New York State Canal Corporation Supports Champlain Canal Section of PCB Report

Urges Navigational Dredging in Next Phase

ALBANY, NY (08/25/2010)(readMedia)--

New York State Canal Corporation Director Carmella R. Mantello said today she welcomed the recommendation of a scientific panel that protection of the navigational channel of the Champlain Canal be considered in the next phase of the removal of PCB sediments from the Hudson River.

"I applaud the Hudson River PCB Peer Review Panel for its hard work in preparing this report," Mantello said. "The Canal Corporation is pleased that the panel has decided to recommend protecting the navigation channel of the Champlain Canal from permanent caps that could hamper future maintenance and operations of the waterway."

The panel supported the Federal Environmental Protection Agency recommendation that isolation caps in the navigational channels should be avoided. The panel took the position that if isolation caps are to be placed in the navigation channel, they must be at least 14 feet below the water surface to allow continued operation and maintenance of the Champlain Canal.

Isolation caps are used in the dredging project when residual PCBs in the underlying sediments are in excess of the cleanup goal. During Phase 1, isolation caps were placed at a more shallow depth within the navigation channel, greatly complicating the Canal Corporation's ability to conduct future maintenance dredging in those areas.

Canals Director Mantello said, "While the Canal Corporation is pleased with most of the panel's recommendations, the panel unfortunately did not comment on the need for navigational dredging to be incorporated into the next phase of the cleanup. In the last several months, the Canal Corporation has received resolutions of support for navigational dredging from more than a dozen municipalities along the Upper Hudson."

"In addition to the municipal support, we have also received more than 1,100 signatures supporting navigational dredging on petitions carried by Scenic Hudson and Parks & Trails New York," Mantello added.

The Canal Corporation has identified more than 620,000 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediment that are excluded from the initial dredging project but still need to be removed from the navigation channel to restore commercial traffic and economic development to the Upper Hudson communities. With minor exceptions, the Champlain Canal has not been dredged by New York State for 30 years as a consequence of the PCB contamination.

Director Mantello said, "It would be a great tragedy if this dredging project is completed without restoring the navigation channel. If the Champlain Canal has to be dredged for navigation in a separate, future project at the end of the current cleanup, the residents and communities along the Upper Hudson will have to wait that much longer before experiencing the economic development and community revitalization that the river and waterfront can bring."

Municipalities that have endorsed the Canal Corporations call for navigational dredging include: Saratoga County, Village of Fort Edward, Town of Fort Edward, the Historic Saratoga-Washington on the Hudson Partnership, Town of Saratoga, Town of Halfmoon, City of Mechanicville, Town of Moreau, Town of Schaghticoke, Town of Easton, City of Albany, Rensselaer County, Town of Kingsburgy, City of Cohoes, Village of Menands, Town of Northumberland, and the Village of Hudson Falls.

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The New York State Canal System is comprised of four historic waterways, the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego, and the Cayuga & Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles across New York State, the inland waterway links the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River with communities rich in history and culture.

The Canal Corporation is a proud sponsor of the 2010 World Canals Conference to be held in Rochester, New York from Sunday, September 19, 2010, through Thursday, September 23, 2010. For more information about the World Canals Conference, please visit the website www.wccrochester.org.

The New York State Canal Corporation is a subsidiary of the New York State Thruway Authority. In 1992 State legislation transferred the Canal System from the New York State Department of Transportation to the Thruway Authority. Canal operating and maintenance activities are supported by Thruway toll revenues.

For more information about vacation opportunities and events along the New York State Canal System, please call 1-800-4CANAL4 or visit www.canals.ny.gov. For information about boating safety and marine recreation in New York State, visit www.nysparks.com or call 518-474-0445.

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