Almost Half a Million New Yorkers Drinking PFAS-Polluted Water

 

Albany, NY – Today, advocates urged Governor Hochul and the NYS Department of Health (DOH) to bring New York’s drinking water standards on toxic PFAS in line with new EPA health advisories. They called for current standards on two PFAS chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, and proposed standards on 23 additional PFAS to be lowered to as close to zero as possible. This would ensure that New Yorkers would be directly notified about what’s in their water, and that dangerous contamination would be eliminated.

New York’s Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS currently allow up to 10 parts per trillion (ppt) of each of these chemicals in drinking water. Those levels are 10 times higher than what EPA now says is safe.

Recently, the NYS Drinking Water Quality Council (DWQC) proposed new MCLs for 4 additional PFAS, also at 10 ppt each. In addition, the DWQC proposed Notification Levels (NLs) for 6 other PFAS at a combined 30 ppt and for 13 other PFAS at a combined 100 ppt. Advocates argue these proposals are too high to adequately protect public health given the similarities between those chemicals and PFOA and PFOS. MCLs require public notification and drinking water cleanup if exceeded; NLs only require public notification if exceeded.

 According to a review of a selection of statewide testing data, at least hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have PFOA, PFOS, and/or other PFAS in their water, but at levels below the current or proposed standards. The list of approximately 20 identified water utilities can be found on pages 3-5 of a letter recently sent to the Governor and DOH by a broad coalition of close to 40 organizations. These utilities have not been and likely would not be required to clean up their water, leaving New Yorkers at increased risk of developing serious illnesses like kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, and more when they turn on the tap.

 DOH was required by state law to publish draft regulations establishing new PFAS drinking water standards by June 19. DOH has now missed this deadline by three months.In August, Assembly Health Chair Richard Gottfried and Assembly Environmental Conservation Chair Steve Englebright wrote to DOH also urging them to set PFAS drinking water standards as close to zero as possible.

Rob Hayes, Director of Clean Water with Environmental Advocates NY, said, “Ossining, Peekskill, Rotterdam: these are just a few of the communities legally exposed to dangerous levels of PFAS chemicals. Governor Hochul and DOH must act swiftly to ensure these communities have clean, safe water. They can strengthen New York’s PFAS drinking water standards and guarantee that toxic contamination is cleaned up. New Yorkers cannot afford to have new PFAS protections delayed any longer.”

“The EPA made clear that there is no safe level of exposure to dangerous PFAS chemicals in drinking water,” said Brian Smith, Associate Executive Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE). “New York led the nation when they adopted standards for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water, however, new science reveals that our current standards are inadequate to protect public health. As science-based information changes, our policies must change as well. Now we need New York to once again step up and lead the nation in protecting public health and environmental resources. New Yorkers need and deserve clean drinking water that’s why we are urging the Department of Health and Governor Hochul to move swiftly and adopt drinking water standards for PFAS chemicals as close to zero as possible.”

Dr. Leonardo Trasande, who directs the NYU Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards, said, “Our research has demonstrated the enormous health and economic costs of not getting PFAS out of drinking water. Now that EPA has released their new PFAS health advisories, it’s time for New York to act. I urge the Governor and DOH to lower New York’s current PFOA and PFOS drinking water standards and set the most health-protective standards for other PFAS.”

Source: EANY