In February, 2002 EPA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site that calls for targeted environmental dredging of approximately 2.65 million cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediment from a 40-mile section of the Upper Hudson River.
The cleanup of the Hudson River is occurring in two phases. Phase 1 of the project was conducted by GE with oversight by EPA from May to November 2009. During this phase, approximately 283,000 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediment was removed from a six-mile stretch of the Upper Hudson River near Fort Edward, NY. After an extensive evaluation by an independent panel of scientists and input from a broad range of stakeholders, EPA developed plans for the second part of the cleanup.
Phase 2 began in June, 2011, and is being conducted at full production to remove the remainder of the contaminated river sediment targeted for dredging; Phase 2 targets the removal of approximately 2.4 million cubic yards of sediment. Dredging occurs between May and October, when the Champlain Canal is open for the season. It is estimated that the second phase of the cleanup will take five to seven years to complete.
Mr. Klawinski will provide a summary of the progress to date for this historic, high profile, occasionally contentious cleanup.
BIO
Gary Klawinski has 28 years' experience as an environmental and engineering project manager and geotechnical specialist and currently serves as the USEPA Region 2 Regional Project Manager for the Hudson River PCBs Superfund Site. His extensive background includes hydrogeological, geologic, and geophysical investigations; RI/FSs; remedial design/action; and risk/exposure assessment.
