There can be no real dispute that Polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs pose significant risks to human health, wildlife and natural resources. EPA and many others have carefully evaluated the health effects of exposure to PCBs and the ways in which people may be exposed to them. PCBs have been demonstrated to cause a variety of adverse health effects on the immune, reproductive, nervous, and endocrine systems.

Cancer risks of PCBs have been carefully studied by many health organizations including the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the National Toxicology Program, EPA and the World Health Organization.

Once in the environment, PCBs remain there because they do not biodegrade into harmless products. Indeed, PCBs are so persistent that they can be carried all around the globe. PCBs also become airborne (volatilize) from water and sediment containing PCBs. The airborne PCBs can then land elsewhere to contaminate other areas.

This project here at Hazleton is relevant to the one currently going on at the Hudson River. The fish in the Hudson River are contaminated with PCBs. There is no dispute about that. Much of the wildlife along the River is also highly contaminated with PCBs. In fact, some of the animals are so highly contaminated that if their carcasses were thrown out, they would need to be treated as hazardous waste.