ASSESSMENT OF INJURIES TO NATURAL RESOURCES FROM PCBS IN THE HUDSON RIVER IN NEW YORK STATE

摘要

Historic and continuing discharges of PCBs from two industrial plants have contaminated natural resources of the Hudson River for ca. 320 km (200 mi). A natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) has been initiated by three trustee agencies to determine the appropriate type and scale of restoration needed to restore natural resources injured by this contamination. Generally these resources are injured if: 1. the concentration of a hazardous substance exceeds government criteria or standards set to protect the use of the resource by people or wildlife (e.g., exceedance of water quality standards); or 2. the hazardous substance causes a measurable adverse change to the resource (e.g., causing cancer, reproductive, and other effects in biota). Preliminary reviews of available information indicate that: 1. the long-term exceedance of water quality criteria and standards constitutes an injury to water resources; 2. fish have been contaminated for over 25 years, and the resulting issuance of fishing bans and consumption advisories constitutes an injury to the public's use of this resource; and 3. average and maximum PCB concentrations recently measured in various habitats and biota raise concern that adverse effects may be occurring in Hudson River biota.