New York State has awarded another $5 million grant to the Port Washington Water District to build a granular activated carbon treatment system designed to remove PFOA and PFOS contamination from another of its wells.
The grant will help the water district, which serves about 9,400 households, provide “water that meets or exceeds any standard out there” for removing PFOA and PFOS chemicals, district superintendent Paul Prignano said in an interview.
New legislation would establish New York State Road Salt Reduction Council and Citizen Advisory Committee to protect water, health, and communities
A coalition of environmental, municipal, and public health advocates is calling for swift passage of legislation (A.4481-A/S.6976-A) to establish a New York State Road Salt Reduction Council and Citizen Advisory Committee. This body would be tasked with implementing the recommendations published by the Adirondack Road Salt Reduction Task Force in 2023. The Senate passed a version of this bill in 2024, and is poised to pass the bill once again.
Highlights the need for action against HABs to protect New York State’s water bodies
Albany, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham, chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, and State Senator Rachel May hosted a public hearing on May 21 here at the State Capitol to evaluate the efficacy of New York State’s monitoring and management of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and to examine potential legislative solutions.
EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, a former Shirley congressman who spoke on Long Island last month, said the delayed deadline offers “common-sense flexibility in the form of additional time for compliance.” Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
The Trump administration plans to rescind the federal limits on four "forever chemicals" in drinking water and delay the deadline for compliance for two others, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced Wednesday, weakening regulations of toxic contaminants that have been found in Long Island's water.
Some New Yorkers are at a higher risk of exposure to forever chemicals in drinking water.
An Environmental Working Group analysis found 189 of the state’s water systems have PFAS levels above the federal standard but below New York’s standard.
Adrienne Esposito, the founder and longtime leader of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, has been launching new coalitions to further her environmental cause. One is Wind Works New York, whose diverse members are transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Another is the New York Clean Water Coalition, made up of water suppliers, wastewater treatment operators and environmental groups advocating for funding to upgrade sewage and drinking water infrastructure. Late last year, Esposito criticized the governor’s veto of the state Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, arguing that the species is subject to local extinction.
For immediate release: May 14, 2025
For more information, contact: Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, 516-390-7150, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org
Farmingdale, NY—Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a press release to announce its perilous intentions to delay implementation of critical drinking water standards for two types of PFAS chemicals—PFOA and PFOS—back an additional two years. Furthermore, EPA announced that it intends to rescind and reconsider the drinking water standards for four additional PFAS chemicals.
In April of 2024, EPA adopted the historic drinking water regulations for six PFAS chemicals, which set Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion (ppt), MCLs for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA at 10 ppt, and a combined standard known as a Hazard Index for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS. These regulations established the first national enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS chemicals and were all set to be enforced in 2029.
In response to today’s announcement, Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), released the following statement:
“This is a broken promise, betrayal of public trust and adds a significant threat to public health. We needed a federal mandate to remove “forever chemicals” out of our drinking water quickly. Regrettably, what we have is an EPA that allows toxic chemicals to remain in our drinking water and dragging their feet on science-based standards needed to protect public health. Peer-reviewed science has made clear that there is no safe level of exposure to PFAS in drinking water, and delays in acting puts public health at risk to serious health impacts, including cancer and liver damage. This is clearly a decision that prioritizes saving money over saving lives.
While we are relieved that EPA is going to continue to defend its strong drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS, the two-year delay is unnecessary and risky. Water suppliers were given five full years to comply, and billions of dollars were made available to help communities invest in the necessary drinking water treatment technology. Kicking the can down the road doesn’t make the problem go away or save any money—the longer we wait, the worse the problem will get, and the more expensive the solutions will become.
The science is abundantly clear that all PFAS chemicals put our health and drinking water at an unacceptable risk. Rescinding the standards for four additional PFAS chemicals often found in drinking water has no scientific justification and will put Americans at significant risk to serious health impacts for years to come.
