category. These dredges are NOT used for cleaning up toxic materials like PCBs, as GE has portrayed in its intentionally misleading, multimillion dollar advertising "blitz." Environmental Dredging: Environmental dredging is used to remove contamination from targeted areas. This technology is very precise and is designed to minimize resuspension of small sediment particles that may be contaminated with PCBs, heavy metals, or other toxic materials. This process is much more controlled than navigational dredging, using technologies like the hydraulic dredge, which functions like a large vacuum cleaner to remove contaminated sediments with strong suction pumps. Examples of hydraulic dredges include the cutterhead and the eddy pump. Most hydraulic dredges have a cutting head to dislodge the contaminated sediment which is immediately suctioned into a pipe. This diluted sediment, or "slurry," is pumped through a flexible, floating pipe to a covered floating barge, or directly to an on-land dewatering facility, where the sediment is allowed to settle out of the water. PCBs will then be separated from the water by a multi-stage sand and carbon filter system. The purified water is released back into the river cleaner than the river water itself. The sediment that accumulates at the bottom of the settling basin is removed, dried, and immobilized with cement-kiln dust. In this case, it will be shipped by rail out of the Hudson Valley to a landfill that has been built to specifications outlined in the Toxic Substances Control Act, likely near Buffalo, NY. Some of the "hotter" sediments may be treated to remove and destroy PCBs before shipment. These processes must occur in an enclosed environment to prevent volatilization of PCBs. Environmental dredges are often fitted with GPS, video and/or sonar equipment to monitor the process. During hydraulic dredging the river remains clear enough to allow underwater cameras to guide the operations. Multiple water testing sites are set up in the vicinity of dredging so that if a problem should arise, it will be immediately detected and the operation can be quickly shut down. Safety precautions include silt curtains, which are used to surround the work area to contain any loose sediment. (over) 112 LmLE MARKET STREET, POUGHKEEPSIE, NY12601 . 845-454-7673 . FAX 845-454-7953 . EMAIL: OFFICE@MAIL.CLEARWATER.ORG . WWW.CLEARWATER.ORG There is nothing new, untried, or experimental about environmental dredging. Environmental dredges are proven effective. The EP A and state environmental agencies have used this technology at many sites around the country. One recent success story occurred in Cumberland Bay, part of Lake Champlain near Plattsburgh, NY. In a cleanup ordered by the NYS DEC, one small dredge boat removed sediment containing 25,000 pounds of PCBs over the course of three summers. Two nearby swimming beaches remained open and a paper mill process-water intake limited to 2 ppb (parts per billion) sediment content remained open despite being within 50 feet of the dredging operation. Property values in Plattsburgh are reported to be rising. Waterfront property owners observed ducks resting on the dredge vessel. We expect the Hudson River to be another success story. The river will remain open for swimming and navigation during the cleanup, except in the immediate area of dredging. The removal of PCBs from the Upper Hudson River will substantially reduce health risks from PCBs and have a positive impact on the economy, by improving river commerce and tourism. Please visit Clearwater's website for diagrams and photographs of environmental dredges: www.clearwater.org Additional diagrams and photographs and a current report on dredging technologies are available on the Scenic Hudson website at www.scenichudson.org. Descriptions of environmental dredging are available on EP A's website at www.epa.gov/hudson. Printed on Recycled, Non-Chlorine Paper