On Tuesday Nov . 8 , VOTE
Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , November 2 , 2016 3
Blood-testing program expands to region
By SHANTAL RILEY sriley @ tcnewspapers . com
Federal and state officials addressed questions about blood testing related to perfluorooctane sulfonate ( PFOS ) contamination of the City of Newburgh drinking water supply at a public meeting last Tuesday .
The big announcement that night was that free blood tests , scheduled through November , will not be restricted to city residents .
“ If you ’ re interested in having a blood test and you ’ re from New Windsor or you ’ re from the Town of Newburgh … please sign up to have your blood test done ,” urged Director of the New York State Department of Health ’ s Center for Environmental Health Dr . Nathan Graber . “ It ’ s not restricted to the City of Newburgh .”
Graber responded to concerns voiced by residents and politicians who said the contamination of the drinking water supply extended throughout the city watershed .
“ My kids came into this city day in and day out for 14 years and drank this water ,” said Orange County Legislator Chris Eachus . “ This is not a city problem , it ’ s a regional problem .”
Graber said the City of Newburgh was the target area for the blood tests , scheduled throughout November . But , Graber said , testing is also available to non-city residents concerned about their exposure . “ I ’ m sorry it was misinterpreted ,” he said , speaking about outreach that may have focused only on the city .
The forum , held at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center , was the third since the discovery of PFOS in the City of Newburgh drinking water , the Lake Washington reservoir and surrounding tributaries , including as Silver Stream .
WHERE : Cornerstone Family Healthcare , 147 Lake Street , Newburgh
WHEN : Wednesday , Nov . 2 Thursday , Nov . 3 Saturday , Nov . 12 Saturday , Nov . 19
WHERE : Harper Health at Cornerstone Family Healthcare , 290 Broadway , Newburgh
WHEN : Monday , Nov . 7 Thursday , Nov . 10
For appointments : call 518-402-7950 or email beoe @ health . ny . gov
An investigation led by the state Department of Environmental Conservation has so far determined that a retention pond at Stewart Air National Guard Base at Stewart International Airport is the source of the water contamination .
Test results The biomonitoring program will offer
New Windsor resident Greg Gaetano had a new , point-of-entry treatment ( POET ) waterfiltration system installed at his home after his well was found to contain PFOS .
blood tests this month at two separate Cornerstone Family Healthcare facilities , one on Lake Street and the other on Broadway . People are being asked to contact the DOH to schedule an appointment .
The blood tests will reveal levels of exposure to perfluorinated compounds ( PFCs ) including PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid ( PFOA ), found in the drinking water supply in Hoosick Falls , Rensselaer County , last year .
Test results will be analyzed at the Wadsworth Center , Graber said , located in Albany . The facility is “ one the few labs in the country able to analyze PFCs ,” he said . Participants will be required to fill out a questionnaire asking information on where they live and work , and how long they may have lived or worked there .
Participants will be mailed their personal test results , expected to be ready in four to six weeks . “ We ’ re working very closely with our partners at the ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ),” he said . “ We ’ ll be returning to our federal partners if additional resources are needed .”
Tests results will be used for comparison of groups with similar and different backgrounds , and to gage possible occupational exposure . “ People from Newburgh can compare how much higher their levels are compared to the general population ,” Graber said .
What the tests cannot do is provide a link between PFOS exposure and disease , he said . The tests are “ not something a doctor can use that will help a patient understand their risks for disease in the future ,” Graber added , or how an existing disease may be connected to PFOS exposure .
Martin Brand , DEC deputy commissioner for remediation and materials , said the state is also testing the watershed for other contaminants , including volatile organic compounds . “ So far , we have not found any other contaminants of concerns ,” he said .
Brand said a granular-activated carbon filtration system currently set up at Washington Lake has been “ very effective ” at removing PFOS from the water and keeping lake-water levels “ under control .” A permanent , municipal water-filtration system is currently being installed at the city ’ s water filtration plant .
“ We ’ re also working to upgrade the connection to the Catskill Aqueduct ,” said Brand , now the city ’ s sole source of drinking water . “ Our primary focus is to provide clean drinking water to the people of the City of Newburgh .”
New Windsor wells
An investigation so far identifies the Stewart Air National Guard Base as the primary source of the contamination . “ The preliminary investigation indicates the Air National Guard Base at Stewart Airport contributed significantly to the contamination of the City of Newburgh drinking water and watershed ,” Brand reiterated .
Residents from neighboring New Windsor expressed deep concerns about their own drinking water . “ What can you do for me and for us ?” asked Greg Gaetano , who owns a home on Little Britain Road near Washington Lake .
Gaetano ’ s well is not connected to Town of New Windsor municipal water . His well and 11 others were recently tested by the DEC and found to contain detectable levels of PFOS . Those levels , however , were below the current EPA advisory level of 70 parts per trillion , Brand said .
The DEC installed point-of-entry treatment ( POET ) water filtration systems - Brand described them as “ small , home-sized , carbon-filtration systems ” -
Continued on page 4
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