THE ISSUE
The beautiful past, uncertain present, and threatened future of the Hudson River: Watch the video below to hear AquaPal Emme explain the history of contamination in the Hudson River.
THE ISSUE: PCB CONTAMINATION
According to Riverkeeper, "Between 1947 and 1977, General Electric (GE) dumped an estimated 1.3 million pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the Hudson River." That is exactly why we have embarked on this scientific adventure. The AquaPals are striving to provide a safe alternative to the fish caught in the Hudson River. There are severe restrictions on the amounts of fish that can be eaten from the Hudson, and aquaponics solves that issue. It also provides a stable farming method that occupies less land than traditional farming and uses significantly less water.
SO... WHY ARE PCBSÂ A BIG DEAL?
What You Need to Know:
PCBs are known carcinogenic and birth defect causing compounds. It is estimated that with cleanups in the Hudson River continuing, it will take 55 years or more to allow people to eat from the river. This is an unrealistic and egregious burden for our community and exactly why we are promoting aquaponics in our area!
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In this moment, the Environmental Protection Agency is considering giving General Electric a "Certificate of Completion" for their efforts in the Hudson River. This would be catastrophic. For more information, read AquaPal Emme's article attached below.
