EPA: Order will allow PCB cleanup to proceed
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it has issued an order to the New York State Canal Corp. requiring it to grant EPA and General Electric access to three parcels of land where construction needs to take place for the Hudson River cleanup to begin.
GE is being required to dredge and remove silt that is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls. GE capacitor manufacturing plants located in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward discharged and contaminated sediments in the Upper Hudson River.
The EPA will give the EPA and GE access to properties in the towns of Moreau and Fort Edward, N.Y., that are owned by the Canal Corp.
The EPA said the action, carried out pursuant to federal laws governing the Superfund program, “became necessary after prolonged negotiations between GE and New York State over the terms of access to the properties led to an impasse. In order for construction to begin on time this spring, EPA concluded that it was necessary to issue an access order to prevent any delay in the cleanup project.”
EPA said its order requires the Canal Corp. to give EPA and GE access to three locations:
* 25 acres of property in Fort Edward needed for the sediment processing/transfer facility.
* About a two-mile strip of land along the Champlain Canal on which GE will construct a road that will connect the processing facility with existing Route 196.
* Property located on the west bank of the Hudson River in the Town of Moreau, where GE will build a marina that will support the dredging operation.