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Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , May 18 , 2016
Maloney : Air National Guard base likely source of water contaminant
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detected several times since , and found again in March at 140 parts per trillion , below the EPA ’ s health advisory limit of 200 parts per trillion .
But , at a retention pond outfall pipe at the Air National Guard base at Stewart International Airport on March 16 , levels were found to be at 5,900 parts per trillion – more than 29 times the advisory limit .
Maloney explained the pond discharges directly into Washington Lake tributaries . One of these tributaries is Silver Stream , where levels of PFOS were also found to be above the EPA guideline in March .
“ As you know , PFOA and PFOS are frequently found in aqueous film forming foam , which has been used by the Department of Defense to extinguish petroleum fires for over 40 years ,” Maloney wrote to the EPA on May 4 . “ Together , these facts strongly suggest Newburgh ’ s water supply contamination is coming from Stewart Airport and Stewart Air National Guard Base .”
The U . S . military is currently conducting a review of military bases to test for PFOA and PFOS contamination stemming from the use of fire foam , Maloney said . “ At this time , Stewart Air National Guard Base is not currently included in the military base review ,” Maloney said , asking the EPA to add Stewart Air National Guard Base to its review .
Maloney said short and long-term steps are necessary to guarantee “ a permanent fix ” to the water problem .
“ An investigation is important to determine accountability ,” said Maloney , who has an office in the City of Newburgh . “ In the meantime , we need a clean , sustainable water source . But , we need a way to pay for it that is fair to the city . It should not be on the back of Newburgh taxpayers .”
PFOS is considered to be an “ emerging contaminant ,” and is not yet regulated by the EPA . The chemical was used in fire-fighting foam , cleaning products , sealants and hydraulic fluids for aviation , among other products . It was banned in the U . S . in 2000 .
PFOS is part of a group of perfluorochemicals ( PFCs ), which includes perfluorooctanoic acid ( PFOA ), a chemical that has been linked to cancer in some studies . An EPA fact sheet on PFOS and PFOA states they are “ readily absorbed after oral exposure and accumulate primarily in the serum , kidney and liver . Toxicological studies on animals indicate potential developmental , reproductive and systemic effects .”
City Manager Michael Ciaravino issued a state of emergency following test reports from the state two weeks ago . The city then implemented stage-three water conservation measures . The state of emergency was lifted shortly after the city tapped into Brown ’ s Pond . Water conservation measures remain in place while water is still being drawn from the pond .
“ Newburgh has switched to an alternative source of drinking water , but that source will run dry in a matter of weeks ,” Maloney said in the letter . “ After that , the city will be forced to pursue options that will cost millions of dollars .”
The main option would be buying water from the Catskill Aqueduct , last priced at $ 1,728.99 per million gallons . “ They cannot be asked to shoulder this burden ,” the congressman wrote , describing the city as “ financially
New York State Department of Health records show PFOS were first detected in the city water supply in 2013 .
distressed ” with one-third of the population living in poverty .
When asked if he received any concrete assurances from the state or federal government to provide the city with financial support to pay for solutions , Maloney said , “ I ’ m working on it .”
Echoing the call for federal assistance , Ciaravino also wrote to the EPA this month . “ We also understand that the EPA will soon be announcing a revised health advisory for PFOS and that new levels will be less than 200 parts per million ,” he said .
Ciaravino urged the EPA to work for a “ prompt release ” of the new advisory levels . As of Tuesday this week , the EPA had yet to issue an updated advisory on PFCs .
The state seems to be moving quicker . At the request of the DOH in April , the state Department of Environmental Conservation filed a Notice of Emergency Adoption and Proposed Rule Making to classify PFOA and PFOS as “ hazardous substances .”
“ DEC has concluded that these substances meet the definition of a hazardous substance based upon the conclusion of NYSDOH that the combined weight of evidence from human and experimental animal studies indicate that prolonged exposure to significantly elevated levels of these compounds can affect health and , consequently , pose a threat to public health in New York State ,” the DEC states . “ NYSDOH scientists have concluded that it is essential to list these chemicals as hazardous substances .”
The temporary emergency rule went into effect on April 25 . Under the rule , fire foam containing PFOS will no longer be permitted for use after April , 2017 . The state continues to work on finalizing the proposed change to its List of Hazardous Substances and public comments will be accepted on the ruling through July 8 .
For more information , visit the DEC website at Dec . ny . gov and type “ emergency adoption , PFOS ” in the search window on the homepage .