Blood tests offered, no cleanup plan yet for Westhampton water contamination.
Five of them are above the EPA’s advisory level.
Five of them are above the EPA’s advisory level.
Dr. Tomarken and other officials said at the time they believed the chemicals came from the 106th Air Rescue Wing of the Air National Guard based at Gabreski Airport.
In a statement to News 12, the state Department of Health says, "The Water Quality Rapid Response Team…identified PFOS (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) contamination in some private wells in the Westhampton Beach area near the Gabreski Airforce base.
In addition, the DOH says it is working to identify a local laboratory that will administer the testing and should have one picked out soon.
Environmental advocates say they would like to see the contamination cleaned up as soon as possible.
"[PFOS] has been directly linked to such cancers as kidney cancer…but has also been linked to thyroid problems, hormone disruption," says Adrienne Esposito, of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
"It’s a serious chemical, it’s very persistent, which means it doesn’t break down in the environment or in our body, and it builds up."
Dozens of families in the community are now hooking up to the public water supply as a precaution.

Five of them are above the EPA’s advisory level.
Five of them are above the EPA’s advisory level.
Dr. Tomarken and other officials said at the time they believed the chemicals came from the 106th Air Rescue Wing of the Air National Guard based at Gabreski Airport.
They urged the Air Force to fix the problem.
In a statement to News 12, the state Department of Health says, "The Water Quality Rapid Response Team…identified PFOS (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) contamination in some private wells in the Westhampton Beach area near the Gabreski Airforce base.
In addition, the DOH says it is working to identify a local laboratory that will administer the testing and should have one picked out soon.
Environmental advocates say they would like to see the contamination cleaned up as soon as possible.
"[PFOS] has been directly linked to such cancers as kidney cancer…but has also been linked to thyroid problems, hormone disruption," says Adrienne Esposito, of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
"It’s a serious chemical, it’s very persistent, which means it doesn’t break down in the environment or in our body, and it builds up."
Residents with private water wells were encouraged at the time of the discovery to switch to the public water system.

Homeowners Near Westhampton Air Base Plan To Sue Suffolk County Over Drinking Water Contamination.
Those tests have always come back negative—which made it all the more surprising when they were contacted in July by Suffolk County officials who wanted to test their well water for two new chemicals, perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, and perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA.
In December, the Suffolk County Water Authority finished hooking up their home to public water at no cost.
“I had heard inklings of possible contamination at the base years ago,” Mr. Green said this week.
The contamination was announced in July when Suffolk County officials said they had detected both chemicals in testing wells at Gabreski Airport.
At the time, Suffolk Health Department officials tested the wells at 69 private homes and said they discovered contamination in eight, with levels ranging from 0.086 ppb to 1.88 ppb.
That raises additional concerns for local residents, like the Greens, who have likely been drinking contaminated water for decades.
Elizabeth and Jerome Liggon, who owned a home on Peter’s Lane on Quiogue for 10 years, said this week that they feared there were issues with their water for years, citing the high number of their neighbors who would complain about various illnesses.
According to Mr. Lanciotti, Suffolk County is currently reviewing all of the notices of claim and has requested a hearing with each individual plaintiff to review their charges and evidence filed against the county.
After the hearings are finished, Mr. Lanciotti said the county will have a chance to respond to the claims.

Contamination Prompts Suffolk County Water Authority To Install New Mains In Westhampton Beach.
The water main connections will be an extension of existing pipes and will be funded entirely by the ANG, according to a letter submitted by the Suffolk County Water Authority to the Village of Westhampton Beach, though the letter did not specify how much the installation will cost.
The move is in response to the discovery of chemicals known as perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, in the groundwater.
The ANG has taken responsibility for the contamination, which most likely stems from when the facility was used as a firefighter training location that routinely used fire suppressing foam—a product known for containing the potentially hazardous chemicals.
To date, Suffolk County has found the chemicals in eight private wells and in the groundwater, though it has been treated to nonhazardous levels in the water authority system.
Last week, the Village Board unanimously voted to allow the water authority to extend the water main on Mickie’s Way to reach one of the affected homes.
Village Mayor Maria Moore said the project will not cost village taxpayers any money and that it is possible other private homeowners will be asked to allow similar projects on their streets.
Officer Promoted Westhampton Beach Village Police Officer Steven McManus has been promoted to detective.
“I want to say thank you to the chief and the Village Board for promoting me,” Det.
McManus said this week.