All Long Islanders agree about the need for clean water [“Clean-water funding is crucial in state budget,” Opinion, March 24]. Nitrogen pollution from sewage is causing water quality impairments, fish kills and harmful algal blooms. Contaminants poses a significant threat to our drinking water and health. The good news is that we know how to solve these problems, but we need money.
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.
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.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and members of the Great Lakes Task Force today 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.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $479 million in grants for critical water infrastructure projects, including the first funding awarded through the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022, which was passed by voters after Hochul pushed to increase the total amount by $1 billion upon taking office.
ALBANY, NY — With 10 days left to sign the Birds and Bees Protection Act (S1856-A / A7640), New Yorkers have called for action from Governor Kathy Hochul. Today, doctors, farmers, and advocates expressed concern that if Governor Hochul doesn’t sign the bill, an immense opportunity would be missed to protect people and the environment from neonic pesticide exposure. The Birds and Bees Protection Act would eliminate 80-90% of neonics from entering New York’s environment annually by prohibiting the use of neonic-coated corn and soybean seeds, as well as limiting unnecessary neonic lawn and garden uses.
In a secluded residential block on Northport’s McKinney Avenue lies an advanced water treatment center masquerading as a barn.
At this site, representatives from the Suffolk County Water Authority joined state and local public officials for a press event on Thursday, Aug. 24, announcing eight new high-tech water filtration systems for local drinking water.
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.
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.
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.
For immediate release: March 14, 2023
Contact: Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director: 631-384-1378 (mobile), aesposito@citizenscampaign.org
EPA’s first new regulations on toxic chemicals in drinking water in 20 years addresses growing problem of “forever chemicals” in drinking water
CCE applauds EPA’s move to protect public health and clean drinking water, calls on NYS to follow EPA’s lead
Farmingdale, NY—Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new enforceable drinking water standards, known as Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), for two PFAS chemicals (PFOA and PFOS), as well as a new hazard index for four additional PFAS chemicals (PFNA, PFBS, PFHxS, and GenX). The MCLs for PFOA and PFOS are proposed at 4 parts per trillion (ppt), which is significantly stronger than New York State’s existing MCLs of 10ppt for both PFOS and PFOA. This is a significantly low standard, crafted to protect public health.
PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in our environment or bodies. Exposure is linked to cancer, liver damage, thyroid issues, birth defects, kidney disease, decreased immunity and other serious health problems. Last year EPA put out non-enforceable health advisory guidelines for PFOA (.004 ppt) and PFOS (.02ppt). This was significantly lower than the previous health guideline of 70 ppt and signified that there is essentially no safe level of exposure to these chemicals. Today the EPA also proposed a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (a non-enforceable health advisory level) for PFOA and PFOS at zero, confirming that there is no safe level of exposure.
In September of 2022, the NYS Department of Health (DOH) issued a proposal to regulate an additional 23 PFAS chemicals in drinking water. The regulations have not been finalized. The regulations did not propose to adjust MCLs for PFOA and PFOS, despite the release of EPA’s health guidelines indicating that there is no safe level of exposure.
In response to EPA’s announcement, Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, issued the following statement:
“This is a historic victory for clean water and public health! This ruling will provide critical public health protection for every member of the public. We commend the EPA for following the science and proposing strong standards to protect our water and the public from dangerous “forever chemicals”. PFAS is group of highly toxic chemicals that tragically have become ubiquitous in our environment. Setting strong, enforceable drinking water standards is a needed step to remove this dangerous contaminant from drinking water across the nation.
New York will ultimately have to strengthen its existing MCLs for PFOA and PFOS to align with EPA’s new regulations. Given the science indicating that there is no safe level of exposure to these chemicals, we are urging Governor Hochul and the Department of Health not to wait and to adopt the stronger standards without delay. Furthermore, NYS should revisit and strengthen the proposed regulations on the additional 23 PFAS chemicals.
Thankfully, the state and federal governments have recently provided historic levels of funding to address PFAS in drinking water, with grants already being provided for needed treatment technology to many communities across New York State. There is no reason we can’t move forward with stronger standards in New York State now. The public needs and deserves clean water.”
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For additional information on PFAS: https://www.citizenscampaign.org/whats-new-at-cce/protect-drinking-water-from-dangerous-forever-chemicals
CCE compiled a map with Long Island levels of PFAS:
www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1RjZ2tybZV5hhTI4LTfmkbHDYrn20S48&usp=sharing
