Newburgh Residents to Get Free Blood Tests Due to Drinking Water Contamination

NEWBURGH, NY — The state is offering free blood tests to City of Newburgh residents who may be concerned about past exposure to contaminated drinking water.

Residents can sign up to be tested for exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) from drinking water taken for Washington Lake.

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said the state has taken quick action to address water supply contamination in Newburgh.

“To date, we have transitioned the city to a clean water source, and begun the process to construct a permanent carbon filtration system for the city’s supply, paying for all the associated costs,” he said.

Now, free blood testing and educational materials are being offered to residents, Zucker said.

From the DOH press release:

The first blood tests will be held at the Cornerstone Family Healthcare locations at 147 Lake Street and 290 Broadway in Newburgh on the following dates:

• 147 Lake Street, Newburgh
• Tuesday, November 1;
• Wednesday, November 2;
• Thursday, November 3;
• Saturday, November 12;
• Saturday, November 19.
• 290 Broadway, Newburgh
• Monday, November 7;
• Thursday, November 10.

Blood tests will be scheduled first for residents who expressed interest in participating in testing at public meetings or contacted the Department of Health (DOH). Interested residents are strongly encouraged to pre-register for an appointment by calling 518-402-7950 or emailing BEOE@health.ny.gov. Day, evening, and weekend appointments are available and more dates will be added based on demand and feedback from the community.

Participation and results from the initial blood tests will assist inthe development of a full comprehensive program that will include wide outreach to the community, blood tests in multiple locations, and educational materials in English, Spanish and Creole.

Contamination was first detected and reported to the Environmental Protection Agency in 2014.

Officials said the source of the contamination is thought to be the use of firefighting foams at Stewart Air Force National Guard Base, according to recordonline.com.

Image via Shutterstock.