WASHINGTON — US Senator Charles
Schumer has called on Defense Secretary Mattis to take responsibility
and take action to remediate the PFOS contaminated water from the Stewart
Airport Air National Guard Base that is contaminating neighboring waterways.
“It’s unconscionable that the Department of Defense is seeking
to avoid responsibility for the toxic mess they made at Stewart Air National
Guard Base, and they have yet to implement any sort of interim remedial
measure as contaminated water continues to flow off post and into drinking
water sources,” Schumer said. “The DoD has tried to circumvent
liability instead of honoring its responsibility to taxpayers and innocent
families. My message to Secretary Mattis was clear: the DoD must begin
the process of containing the plume and most importantly, participate
in the remediation of this toxic contamination. This is the DoD’s
responsibility and it is unacceptable to place any financial burden of
cleanup on taxpayers who are not in any way responsible for this toxic
contamination of their drinking supply.”
The City of Newburgh has been tapping the New York City aqueduct for
its water for over a year ever since it was determined that its reservoir,
Washington Lake, was contaminated.
