NEW WINDSOR – About 50 people from the City of Newburgh and neighboring
communities rallied at the scene of the new state-installed carbon filtration
system at Washington Lake to call for the Department of Defense to put
an end to the discharge of toxic PFOS into the Hudson River.
Newburgh City Councilwoman Genie Abrams blew into a toy whistle and declared,
“We are blowing the whistle” on the Department of Defense.
Abrams and Councilwoman Karen Mejia led the rally, which included speakers
from Riverkeeper and other environmental organizations.
Washington Lake, the city’s reservoir, has been off-line for over
a year with Newburgh receiving its drinking water from the New York City
aqueduct with the state picking up the tab.
The Defense Department has acknowledged the PFOS was coming from the Stewart
Airport Air National Guard base, but has yet to do anything about it.
State Assemblyman Frank Skartados (D, Milton), whose district includes
Newburgh, said if Washington continues to sit on its hands the state will
consider a lawsuit.
Participants at the rally wore black t-shirts with “PFOS”
written on the front and “What’s your level?” inscribed
on the back.
Motorists who drive by on busy Union Avenue honked their horns at the
rallying people.
