Toxic coal tar, a remnant of gas-production methods of yesteryear, now pollutes soil and water in the mid-Hudson Valley, reports the Times Herald-Record.

Coal tar contains chemicals that harm human health and wildlife.Coal tar is a by-product of gas produced in the 1800s to 1950s using a system of cracking coal with high-pressure water vapor.  Because water was required to cool manufacturing equipment, these plants were located along waterways, such as the Hudson River.  Coal tar was stored in tanks that eventually leaked, allowing the liquid to seep into the ground and shoreline where it settled. Sometimes it was dumped directly into the Hudson.

This muck continues to pollute soil and water in the Hudson River, Delaware River, and Rondout Creek with dangerous toxic chemicals, such as benzene, a carcinogen, and xylene, which can stunt fetal growth. It is also believed that these toxins have killed off around 25 percent of plankton and other small aquatic species that are consumed by fish.

Costly remediation projects are currently underway to remove coal tar from soil, riverbeds, and shorelines in Newburgh and other locations.  These projects are expected to cost nearly $3 billion. 

While utility companies are expected to pay for the clean up, the public is also being asked to kick in. For example, Central Hudson is seeking approval to increase its gas and electricity delivery rates to help foot the bill to clean sites in Newburgh, Kingston and Poughkeepsie.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation oversees the State's Management of Coal Tar Waste and Coal tar Contaminated Soils and Sediment from Former Manufactured Gas Plants.