A massive Superfund cleanup of PCBs is under way on the Hudson River -- but don't let that stop you from enjoying a holiday dip.
Just be sure to scrub with soap and water afterward.
The state health department says anyone who touches the river water downstream from a dredging project should wash thoroughly as a precaution.
PCB dredging began about a week ago in Fort Edward, about 40 miles north of Albany. The cleanup between Fort Edward and Troy will be going on for the next six years.
General Electric is doing the cleanup, which is projected to take about six years. Company officials say swimmers and boaters should avoid areas where dredging is being done to "minimize the potential for bodily harm.''
The dredging is one of the largest environmental cleanup projects ever done in the U.S. The Hudson River PCBs Site encompasses a nearly 200-mile stretch of the Hudson River in eastern New York State from Hudson Falls, New York to the Battery in New York City and includes communities in fourteen New York counties and two counties in New Jersey, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which is managing the project.
PCBs can cause cancer in people and are linked to other adverse health effects such as low birth weight, thyroid disease, and learning, memory, and immune system disorders. PCBs in the river sediment also affect fish and wildlife.
"The start of Hudson River dredging is a symbol of victory for the environment and for its river communities," said George Pavlou, Acting EPA Regional Administrator.
Read the EPA's press release on the cleanup and check out the agency's Hudson River Drudging Data.
