For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency is requiring water suppliers to test for six manmade chemicals known as PFAS to clean the tap water in the homes of millions nationwide.
New EPA limits on PFAS 'forever chemicals' set stricter standards for Long Island drinking water
EPA imposes first-ever national drinking water limits on toxic PFAS
EPA announces strict federal drinking water standard for PFAS contamination
Highlights
· The final rule announced today by the EPA is stricter than the proposed rule published last year and stricter than the standard adopted by New York State in 2020.
· PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” are harmful substances linked to deadly cancers and other health impacts. They are prevalent in the environment from many sources.
· The federal agency also announced nearly $1 billion in newly available funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help communities comply with the rule.
· Public water suppliers will have five years to comply with the rule if they detect PFAS in their systems.
What to know about the EPA's new limits on "forever chemicals" in drinking water
Senators Stabenow and Peters introduce legislation to extend Great Lakes protections
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, and Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) recently introduced the bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2024, which extends this critical program for another five years through 2031, and increases annual funding levels from $475 million in 2026 to $500 million from 2027 through 2031.
Statements In Support Of The 2024 Senate Majority One-House Budget Proposal
Another Voice: New York has much more work to do to protect clean water
Under Gov. Kathy Hochul’s leadership, New York has been a national leader in funding the protection of clean water, but now is not the time to rest on our laurels. Given the massive clean water needs that exist throughout New York, it’s perplexing that the governor proposed to slash clean water funding by 50%, from $500 million down to $250 million, in this year’s budget.
More than 100 Manorville homes complete hookup to public water after some wells show PFAS contamination
'I don't have to worry about filters'
Karen Notaro can now drink water from the faucets of her Manorville home without worry.
Notaro had turned to filters and bottled water because her home’s private well had tested positive for PFAS, chemicals the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said are potentially carcinogenic.
Legislators, Advocates Urge Swift Action on Bills to Protect NYers from PFAS “Forever Chemicals”
ALBANY, NY — Today legislators and the PFAS-Free New York coalition gathered in Albany to call for urgent action to pass package of bills for the 2024 legislative session that would curb PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination in New York State. The bills call for eliminating PFAS in key consumer and household products (A3556A/S5648-A), in personal care and cosmetic products (A6969/S4265), and in menstrual products (A5990/S3529); as well as a bill to track the levels of PFAS in effluent released into waterways (A3296A/S227-B).
Long Island: Environmental Concerns Spur Calls For Investigation Into Potential Toxic Dumping At Brookhaven Landfill
Brookhaven, NY (October 9, 2023) – Leaders from the Brookhaven chapter of the NAACP NYS Conference, Citizens Campaign for the Environment (DDE) and the Brookhaven Landfill Action and Remediation Group (BLARG) today called for an independent investigation into the dumping of potentially hazardous waste for years at the town of Brookhaven landfill, exposing neighboring communities of color, teachers and students at the nearby Frank P. Long School and workers at the landfill to serious health risks.
New York forces Brookhaven to address toxic plume coming from its landfill
Brookhaven Landfill rises behind the Frank P. Long Intermediate School and playground in North Bellport.
An underground plume of PFAS and other dangerous chemicals has emanated from the Brookhaven Landfill for decades. The Town of Brookhaven is now ordered to measure how far they must go to remediate affected drinking water sources.
Gillibrand Seeks Bipartisan Buy-In on ‘Forever Chemicals’ Bill Unveiled at Local Event
Nothing lasts forever — though there are some notable exceptions: love, according to the poet; sadness, according to the painter; and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, or PFAS, according to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
She was at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge last Friday, July 28, to announce that she had introduced the Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act of 2023, which sets out to regulate the toxic but widely used “forever chemicals” under the aegis of the Clean Water Act.
Kirsten Gillibrand seeks new regulations for perfluoroalkyl, polyfluoroalkyl
Long Island MacArthur Airport Superfund site: State DEC, Islip negotiating agreement on cleanup, officials say
The state Department of Environmental Conservation is negotiating an agreement with the Town of Islip for cleanup at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, which was declared a state Superfund site in February, both the DEC and the town told Newsday.
Environment Advocates Want New York State To Take Swift Action on PFAs
Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ called PFAS detected in dozens of LI water districts
Nearly half of the tap water in the U.S. is contaminated with toxic chemicals known as PFAS, according to a new study, and Long Island is no exception. The contaminants have been linked to weakened immune systems, cancer and other health problems.
Advocates urge New York to adopt stricter standards for drinking water
State urged to adopt lower standards for 'forever chemicals'
Almost 90 bills passed in the committee, with 26 passing in both houses
Albany, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham completed his first legislative session as chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee (EnCon) recently with 89 bills passed out of committee, 44 of which passed in the Senate and 30 in both houses that now await the governor’s signature. Harckham, as committee chair, also led the budget table during the negotiations for the FY2024 Budget and ensured critical funding for a number of initiatives.
