Poughkeepsie Shoreline Cleanup
Central Hudson is cleaning the Hudson River and its shoreline in the Poughkeepsie area
Central Hudson is completing a multi-year project to clean the residues of a former plant that once made gas from coal to make light and heat for Poughkeepsie’s homes and businesses. The former “manufactured gas plant” (MGP) operated on this riverfront location from 1911 until the 1950s, when it was replaced by clean, modern natural gas.
Working under the approval and oversight of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Health, Central Hudson has completed the first phase of the project, removing residues along the shoreline at the site of the former plant. Central Hudson continues to work with state environmental and health regulators to determine a process for addressing remaining residues within river sediment near the site. In-river activities are anticipated to restart in the late summer/early fall of 2022, with the potential for a short duration pilot test in the fall of 2021.
MGPs were once used throughout the country from the mid-1800s through the early to mid-1900s. In New York State alone, more than 300 MGPs were built and operated by local gas companies and were eventually decommissioned when natural gas was first introduced in the 1950s through the interstate pipeline system.
For questions about these activities, please call the dedicated project phone line at (845) 867-4064.
» Decision Document, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
» Remedial Design - Remedial Action Plan
» U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Permit
» Hyd Dredge Pilot Test - Water Supply Protection and Contingency Plan