Putnam Water Tested near Frequent Users of PFCs

PUTNAM 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 Putnam 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.

The 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.

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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“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.