PFOA, PFOS, and 1,4-dioxane, which can cause several types of cancer and other diseases, have harmed communities from Long Island to Hoosick Falls.
The only way to ensure every New York community is safe from these dangerous chemicals – meaning every water supply is tested and response protocols are in place – is to establish MCLs.Today, organizations, labor, medical professionals, and residents from the impacted communities of Hoosick Falls and Newburgh called on Governor Cuomo to establish MCLs immediately.
More than 1,000 days have passed since the residents of Hoosick Falls learned their drinking water was contaminated with PFOA.
Unfortunately, by putting off setting low MCLs for the toxic chemicals that my family drank for years, he’s not meeting that basic expectation.
Even more outrageous is that New York State’s Drinking Water Quality Council (DWQC), enacted by the legislature, has failed to address the problem or set Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) concerning these dangerous chemicals, as they were tasked to do.
Today we join in concert with concerned citizens, organizations, advocates, and the Environmental Advocates of New York in calling for immediate action to be taken by the Department of Health and the Governor to ensure New York’s drinking water is safe beyond reproach.” “On behalf of the NYS Association of Counties, the NYS Association of County Health Officials and the NYS Conference of Environmental Health Directors, we respectfully request the Department of Health to establish enforceable MCLs for 1,4-dioxane, PFOA and PFOS.
The time for talking is over; Governor Cuomo must take action to protect our access to clean, safe drinking water.” “I can’t think of any function of government more fundamental than ensuring that the water that comes out of our taps doesn’t harm us,” said Bob Cohen,Policy Director of Citizen Action of New York and a Rensselaer County resident.
Governor Cuomo must act immediately to ensure that disasters like Hoosick Falls don’t happen again, by issuing state clean water standards that are much stronger than the EPA recommendations.” “We urge the Department of Health to establish strong standards for chemicals in drinking water such as PFOA, PFOS and 1,4-dioxane” said Kathleen Curtis, Executive Director of Clean and Healthy New York.
This is particularly crucial now, given EPA’s failure to enact such protections and the current federal administration’s broad attacks on environmental protections.” Dan Shapley, water quality program director for Riverkeeper said, “New York needs to set aggressive limits on these contaminants in drinking water to protect public health.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has guidance levels for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water at 70 parts per trillion (ppt).