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Reassessment Reports Overview

EPA began the reassessment of the PCB-contaminated sediments in the upper Hudson River in 1990. Due to the size, complexity and high level of public interest in this project, EPA decided to conduct the study in 3 phases, issuing reports to the public as the work progressed. Phase 2, the largest in scope was further broken down into six segments.

While the conclusions reached in each individual report may be significant, it is important to remember that EPA’s remedial decision for this site will depend on the information contained in all of the reports and how that information fits together as a whole.

PHASE 1 REPORT

The Phase 1 Report compiled and analyzed existing data. This report also included a preliminary ecological risk assessment as well as a preliminary human health risk assessment. The reports contained some preliminary findings including: a general decrease in PCB concentrations, an unacceptable risk from fish consumption, an ongoing source of PCBs to the water column upstream of the contaminated sediments, and a need to collect additional data.
Released August 1991

PHASE 2 REPORTS

The Phase 2 Report consists of six separately issued reports:

2A DATABASE REPORT

A guide to understanding the information contained in the database and where to find it. The database includes EPA’s Phase 2 data from NYSDEC, General Electric, USGS and other sources. EPA’s database is available to the public on CD- ROM. An explanation of the database is contained in the Database Report, but the report did not include any analyses or findings.
Report released in November 1995.
Database (on CD-ROM) released in March 1996.
Database release 4.1 issued August 1998.

Executive Summary for the Database Report
Download Database Report

2B PRELIMINARY MODEL CALIBRATION REPORT

Characterized as a "work in progress," this report contained the scientific assumptions upon which EPA’s computer modeling effort would be based. Includes groundwork for projections of future concentrations of PCBs in water, sediment and fish tissue and rationale for selection of calibration data sets. Provided interested parties an opportunity to review and comment on the assumptions used in the models developed for the Reassessment. Superceded by the Baseline Modeling Report.
Released October 1996

Executive Summary for the Preliminary Model Calibration Report

2C DATA EVALUATION AND INTERPRETATION REPORT

Contains geochemical analysis of data from water column and high resolution sediment coring investigations; evaluation of this data to determine relationships between parameters, and the evaluation of PCB sources. Also contains information on PCB "fingerprinting" and natural degradation. This work includes data analysis which complements the understanding gained by the computer modeling.
Released February 1997

Executive Summary for the Data Evaluation and Interpretation Report
Download Data Evaluation and Interpretation Report

2C-A LOW RESOLUTION SEDIMENT CORING REPORT

This addendum to the Data Evaluation and Interpretation Report (above) contains results of sediment sampling conducted in the Upper Hudson River to confirm earlier New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) data used to estimate the mass of PCBs in sediments. This analysis can also be used to determine if loss or gain of PCBs has occurred in certain areas over time.
Released July 1998

Executive Summary for the Low Resolution Sediment Coring Report
Download Low Resolution Sediment Coring Report

2D BASELINE MODELING REPORT
Released May 1999

Executive Summary for the May 1999 Baseline Modeling Report

(Superceded by the Revised Baseline Modeling Report)

2D REVISED BASELINE MODELING REPORT

Contains the results of EPA’s computer modeling effort. Uses site data to set up a model of the river, which can be used to make projections of future conditions (PCB concentrations in water, sediment and fish) under a baseline (or "no action") scenario. The Revised BMR supercedes the May 1999 BMR.

Books 1 and 2 contain the transport and fate modeling, while Books 3 and 4 contain the bioaccumulation modeling.
Released January 2000

Executive Summary for the Revised Baseline Modeling Report
Download Revised Baseline Modeling Report

PHASE 2 - ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT SCOPE OF WORK

Outlines the basic work tasks to assess the ecological risks associated with this site.
Released September 1998

2E ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT

Presents the findings of the baseline ecological risk assessment. Calculates risks to certain indicator species based on water and sediment concentrations, as compared to measured toxicity endpoints.
Released August 1999

Executive Summary for the Ecological Risk Assessment
Download Ecological Risk Assessment

Addendum to the Ecological Risk Assessment for future risk for the Lower Hudson River.
Released December 1999

Executive Summary for the Ecological Risk Assessment for Future Risks in the Lower Hudson River
Free PDF reader available Download Ecological Risk Assessment for Future Risks in the Lower Hudson River ( 6.57 MB)

PHASE 2 - HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT SCOPE OF WORK

Outlines the basic work tasks to assess the human health risks associated with this site.
Released July 1998

