WASHINGTON – A bill in the US Senate that would increase funding for small and disadvantaged communities to clean up water contamination in their local systems has the support of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D, NY).
The senator said the “Contaminant and Lead Electronic Accounting and Reporting Requirements for Drinking Water Act” would apply to the issue of Newburgh city water contamination from the Air National Guard Base at New York-Stewart International Airport.
“One of our biggest challenges at Stewart Airport is we have PFOA, which is a carcinogen that is used in foam when our military is doing exercises on airstrips in case of fires,” Gillibrand said. “And we believe the military had an obligation to clean up this poison that is now unfortunately seeping into our groundwater, this bill would make it possible for the community to apply for funds to not only test the water in all communities regardless of population, but also then have the technology to clean it up.”
The bill would increase the amount of funding provided by the Assistance for Small and Disadvantaged Communities program from $60 million per year through fiscal year 2021 to $230 million for fiscal year 2019 and $300 million each year for FY2020 to FY 2023.
