Rockland Water Tested near Frequent Users of PFCs

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Since the drinking water crises in Newburgh and Hoosick Falls came to light, the New York State departments of Environmental Conservation and Health have been testing water systems near facilities suspected to be frequent users of perfluorinated compounds, including in Rockland County.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and/or perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) was not detected in the majority of samples collected from the public water supplies—and the positive detections in potable drinking water were all well below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS combined, state officials announced Wednesday.

PFOA and PFOS were detected in wells near the Rockland County Fire Training Center at levels well below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion for both substances combined, county officials said.

"We take drinking water safety very seriously, and are committed to sharing available information with our community in a timely manner," said Rockland County Executive Ed Day. "Test results for these two substances in water samples from wells in Pomona are substantially below the EPA's health advisory level, and indicate that the water is acceptable for all uses, including drinking."

Rockland Commissioner of Health Dr. Patricia Ruppert and her staff have reviewed the results. The Rockland County Department of Health will be reaching out directly to property owners within a limited area surrounding the wells where PFOA and PFOS were detected to identify where private well-water is being used. The department will continue to work with the state to determine whether any additional testing is warranted.

PFOA and PFOS are fluorinated organic chemicals that have been used in a variety of different consumer products. Most people have been exposed to them. They have also been used in fire-fighting foam.
Rockland Fire Training Center officials have evaluated the materials they are currently using and found they do not contain these substances.

The source of the substances in Pomona has not been determined. There is still much to be learned about the presence of PFOA and PFOS in ground water at levels as low as those detected in Pomona.

"We also want to emphasize that the public water systems that supply water to roughly 95 percent of Rockland residents, including all sources used by Suez Water New York, and the villages of Nyack and Suffern, have already been tested for these substances, as per the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule. These substances were not found to be above the reporting limits at any of these water sources. Thus, there is no reason to suspect these substances are widespread in Rockland County at levels approaching the EPA health advisory level," said Dr. Ruppert.

The state's Water Quality Rapid Response Team used data generated by DEC’s ongoing survey of select fire departments and training sites, airports and military installations, and industrial and chemical bulk storage facilities that may have used or stored PFOA or PFOS.

DEC and DOH mapped more than 250 responding facilities to identify regulated drinking water systems within a half mile radius of any facility that reported usage of PFOA or PFOS containing materials such as firefighting foam.

Based on this analysis, DOH identified 38 regulated drinking water systems to test. DOH worked with county Departments of Health to collect 88 samples from those water systems located in the following counties: Cattaraugus, Delaware, Dutchess, Franklin, Greene, Nassau, Oneida, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Seneca, Suffolk, and Sullivan.

The EPA issued new water health advisory levels in 2016 for the industrial chemicals PFOA and PFOS. According to the EPA, lifetime exposures to PFOA and PFOS below 70 parts per trillion are not expected to result in adverse health effects, even for the most sensitive population.

Human studies showed “associations between PFOA exposure and high cholesterol, increased liver enzymes, decreased vaccination response, thyroid disorders, pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, and cancer (testicular and kidney).” The EPA report noted that in humans “the developing fetus and newborn is particularly sensitive to PFOA-induced toxicity.”

State officials said the DOH will continue to work with county health departments and water operators to conduct confirmatory sampling and monitoring and to develop an enhanced monitoring program, as necessary, to ensure levels do not exceed the health advisory level. Concurrently, DEC will investigate the source of contamination and take actions to hold any polluters accountable.

SEE:

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• Progress in Fixing Newburgh's Drinking Water Supply
  

“New York State is making a major investment in water protection to ensure we are confronting the threats posed to the environment and public health by aging water infrastructure and unregulated contaminants,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “We will continue our proactive actions and aggressive investigation of potential sites of perfluorinated chemical contamination to hold polluters accountable for their actions. The state is committed to ensuring all New Yorkers have clean drinking water.”

In an effort to assist municipalities and fire departments, the Governor’s Executive Budget proposes using $500,000 from the Environmental Protection Fund for the disposal of PFOS-containing firefighting foam. In addition, through a partnership with the Pollution Prevention Institute (P2I), the Team is expanding research into firefighting foam and its potential impact on the environment.