As one of the first states to move ahead with drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS, New York is well positioned to move ahead with stronger drinking water standards without delay. Now, more than ever, New York State must continue to lead the nation with public health protection. We are calling on New York to implement EPA’s original standards and timeline for all six PFAS chemicals. According to recent analysis by the Environmental Working Group, these standards would provide critical protections for at least 1.3 million New Yorkers, the majority of whom are on Long Island.”
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More than 1 million New Yorkers depend on public water systems for drinking water, and some are being exposed to manmade "forever chemicals" called PFAS, environmentalists say.
The tap water in New York is said to be safe to drink as it meets federal and state standards, but according to a study by the Environmental Working Group, as of March 2025, PFAS have been detected in public water systems in Westchester, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Adrienne Esposito is executive director and a cofounder of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, a nonprofit organization fighting for stronger environmental policies.
Herald: Tell me about yourself.
Esposito: I grew up in Copiague, and I literally grew up with one foot in the water and one foot on the land. As a kid, we went crabbing and fishing and to the beach, and my mom would bring us blueberry-picking in the Pine Barrens. And my dad was a really tremendous fisherman and outdoorsmen, so we grew up on the water. So I think that that really connects you to the natural world and impresses upon you the beauty of it and the need to protect it.
More than 1 million New Yorkers depend on public water systems for drinking water, and some are being exposed to manmade "forever chemicals" called PFAS, environmentalists say.
What It Means For Drinking Water
More than 1.3 million New Yorkers could lose critical protections from toxic “forever chemicals” in their drinking water if the Environmental Protection Agency weakens new federal PFAS standards, according to a report released Wednesday.
Administrator Lee Zeldin will decide fate of landmark ‘forever chemicals’ standards
ALBANY, N.Y. – More than 1.3 million New Yorkers could lose critical protections from the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in their tap water if the Environmental Protection Agency rolls back its historic, science-based PFAS drinking water standards.
It is said that time changes people, and so does power. Perhaps that explains the metamorphosis of Lee Zeldin as EPA administrator. Based on his work and dedication to protecting Long Island as a congressman, I hoped he would be a voice of reason and moderation to help fight climate change and protect our air, water and land resources. Recent announcements of unprecedented rollbacks to major environmental regulations have caused that hope to die.
ALBANY, N.Y. – More than 1.3 million New Yorkers could lose critical protections from the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in their tap water if the Environmental Protection Agency rolls back its historic, science-based PFAS drinking water standards.
That’s the conclusion of a new analysis released today by the Environmental Working Group with Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
The analysis shows that at least 189 New York water systems – primarily serving residents on Long Island – have detected these chemicals above levels set in the landmark drinking water limits for six PFAS. The analysis is based on recent state and federal tests of PFAS in water.
But these same systems’ PFAS levels are below the cap that New York set in 2020 for PFOA and PFOS, two of the most notorious and well-studied of the large group of forever chemicals.
The future of the federal limits is uncertain.
On February 7, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia paused a lawsuit brought by water utilities and the chemical industry, giving the Trump administration and the EPA until April 8 to announce its intentions for the PFAS maximum contaminant levels – whether to weaken the standards significantly, continue defending them, ask for more time or scrap them altogether.
The agency finalized the standards in April 2024. They include limits of 4 parts per trillion, or ppt, for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt for GenX, PFHxS, and PFNA. The EPA also set a hazard index of 1 for GenX, PFHxS, PFNA, and PFBS, which is a way to measure risks based on combined exposure. The standards aims to protect public health by reducing exposure to the toxic chemicals and their known serious health harms.
“If the EPA rolls back its PFAS drinking water standards, it would be nothing short of a betrayal of public health,” said David Andrews, Ph.D., EWG’s acting chief science officer.
“There is no safe level of exposure to PFAS, especially to PFOA and PFOS. Even low doses of these chemicals have been linked to serious health harms. Rolling back federal protections would leave New Yorkers vulnerable to entirely preventable health risks,” he added.
