Late last month, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment to an appropriations bill authorizing the Air Force and the Air National Guard to reimburse Suffolk County for the cleanup of water contamination surrounding Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Westhampton.
U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, both of New York, sponsored the amendment, which allocates $45 million in reimbursements to areas surrounding bases where water contamination was linked to firefighting foam used during training sessions.
The funds will be divided between states and local water authorities; it is unclear how much money will be allocated to the Suffolk County Water Authority.
Affected homes have since been switched to public water.
In addition to Gabreski, the amendment also specifically identifies Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh as an area that would receive reimbursements.
“It was vital to secure this amendment, which enables local communities and the state to be paid back for the millions they spent to respond to a mess not of their making,” Mr. Schumer said in a press release.
“This federal funding is a key first step in bringing some relief to impacted communities, and we must now make sure that it remains in the final bill as we work our way through the conference committee.” The Defense Appropriations bill will now move to the House of Representatives for review.
In recent months, high concentrations of the chemicals, which can cause negative health effects, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, have also been detected in East Quogue, Hampton Bays, Wainscott and East Hampton.
This bill is not expected to reimburse the cleanup costs for those areas, however, as it focuses only on federal sites.