Dredging of the Hudson River Chronology
1940s — GE begins using PCBs as an insulating fluid in electrical capacitors manufactured at plants along the river at Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, N.Y., about 50 miles north of Albany.
1977 — GE discontinues using PCBs.
1984 — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies the Upper Hudson River as a Superfund Site; EPA issues a Record of Decision (ROD) for the site rejecting dredging and recommending certain areas on land (known as the “remnant deposit sites”) be capped or covered with clean material.
1989 — EPA begins to re-assess conditions in the Hudson River.
1990s — GE caps the remnant deposit areas.
1990s — GE converts an abandoned paper mill located on the riverbank near GE’s Hudson Falls, N.Y., plant site into a system of wells to recover PCBs before they reach the river.
Feb. 1, 2002 — EPA issues a second Record of Decision that calls for dredging sediment that contains PCBs from a 40-mile stretch of the Hudson River.
April 9, 2002 — GE informs EPA that it will cooperate with the Agency to implement its selected remedy for the Hudson.
July 23, 2002 — GE and EPA sign an agreement whereby GE agrees to conduct the largest sediment sampling program ever undertaken. Ultimately, more than 50,000 sediment samples were collected during the $20 million program.
Dec. 2002 — EPA begins an evaluation of potential sites near the Hudson River that could support processing and transportation facilities needed for the project.
Aug. 13, 2003 — EPA and GE sign an agreement whereby GE will complete the engineering design work for both phases of the project.
June 23, 2005 — EPA finalizes its selection of property in the Town and Village of Fort Edward in Washington County for processing, treatment and transportation facilities to support the project.
Oct. 6, 2005 — GE and EPA reach an agreement whereby GE will perform EPA’s dredging project. The agreement, embodied in a Consent Decree, is lodged in U.S. Federal Court.
Feb. 14, 2006 — GE initiates its Hudsonworks program to identify local businesses interested in assisting GE’s contractors on the project.
Nov. 2, 2006 — U.S. District Court Judge David Hurd approves the Consent Decree signed by GE and EPA whereby GE will perform the dredging project.
Feb. 14, 2007 — GE announces it has selected the D.A. Collins Construction Co. of Mechanicville (Saratoga County) to perform site preparation work at the processing facility site, and another New York State firm, RailWorks Track Services Inc., a subsidiary of RailWorks Corp. of New York City, to build a rail yard at the site.
March 6, 2007 — EPA approves a work plan that details how the site preparation work and construction of the rail yard will be performed, enabling construction to proceed.
April 2007 — GE selects contractors to install processing equipment at the sediment processing facility prior to dredging and to operate those facilities during the first phase of dredging.
April 23, 2007 — GE’s contractors begin construction of the processing, treatment and transportation facilities.
Nov. 15, 2007 – GE announces an agreement with a waste disposal facility in Texas, Waste Control Specialists, to accept the sediment that will be removed during the first phase of the dredging project.
May 15, 2009 — GE and its contractors begin dredging the Hudson River.
October 27, 2009 — GE and its contractors finish dredging for the year.
September 10, 2010 – A panel of independent scientists issues a report evaluating the first phase of dredging.
December 17, 2010 — EPA issues its plan for the second and final phase of the Hudson cleanup.
December 23, 2010 — GE advises EPA that it will perform and pay for the second, final phase of Hudson dredging.
April 6, 2011 — GE selects Cashman Dredging & Marine Contracting Co. LLC to perform environmental dredging in the Upper Hudson River in 2011.
June 6, 2011 — GE begins Hudson River PCB dredging for the 2011 season.
November 18, 2011 — Dredging activities finish for the 2011 season.
May 9, 2012 — GE begins Hudson River PCB dredging for the 2012 season.
November 17, 2012 — Dredging activities finish for the 2012 season.
April 29, 2013 — Dredging activities resume for the 2013 season.
