State officials say they are hoping to find a way to clean up the Champlain Canal, which is contaminated with PCBs that originated from General Electric facilities in the Albany region.

Champlain CanalAccording to the Times Union, the 60-mile canal was not included in the official Hudson River cleanup plan approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and funded by GE. Last year, GE completed the first phase of Hudson River dredging to remove PCBs under that plan.

Because of the PCB contamination, the state has not dredged the Champlain Canal in roughly four decades, leaving it unnavigable.

If the state were to cleanup the Champlain Canal on its own, the total bill could be $100 million or more - a costly move that is highly unlikely given the state's current budget woes.

That's why New York State Canal Corporation Executive Director Mantello is seeking political support to reopen the existing Hudson River cleanup agreement to have Champlain Canal added.

However, Judith Enck, EPA regional administrator, called that option a "very steep climb up a mountain," saying the state could pursue legal options but that success would be unlikely.