EPA extends comment period on review of Upper Hudson River cleanup

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended by 30 days the public comment period for its third review of the cleanup of PCB-contaminated sediment from the Upper Hudson River. Originally set to end on October 8, 2024, the new deadline is now November 7, 2024.

Also, the EPA held virtual public information meetings on August 21, 2024, and August 28, 2024, to discuss the five-year review process and findings.

The EPA reviews Superfund cleanups every five years to ensure that they are working as intended and protect people’s health and the environment.

These regular reviews are required by federal law when contaminants remain at a site and are documented in five-year review reports.

The EPA’s latest review concludes that PCB levels in water and fish are going down overall, but the EPA needs more years of fish data to determine if the cleanup is meeting the expectations of the original cleanup plan.

Also, the EPA will issue an addendum to the current five-year review report as soon as sufficient fish data is available, as early as next year, and no later than the end of 2027.

The report contains the EPA’s proposal for expanded monitoring and special studies to bolster the data on which to base its conclusions.