Highly Toxic Cancer-Causing Product Found in Hudson River, Report

Officials believe it's going to cost over $11 billion to clean up the Hudson River after cancer-causing manmade chemicals were found in the river.

A report released by Scenic Hudson says PCBs found in the Hudson River caused $11.4 billion in damages.

Scenic Hudson believes General Electric dumped millions of pounds of toxic PCBs into the Hudson River from the 1940s to the 1970s.

Cancer-Causing Product Found in Hudson River

"For 40 years, Scenic Hudson has been leading the fight for a comprehensive cleanup of cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that polluter General Electric dumped in the Hudson River from the 1940s to the 1970s," Scenic Hudson states.

The land preservation group believes GE contaminated a 200-mile stretch of the Hudson from upriver factories to New York Harbor.

"The 200-mile stretch of the Hudson River is one of the largest Superfund sites in the nation," Scenic Hudson wrote in a press release.

Damage to Hudson River

Polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are a group of manmade chemicals. These highly-toxic chemicals were banned by the United States federal law in 1978.

"In collaboration with leading experts, we've released a report showing what our community has known for decades: PCBs have caused devastating harm to the Hudson River. $11.4 billion in damages and $10.7 in additional dredging are needed for GE to adequately restore the Hudson River from its contamination," Scenic Hudson adds.

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General Electric Blamed For PCBs in Hudson River

From 1947 to 1977, General Electric discharged millions of pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the Hudson River at their Fort Edwards and Hudson Falls plants, Scenic Hudson alleges.

"About 85% of over 10,000 water samples taken from 200 miles of river since the mid-1970s have contained PCBs, often at concentrations one or more orders of magnitude above state and federal regulatory criteria," according to Scenic Hudson.

When taken with the cost needed to address the past and ongoing impacts on wildlife and communities along the Hudson River, GE could be liable for as much as $22 billion in total damage, officials believe.

“GE’s contamination has caused 70 years of harm, that is expected to last another 50 years or more into the future,” Environmental Research Consultant and co-author of the report Dagmar Schmidt Etkin, Ph.D, stated. "Hudson River Trustees have documented PCB pollution of drinking water, fishery closures and fish consumption restrictions, compromised river navigation in marinas and canals, and threats to the health of waterfowl and mammals. After a thorough review of these studies, we have concluded that the Hudson has suffered adverse impacts at historic levels—estimated at $11.4 billion."

GE has yet to comment on Scenic Hudson's report.