WASHINGTON – Elected federal officials are calling on the Department of Defense to get moving on the environmental remediation of the toxic PFAS at the Stewart Air National Guard Base. The installation spans a portion of the towns of Newburgh and New Windsor and has been determined to be the cause of the contamination of the City of Newburgh’s water supply, Washington Lake as well as streams in the area.
Ever since the lake was found to be polluted, the city has been tapping the New York City Catskill Aqueduct for its water with the state picking up the bill.
Senators Charles Schumer and Kirstin Gillibrand, and Representative Pat Ryan are pushing the DoD top prioritize the cleanup of Stewart and explore new measures to stop the ongoing pollution of downstream waters by PFAS from the base – while DoD works to full implement a comprehensive clean-up plan as part of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act process.
Schumer said from “day one, I’ve pushed DoD’ top brass to clean up the Air National Guard’s mess at Stewart and we need more meaningful action to restore health, safety, and peace of mind to nearby Orange County residents in Newburgh and New Windsor.”
Gillibrand said residents of the area “deserve to have access to clean waterways, free from the toxic PFAS pollution originating from Stewart ANGB.”
That call for speedy remediation was echoed by Ryan.
