Assembly Republican task force on water quality holds local hearing

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VAILS GATE – The eastern Orange County water quality situation is far from being resolved and members of the Republican State Assembly Minority Task Force on Water Quality conducted a forum on the issue on Wednesday evening.

“Since the very beginning of my term, a priority mine has been to address water quality and water crises issues that are affecting our assembly district as well as our entire region and state,” said Assemblyman Colin Schmitt (R, New Windsor). “This is not a partisan issue.”

“When you think about what do we need to survive as basic human beings, clean air and clean water,” said Assemblyman Kevin Byrne (R, Mahopac). “There are many issues that we have to focus on at Albany as the policymakers and legislators. And certainly this is a very important one.”

Orange County Health Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman shared some of the work the county health department has done to address this issue, and how state involvement could lead to a breakthrough for City of Newburgh residents.

“We have done a lot of work on a local level thanks to a tremendous, phenomenal team,” she said. “That said, New York State has spent upwards of $20 million on a state-of-the-art facility that is designed to test Washington Lake.” That is the City of Newburgh’s reservoir in New Windsor that was taken off-line over three years ago when the chemicals PFOS and PFOA were discovered.

Orange County Planning Commissioner David Church, who is also executive director of the Orange County Water Authority, brought up the issue about how local organizations seeking to improve the quality of water in New York State do not get the financial support they need.

“These organizations reflect the best of communities based on the combination of local officials,” he said. “Yet most of these watershed organizations are starved for support. New York State could do more to recognize and support them.”

“Funding is something we always talk about,” Byrne said. “I’ve gone to the meetings. I think some of the people that are on these councils are the best of intentions, but I don’t think they necessarily have most efficient ways to disperse these funds.”




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