New York’s standard for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water is 10 ppt. Weakening or outright eliminating the federal standards would scrap the 4 ppt safeguard, stripping any community in the state with PFAS of most or all protection from water contaminated up to 10 ppt. New York’s standard does not provide protection from the additional four PFAS covered by the federal rule.
“Will Lee Zeldin side with the health and well-being of fellow Long Island residents, or will he side with chemical companies that are seeking to pollute our drinking water and expose the public to toxic cancer-causing chemicals?” askedAdrienne Esposito, the executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
“I stood with Congressman Zeldin to call for strong federal PFAS drinking water standards. We’re all now counting on EPA Administrator Zeldin to follow through on his word. Every Long Islander, New Yorker and American deserves access to clean drinking water free of toxic forever chemicals that are linked to cancer and other serious health impacts,” she added.
The new joint analysis identifies water systems in New York that have detected PFAS at levels below the state’s current drinking water standards, which are less stringent than the EPA’s limits. They’d receive critical coverage under the EPA’s more protective standards.
Many more systems that have detected PFAS above New York state’s standard have taken or are taking action to protect their customers. Without a federal standard, these systems would not have to take any action to protect their water under the state limit.
“Eliminating the EPA’s PFAS limits would make drinking water less safe from harmful chemicals while forcing New York families to continue drinking contaminated water,” said Jared Hayes, a senior policy analyst at EWG and co-author of the report.
“Without federal PFAS standards, nearly 200 New York water systems could avoid taking protective actions, even though hazardous forever chemicals are still in their water,” he said.
Multiple locations across New York would lose these essential protections, including Mayville, Carroll Water District and Cherry Creek, in Chautauqua County, along with Countyline Mobile Home Park, in Orleans County.
“The Defense Department has also said that only in cases where it contaminated the water will it treat the chemicals to the federal standard. So in addition to the numbers our analysis found, many service members and defense communities could also lose protections," said Hayes.
“Rolling back or weakening the existing standards would endanger lives and undermine years of progress toward cleaner drinking water,” he added.
PFAS are known as forever chemicals because once released into the environment they do not break down and they can build up in the body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has detected PFAS in the blood of 99 percent of Americans, including newborn babies.
For decades, polluters hid the health harms of PFAS from regulators, workers and neighboring communities. PFAS have been linked to cancer, reproductive harm, immune system damage and other serious health problems, even at low levels.
“A growing body of peer-reviewed science demonstrates unequivocally that there is no safe level of exposure to toxic PFAS in drinking water,” said Esposito.
“The decision on whether or not to move forward with EPA’s science-based, health-protective drinking water standards will have an impact on the health of New Yorkers and all Americans for decades to come,” she added.
Press Contacts:
Adrienne Esposito, CCE, 631-384-1378, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org
Brian Smith, CCE, 716-472-4078, bsmith@citizenscampaign.org
Monica Amarelo, EWG, 202-939-9140, monica@ewg.org
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The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
Citizens Campaign for the Environment was formed in 1985 by a small group of concerned citizens recognizing the need for public involvement to advance stronger environmental policy. Today, it has grown to a 120,000-member organization with New York offices in Albany, Buffalo, Farmingdale and Syracuse. CCE works to empower the public by providing members with opportunities to participate in the political process and thereby advance a strong environmental agenda.
Representatives of two dozen organizations gathered Thursday for an annual environmental roundtable meeting hosted by State Senator Anthony Palumbo to discuss regional environmental issues, concerns and needs. The event went off as it does every year: a cordial, free-wheeling, pass-the-mic conversation.
If the ongoing federal staffing cuts and budget-slashing being undertaken by the Trump administration worried the environmental advocates and government officials in the room, their concerns were mostly left unspoken —even though most of the programs addressing local environmental issues substantially rely on federal funding.
