Many parties are responsible for the decades-long PCB (Polychlorinated Biphenyl) contamination of the Hudson River. Who must ultimately pay the price for cleanup? Forensic chemistry helps identify the main polluter and pollutant. The Hudson River has had a reputation for being many different things since Europeans came on the scene. The Hudson, winding through the Adirondacks and the Palisades, was often imbued with a unique pink-golden light that inspired artists such as Thomas Cole and Asher..