Toxic Cancer-Causing ‘Forever’ Chemicals Still In Hudson River

The plan to remove high-toxic chemicals from the Hudson River has failed.

A new environmental report shows PCB levels are rising in the Hudson River.

PCB Levels Rising In Hudson River

On Tuesday, The Friends of a Clean Hudson (FOCH) coalition released a new, independent, scientific assessment of the Hudson River.

The report found that remedial dredging of the Hudson River by General Electric almost a decade ago was meant to remove carcinogenic chemicals, but was not effective.

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Dredging Remedy Failed To Protect Humans

"The 'dredging remedy' has failed to ensure the protection of human and environmental health because the concentration of toxic PCBs in the river’s fish and sediment remain higher than anticipated," the report states.

The study found that the dredging remedy is “not protective of human health and the environment.”

General Electric Blamed For PCBs in Hudson River

Between 1947 and 1977, GE dumped more than a million pounds of industrial "forever chemicals" into the Hudson River, near facilities just north of Albany.

“The science is clear: the dredging remedy in the Hudson River did not do enough to make the River safe for people and the environment,” Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan said. “EPA must acknowledge the dredging remedy’s failure to meet the essential standard of protecting human health and the environment.”

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Cancer-Causing Product Found in Hudson River

PCBs are carcinogens or cancer-causing chemicals. Carcinogens are substances that may increase your risk of cancer.

PCBs are manmade highly toxic chemicals. These chemicals were banned in the United States around 1979 because health officials realized PCBs are harmful to humans and the environment.

PCBs are also labeled “forever chemicals," because they don't easily break down once in the environment and can travel great distances.

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“As a result, human health and ecological risks are still well above EPA’s own acceptable risk range and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. This is not protective of both people and wildlife who consume Hudson River fish, and is not what the public expected from EPA after the dredging work was completed," Former DEC Geologist Kevin Farrar said.