New York State has begun planning for a
possible alternate water supply in the Village of Hoosick Falls – ensuring that
the community has a new, permanent supply of clean water. This would be in
addition to the long-term carbon filtration system Saint-Gobain has agreed to
install. The state will work to ensure the planning is completed expeditiously
in an open and transparent manner and will engage the public on how
contamination is addressed and remediated throughout the Superfund process.
Potentials for the alternate water
supply in the Village of Hoosick Falls include: installing new or deeper wells
within the Town and Village area determined to be free of PFOA contamination;
securing and treating alternative sources such as from the Hoosic River or
other clean water sources in areas outside of the Town or Village. The state
will also be conducting a thorough investigation to ensure the water source is
free of PFOA contamination.
In addition to the free water sampling
tests and free blood testing offered by the state, Governor Andrew Cuomo
announced that the state will purchase and install water filtration systems for
approximately 1,500 homes in the Town of Hoosick, if a homeowner wishes to have
such a system installed. These particular carbon-based filtration systems have
been shown to reduce PFOA levels in water to below two parts per trillion. This
action is made possible by an emergency allocation of $10 million from the
state Superfund. The state will later pursue total cost recovery from the
parties deemed responsible for the PFOA contamination, including Saint-Gobain
and Honeywell. This will be in addition to the long-term water filtration
system that Saint-Gobain has agreed to install for the current water source for
the Village of Hoosick Falls.
“Protecting the health of New Yorkers is
paramount,” said Governor Cuomo. “My administration is taking aggressive action
in Hoosick Falls because no one should have to question the safety of their
water. We are working closely with our local partners, and will continue to
take all necessary steps to safeguard the public health.”
To ensure the health and safety of
residents in Hoosick Falls, the state Department of Health has begun offering
free blood testing for community members who wish to be tested. That process
will begin today. At the Governor’s direction, DOH Commissioner Dr. Howard
Zucker and DEC Acting Commissioner Basil Seggos will be onsite to answer
questions from residents. For more information on this testing service, and to
make an appointment for a blood test, residents should call (800) 801-8092,
email BEOE@health.ny.gov, or visit
the DOH website here.
The Village’s temporary treatment system
is now installed and undergoing disinfection and testing. Once all testing is
complete in the coming weeks, this system will provide drinking water for the
Village until the planning is finished and permanent water system is in place.
While no PFOA has been detected in the
Hoosick Valley Central School District school’s water, the state has already
committed to install a water filtration system at the school as the
Superintendent requested. This project should be completed within the next two
weeks.
These announcements build on last
month’s actions taken by the state to address contamination in the Hoosick
Falls water supply. More information on those actions is available here.
Source: Press Office, Governor
Andrew M. Cuomo
No comments:
Post a Comment