NEWBURGH- Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson (D, Newburgh) is applauding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to establish the first-ever national drinking water standard to protect against exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Jacobson says this standard will help address PFAS levels that have impacted the quality of Newburgh’s drinking water.
“As a resident of the City of Newburgh, which is unable to use its water supply due to high levels of PFOS and PFOA stemming from the firefighting foam used at Stewart Air Force Base and the Air National Guard Facility, the need for these new standards is not just theoretical, it is personal to me and my neighbors,” said Jacobson.
PFAS chemicals, known as “forever chemicals” have been used since the 1940s and can be found in everything from nonstick cookware to firefighting foam. This category of chemicals is linked to cancer, organ damage, and disruptions to immunity and development in infants and children.
Following the detection of PFAS in Newburgh’s local water source, it now receives its water from the Catskill Aqueduct, which also supplies New York City.
The EPA’s new standards seek to protect an estimated 100 million people from PFAS pollution, preventing premature death and serious illness and reduce the limits of PFOA and PFOS to four parts per trillion. In New York State, the limit is currently 10 parts per trillion.
