EPA and GE to Begin Sampling Tests on Hudson River

In recent years efforts have been made by multiple organizations to address the clean-up of the Hudson RIver. Recently it was also announced that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in conjunction with GE (General Electric) will begin their work on taking different types of samples from the Hudson, to test and see specifically what is in the Hudson and more importantly, what shouldn't be.

There are many different samples that will be taken and assessed but the primary goal of these samplings is to test for the amount of PCB's in the sediment of the Hudson. PCB's are polychlorinated biphenyls or to put it simply, contaminants that shouldn't be there.

Details Behind Hudson RIver Sediment Testing

There are a lot of details to asses with this announcement but we're going to try to sum it up as best as possible. For full details you may follow the link here.

For starters we should know what the range of this testing will be. The Hudson RIver Valley is a massive region and these tests will be taking place in the Lower Hudson Valley. In this case it means testing will take place from the Troy Dam all the way down to the Southern tip of Manhattan and bordering New Jersey.

The EPA approved work plan will see that testing of the water, sediments as well as the fish to monitor the PCB levels. Water samples will be gathered from 5 different monitoring stations in Albany/ Troy, Catskill, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, and at Tappan Zee.

Fish testing will be taken from 14 different species including various species of crabs. Data gathered from these samples will determine whether or not additional locations along the Hudson.

Finally the sediment samples gathered in these tests will also be gathered from different locations as well as different depths of the Hudson. Sediment samples from the top layer of the Hudson as well as core samples will be gathered and analyzed and like with the fish testing, these initial results will determine if more testing is needed.

What is the Reason for All The Sampling

One could reasonably determine that these tests and samplings are being done with the end goal being cleaning up the Hudson River. One of the core reasons behind this mission is actually tied to General Electric. During the 1940's and up into the 1970's, GE discharged PCB's into the Hudson RIver which came from their manufacturing plants located in both Fort Edward and Hudson Falls.

Essentially, with oversight from the EPA, GE is putting in effort to clean-up the mess they made. These efforts will in theory go into the revitalization of the Hudson RIver. These tests and samplings are scheduled to begin this coming June. Second round testing will begin sometime in 2024.

Check This Out: Boat Rescue on New York's Hudson RIver After Engine Failure

For anyone interested in an entire breakdown of the entire Hudson River sampling/testing plan, you may follow the link located above as well as the detailed plan layout here.