The Hudson River dredging project is one of the largest and most complex environmental cleanups in U.S. history.

Each year, 350,000 cubic yards of sediment is targeted for removal from the Hudson River. That sediment is processed at GE's processing, treatment and transportation facility on the Champlain Canal.

GE's goal for the Hudson River dredging project is to conduct it safely, to conduct it in accordance with EPA's requirements, and to minimize disruption to the local community to the greatest practical extent.

Three dredges operate in the Hudson River when dredging activities are being performed.

Getting the sediment from the area being dredged to the processing, treatment and transportation facility is done by shallow-draft tugboats pushing large hopper barges. Each barge carries up to 700 cubic yards of dredged sediment, depending on draft.

Twelve filter presses at the processing, treatment and transportation facility squeeze the water out of the sediment. The presses were specially made for the Hudson River dredging project.

The water treatment plant at the processing, treatment and transportation facility is larger than some regional plants and can handle up to two million gallons of water a day.

Once the sediment is dewatered, it is temporarily staged in staging areas, waiting to be loaded onto railcars to be transported to a permitted hazardous waste disposal facility.