The Hudson Falls Powerhouse and Allen
Mill Site is located along the east bank of the Hudson River in the village of
Hudson Falls, Washington County, New York. The Allen Mill is a former textile
mill that was constructed in the mid-1800s and borders the former General
Electric (GE) Hudson Falls Facility. The Powerhouse, which is immediately
downstream from the Allen Mill, was constructed in 1907 and supplied
hydroelectric power to the Mill through a system of raceways and tunnels that
were excavated into the bedrock.
During a 30-year period ending in
1977, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were discharged into the Hudson River
from GE’s capacitor manufacturing plant located in Hudson Falls. PCB
releases from the plant caused significant surface and below-ground contamination.
The former GE Hudson Falls plant site is being addressed under New York State’s
Superfund program. GE performed dredging in the upper Hudson River to remove
PCB-contaminated sediment, under EPA oversight, between 2009-2015. However, PCB
contamination remains in the bedrock at the GE Hudson Falls Facility, and
potentially in the soil near the Allen Mill and Powerhouse structures
themselves.
In July 2022, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) reached an agreement with Niagara Mohawk Power
Corporation (NMPC), which is owned by National Grid, and General Electric
Company (GE) to dismantle the Powerhouse and Allen Mill. The owner of the
property, NMPC, is taking down the buildings due to their deteriorated
condition. Because these activities have the potential to cause a release of
PCBs into the Hudson River, they will be carefully dismantled.
Under the terms of the legal
agreement, NMPC and GE are required to submit detailed plans to the Agency
outlining how the structures will be taken down safely, with measures in place
to reduce the potential for a release of hazardous substances into the river.
The monitoring of air, surface water and groundwater will be required during
the work.
The Powerhouse building was carefully
dismantled from fall 2022 into spring 2023. Extensive environmental monitoring
was performed during the work and the data indicates that a release to the
river was successfully prevented. Long-term plans are needed for the remaining
building features, including a comprehensive plan for the concrete floor slab
and trench.
Pre-design investigation work for the
Allen Mill began in fall 2023 and is ongoing. This work is needed to better
understand environmental conditions in and around the building where access has
been restricted for many years. The pre-design work includes sampling of
building materials and debris, as well as sampling of water, air and groundwater
to understand baseline conditions. The dismantling of the Allen Mill is
scheduled to begin in fall 2025 following the completion of the pre-design
investigation and design work.
More information about the work is
available in the Powerhouse
and Allen Mill Presentation to the Hudson River Community Advisory Group
(09/25/24).
