Riverkeeper asks for state oversight of DoH’s response to Newburgh water crisis
August 30, 2016
Riverkeeper Team
In written testimony to the State Senate Health and Environmental Conservation Committees, Riverkeeper drew attention to the Department of Health’s delayed and problematic response to the drinking water contamination crisis in Newburgh, NY. Despite years of exposure to PFOS, a toxic chemical linked to several health conditions, the residents of Newburgh have yet to receive a fair and comprehensive response from the Department.
Drinking water contamination is nothing new. Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh, NY have experienced similar crises with a related chemical, PFOA. The Department’s response there, compared with its response in Newburgh, demonstrates the agency’s disparate treatment of the two communities. Residents in Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh received blood tests, but the residents of Newburgh are still waiting to find out the extent of their exposure. While the State must do more to provide a comprehensive response to drinking water contamination, including medical monitoring and source water assessments, blood tests are a necessary first step in Newburgh.
Riverkeeper will continue to advocate for a fair and comprehensive response to the drinking water contamination crisis in Newburgh at the September 7, 2016 State Senate and Assembly Public Hearing on Water Quality Contamination in Albany and the September 19, 2016 community meeting in Newburgh.
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