Washington Lake. Don’t drink the water.
NEWBURGH – The City of Newburgh will begin litigation against “any and all potentially responsible parties” in connection with the contamination of Washington Lake and the city’s water supply. The city council voted Monday night to authorize lawsuits.
The carcinogenic chemical PFOS, contaminating Washington Lake, has been determined to have originated from the New York Air National Guard Base at nearby Stewart Airport. The chemical is contained in firefighting foam, which was used in the past during drills.
In tandem with litigation, Councilman Torrance Harvey would like the city to explore possible reimbursements to residents.
“Some sort of rebate program, some sort of reimbursement for those individuals who were here in the city paying for water unbeknown to them that it was contaminated, that there be some sort of rebate or some sort of compensation for that,” Harvey said.
Councilwoman Karen Mejia said residents of the city as well as towns of Newburgh and New Windsor should have their blood tested at no cost to determine if their system has been impacted by the chemical.
