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Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , October 19 , 2016
Maloney introduces bills to expand PFOS research
In Brief
Man charged in connection with teen slaying
Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney announces two bills to expand testing and research related to PFOS drinking-water contamination .
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if their water is contaminated ,” Maloney said in a statement .
The “ Investing in Testing Act ” calls for $ 15 million to pay for a two-year study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the health impact of PFOS contamination in drinking water .
If passed by the U . S . House and Senate , the “ Clean Water Healthy Communities Act ” would require the EPA to test unregulated contaminants in communities with less than 10,000 people . According to Maloney ’ s office , current EPA testing applies only to communities with more than 10,000 residents .
“ The biomonitoring program in Newburgh is an important first step in determining the extent of contamination , but once we have that data , we need to understand the long-term health effects of that contamination and how to respond ,” Maloney said .
The announcement arrived the same week the state Department of Environmental Conservation released a public notice confirming the designation of the air base as a state Superfund site .
“ The measured level of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid ( PFOS ) in Lake Washington , the primary water source for the City of Newburgh , was greater than the current EPA health advisory of 70 parts per trillion ( ppt ) for this compound ,” the DEC stated .
“ PFOS has been detected in an outfall from the site at concentrations up to 5,900 ppt , indicating that the site is a significant contributor to contamination in the water supply .” The presence of PFOS in surface water and
Blood testing dates announced
Blood testing of Newburgh city residents to determine if they have any health issues from the PFOS chemical found in Washington Lake will begin early next month . State Health Commissioner Dr . Howard Zucker and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney announced the dates for the initial testing . The first blood tests will be held at Cornerstone Family Healthcare at 147 Lake Street and 290 Broadway in Newburgh . Testing will be held at 147 Lake Street on : Tuesday , November 1 Wednesday , November 2 Thursday , November 3 Saturday , November 12 Saturday , November 19
Testing will be held at 290 Broadway on : Monday , November 7 Thursday , November 10 Residents who already signed up to have their blood tested will be scheduled first . . Persons wanting to preregister for an appointment may call 518-402-7950 or email BEOE @ health . ny . gov .
drinking water presents “ a significant threat to public health and the environment ,” the agency stated .
Stewart Air National Guard Base is also listed on the DEC ’ s Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites Registry .
A Newburgh man has been arrested and charged in connection with the shooting death of Keyshan Gayle , who died after being shot in the back on Fullerton Avenue in August .
Tyler Castro , 22 , was charged with seconddegree murder in the shooting . Castro pleaded guilty in Newburgh City Court last Thursday . He was remanded to Orange County Jail without bail .
Gayle , 18 , was shot near the corner of Fullerton and Third Street on Aug . 30 , weeks after graduating from Newburgh Free Academy . It was later found that a street light and surveillance camera near the shooting scene were both not working at the time . A public outcry calling for increased public safety followed .
The city has since repaired all non-working street lights . A program to upgrade the city ’ s surveillance camera system is currently underway .
Castro is scheduled to again appear in Newburgh City Court on Tuesday , Oct . 18 .
New Windsor water conservation rule remains in effect
The Town of New Windsor ’ s water-conservation rule remains in effect this week while testing and maintenance takes place on the Catskill Aqueduct . The water-conservation measure will remain in effect until Saturday .
Stage-1 water restrictions currently prohibit washing cars , trucks , sidewalks , driveways and outdoor areas “ by means of an active source connected to the Town of New Windsor water system .”
Filling swimming pools and opening or use of a fire hydrant is also prohibited other than for firefighting purposes . Watering lawns , shrubs , plants and trees is restricted to the hours of 4 a . m . to 5 a . m ., and 9 p . m . to 10 p . m .
The Catskill Aqueduct , currently New Windsor ’ s primary drinking water source , is expected to return to full-working capacity beginning next week . The aqueduct will again be closed for repairs in October and November next year .