Maloney Brings Home The Bacon For Bedford and Lewisboro Projects

BEDFORD, NY — Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney said the massive $1.5 trillion omnibus appropriations bill has significant funding carved out for Northern Westchester municipalities.

Maloney announced that he voted in favor of H.R. 2471, legislation that included $19.5 million for projects in the Hudson Valley, notably $1.8 million for the Town of Lewisboro Oakridge Water District PFAS Mitigation Project and $650,000 for the Town of Bedford Corrections Sidewalk Project.

"There is a lot to celebrate in this year's government funding legislation. From support for Ukraine to funding for job training programs and reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, I am proud to have voted for this critical legislation that will keep the government humming and invest in critical priorities for the American people," Maloney said in a statement celebrating the legislation's passage. "After extensive advocacy, all ten of my Hudson Valley priority projects were written into this bill, including nearly $20 million in funding to support local police departments, ensure clean drinking water, improve sewage systems and more."

The Lewisboro project will repair the Oakridge Water District public water system, which was recently found to have PFAS levels above the state's maximum contaminant level in public drinking water systems. The contaminated well was shut off and a backup has been used but was only a temporary solution. Corrective actions will require Granular Activated Carbon filtration and an expansion of the existing water plant structure.

"With the $1.8M funding to the town of Lewisboro, the Town will be allowed to upgrade the water treatment plant and improve the quality of the water delivered to the Oakridge Water District and its residents," Lewisboro Supervisor Tony Gonçalves said. "Thank you to Congressman Maloney for fighting for this funding which will be used specifically to remove a class of chemicals known as PFAS and found in the source groundwater and is in excess of New York State's maximum level for public drinking water systems."

The Bedford project will implement safety improvements to the Harris Road/Babbitt Road intersection and install a sidewalk to connect the Bedford Hills and Taconic Correctional Facilities to the Town's sidewalk infrastructure already in place.

"The $650,000 Harris Road/Babbitt Road safety improvement grant will enable the Town of Bedford to reconfigure a dangerous intersection in a low to moderate income area and dramatically improve safety for drivers as well as pedestrians traveling between the Bedford Hills and Taconic Correction Facilities," Town of Bedford Supervisor Ellen Calves said. "This safety improvement project has been long-advocated for by elected leaders, NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, both the Town's Traffic Safety Working Group and Prison Relations Advisory Committee and leaders of local faith-based organizations."