Hudson Initiative

Quiz results
Question #1
How much of the Hudson River was polluted by General Electric?

A.10 Miles - 0 responses - 0%

B.200 Miles - 9 responses - 50%

C.50 Miles - 3 responses - 16.7%

D.100 Miles - 6 responses - 33.3%

The Hudson River Superfund Site is one of the largest superfund sites that has
been identified by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Studies found 40
sites with PCB levels greater than 50 ppm.
Question #2
How many years did General Electric pollute the Hudson River for?

A.5 Years - 1 response - 5.6%

B.15 Years - 2 responses - 11.1%

C.25 Years - 7 responses - 38.9%

D.30 Years - 8 responses - 44.4%

Pollution of the Hudson began in 1946 and carried on until 1976. In that time they
poured 4.08 million cubic yards of PCB into the Hudson.
Question #3
Where was the waste material from the dredging of the Hudson taken?

A.New York State - 4 responses - 22.2%

B.Hawaii - 0 responses - 0%

C.Texas - 13 responses - 72.2%

D.Florida - 1 response - 5.6%

Over 620 barges filled with sediment were transported to the processing facility on
the Champlain Canal, and over 80 rail cars transported to the dredged sediment to
a waste facility in Texas.
Question #4
Are the General Electric plants that polluted the Hudson River still in
operation?

A.Yes - 7 responses - 38.9%

B.No - 7 responses - 38.9%

C.Maybe - 4 responses - 22.2%

GE spent millions of dollars fighting the Hudson River cleanup. It launched an

aggressive ad campaign in newspapers, magazines, radio and television in an
effort to buy public support for its anti-dredging position. As a result GE closed its
plants and is now considering opening new plants in either Connecticut or
Massachusetts.
Question #5
Are PCBs soluble in water?

A.Yes - 2 responses - 11.1%

B.No - 16 responses - 88.9%

C.Maybe - 0 responses - 0%

While it is true that PCBs breakdown over time it is also known that they break
down into other toxic forms that remain in the sediment, plants, and even aquatic
animals such as fish.
Question #6
Is it safe to eat fish that come out of the Hudson?

A.Yes - 1 response - 5.6%

B.No - 14 responses - 77.8%

C.Maybe - 3 responses - 16.7%

There have been many studies into the PCB level of fish located downstream of
the pollution and all have found that fish have elevated levels of PCBs in them
compared to fish sample from above the polluted stretch. In fact fishing is
restricted to catch and release only between Hudson Falls and Troy. New
projections predict it could be 50 years before we see the PCB levels in fish
reduced.
Question #7
How many pounds of PCBs did the EPA originally mandate that General
Electric remove?

A.10,000 pounds - 0 responses - 0%

B.100,000 pounds - 12 responses - 66.7%

C.1,000,000 pounds - 1 response - 5.6%

D.250,000 pounds - 5 responses - 27.8%

It is estimated that General Electric pumped 1.3 million pounds of PCBs into the
Hudson during their reign.
Question #8
About how many pounds of PCBs did GE remove in reality?

A.10,000 pounds - 8 responses - 44.4%

B.250,000 pounds - 1 response - 5.6%

C.35,000 pounds - 8 responses - 44.4%

D.100,000 pounds - 1 response - 5.6%

Phase 1 of the dredging efforts began in May 2009 and ended in October 2009.
Phase 2 began in 2011 and is projected to be finished in 2017. Groups like
Riverkeeper have been conducting private sampling campaigns and are pushing
for further remediation efforts.
Question #9
How much was the proposed cleanup projected to cost General Electric?

A.$100 Million - 2 responses - 11.1%

B.$350 Million - 7 responses - 38.9%

C.$460 Million - 7 responses - 38.9%

D.$600 Million - 2 responses - 11.1%

This amount is nothing compared to what GE saved by dodging tax payments.

According to the New York Times, from 1996 to 1998, GE as the nations #1
corporate polluter was also the nations biggest beneficiary of corporate tax
breaks, saving $6.9 billion in taxes for that three-year period. In 1999, the
company paid only $2.1 billion in income taxes on $25.8 billion in profits, for a tax
Question 10
When did General Electric begin dredging efforts?

A.2005 - 4 responses - 22.2%

B.2009 - 8 responses - 44.4%

C.2012 - 5 responses - 27.8%

D.2017 - 1 response - 5.6%

As previously stated GE began their cleanup efforts in 2009. On Monday, August

29, 2016 the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
commissioner Basil Seggos challenged the effectiveness of the EPAs remedy to
clean up the Hudson River.
Additional Resources
DEC Challenges Effectiveness of EPAs Remedy for Hudson River Cleanup -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6YxhtKBcYo0MmV5MjBLOW01bE0/view?u
sp=sharing

DEC Summary Report -

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6YxhtKBcYo0TEZkcUJMNHdfMTg/view?us
p=sharing

RiverKeeper Hudson River PCBs -

https://www.riverkeeper.org/campaigns/stop-polluters/pcbs/