NEW PALTZ – Experts in clean water and area public officials met at SUNY New Paltz during the day Tuesday to discuss clean water and how to rid lakes of the dreaded algae plumes that impact tourism, swimming and drinking water quality.
While the conference in New Paltz is centered on algae problems in Lake Carmel, Palmer Lake and Putnam Lake, all in Putnam County, and Monhagen Brook watershed including the five reservoirs serving Middletown, Governor Andrew Cuomo kicked off the day’s activities, saying water quality issues are a statewide problem.
He talked of chemical contamination in other parts of the state but omitted the massive Newburgh water contamination problem.
“We had in Hoosick Falls PFOA in the water source from a company that was there 2030 years ago,” the governor told invited elected officials in the morning.
“We have on Long Island the Grumman plume; Grumman was a big manufacturer, used all kinds of chemicals, was a great employer, made great aircraft, left an industrial strain that couldn’t see from the surface but it seeped into the groundwater and now the groundwater is migrating all across Long Island.” But, some 20 miles to the south of New Paltz, the City of Newburgh’s water supply, Washington Lake is contaminated with PFOS from the Stewart Air National Guard Base and Cuomo did not mention it.
But, when asked to comment on the City of Newburgh naming the state in a lawsuit over the tainted water, he made the glib comment that “they have to feed the lawyers.” He never acknowledged that Stewart Airport’s landlord is the State of New York.
We will continue to work hand-in-glove with the local community and will not rest until the DOD cleans up the mess they made.
We are evaluating the claims set forth in the notice letter.” Newburgh City Manager Michael Ciaravino later said the city’s “legal notices speak to important issues related to environmental and social justice for Newburgh.
This is about Newburgh standing up for itself to demand that it have the primary source of its drinking water free of man-made contaminants.” He said the federal government, State of New York “and a number of other potentially responsible parties will need to sort out their liabilities amongst each other.” Ciaravino said as “the owner of the contaminated land, which contaminated our water, the State of New York is well aware of its potential liability for the damage that has happened to Newburgh’s great fresh water resource at Washington Lake.” Copyright © 2018 Mid-Hudson News Network, a division of Statewide News Network, Inc.
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