Human Health Risk Assessment Scope of Work

2F HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT

Presents findings on human health risks associated with the Upper Hudson River due to PCB contamination. Uses data on concentrations of PCBs in fish tissue and modeling projections, along with the most current PCB toxicity values adopted by EPA to calculate cancer and non-cancer risks for the Upper Hudson River.
Released August 1999

Executive Summary for the Human Health Risk Assessment for the Upper Hudson River
Download Human Health Risk Assessment for the Upper Hudson River

Addendum report for the Mid-Hudson River Human Health Risk Assessment (human health risk from Troy to Poughkeepsie area). Released December 1999

Executive Summary for the Human Health Risk Assessment for the Mid-Hudson River
Free PDF reader available Download Human Health Risk Assessment for the Mid-Hudson River (1.83 MB)

PHASE 3 REPORTS

PHASE 3 - FEASIBILITY STUDY SCOPE OF WORK

Outlines the work tasks to be performed for the portion of the project during which various cleanup scenarios and technologies are evaluated.
Released September 1998

PHASE 3 - FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT

Contains the Agency’s evaluation of potential cleanup scenarios, including "no-action." For more information click here.
To be released December 2000 (with the Proposed Plan)

PROPOSED PLAN

The Proposed Plan is the presentation of the Agency’s preferred cleanup method for the site, or "no action."
To be announced December 2000

RECORD OF DECISION

This is the document in which the Agency formalizes its decision on what action will be taken at the site.
To be issued June 2001

RESPONSIVENESS SUMMARIES

Responsiveness Summary on the Phase 1 Report
Provides the Agency's responses to written and oral comments on the Phase 1 Report.
Released July 1992

Responsiveness Summary on the Database Report, Preliminary Model Calibration Report and Data Evaluation and Interpretation Report
Provides the Agency's responses and additional analyses required by public comments on the first three Phase 2 reports.
Released December 1998

Responsiveness Summary on the Low Resolution Sediment Coring Report
Provides the Agency's responses and additional analyses required by public comments on the Low Resolution Sediment Coring Report.
Released February 1999

Responsiveness Summary for the Phase 2 - Human Health Risk Assessment Scope of Work
Provides the Agency's responses and additional analyses required by public comments on the Human Health Risk Assessment Scope of Work.
Released April 1999

Responsiveness Summary for the Phase 2 - Ecological Risk Assessment Scope of Work
Provides the Agency's responses and additional analyses required by public comments on the Ecological Risk Assessment Scope of Work.
Released April 1999

Responsiveness Summary for the Phase 3 - Feasibility Study Scope of Work
Provides the Agency's responses and additional analyses required by public comments on the Feasibility Study Scope of Work.
Released June 1999

Responsiveness Summary for the Baseline Modeling Report
Provides the Agency's responses and additional analyses required by public comments on the Baseline Modeling Report.
Released February 2000

Responsiveness Summary for the Ecological Risk Assessment
Provides the Agency's responses and additional analyses required by public comments on the Ecological Risk Assessment.
Released March 2000

Responsiveness Summary for the Human Health Risk Assessment
Provides the Agency's responses and additional analyses required by public comments on the Human Health Risk Assessment for the upper Hudson River.
Released March 2000

Responsiveness Summary for the Ecological Risk Assessment for Future Risk in the Lower Hudson
Provides the Agency's responses and additional analyses required by public comments on the December 1999 Addendum to the Ecological Risk Assessment.
Released August 2000

Responsiveness Summary for the Human Health Risk Assessment - Mid-Hudson River
Provides the Agency's responses and additional analyses required by public comments on the December 1999 Human Health Risk Assessment for the mid-Hudson River.
Released August 2000

Responsiveness Summary for the PROPOSED PLAN
Contains the Agency’s responses to the public comments on the Proposed Plan.
To be released June 2001 (with the Record of Decision)


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PEER REVIEW REPORTS

Link for additional information on the peer review process for the Hudson River PCBs site.


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ADDITIONAL REPORTS

Landfill Siting Survey
A screening level effort to determine whether there are viable alternatives to agricultural land for a landfill or treatment facility should a dredging remedy be selected. Intended to be part of Feasibility Study and not a separate document, but agreed to be released based on the hearing conducted by Representative Solomon.
Released January 1998.

Early Action Report
An evaluation of Removal Action Alternatives (dredging and capping) to address losses from the sediment as reported in the Low Resolution Sediment Coring Report. Based on this report, the Agency announced in December 1998 that it was not able to identify a feasible and appropriate interim action, and that it would focus on completing the Reassessment study.
Released March 1999

 

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