“The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has identified 53 inactive landfills across Greene and Columbia counties to test for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), according to Hudson Valley 360.
So far groundwater and leachate sampling testing has occurred at one site, the Hunter Landfill, and levels were found to be under the Environmental Protection Agency’s 70 parts per trillion (ppt) advisory threshold. The DEC has also tested two Superfund sites in Greene County that weren’t found to be sources of contamination.
The region is on high alert over per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) following the confirmation of contaminated drinking water in nearby Hoosick Falls during 2016. As a result, Rep. John Faso, R-NY, has joined the list of lawmakers pressuring the EPA to release a study on PFAS. So far that hasn’t happened, though EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced a four-step plan to address PFAS nationally last week…
The Hoosick Falls situation is seen as a key driver behind this recent attention and has spurred a wave of concern about industrial contamination at sites throughout the Northeast. This has also made PFOA levels a talking point when considering recent landfill expansions in the area, such as the Colonie site operated by Waste Connections. Other high-profile examples include a recent 3M settlement in Minnesota as well as an ongoing case against Wolverine in Michigan.”
Read the full article by Kristin Musulin and Cole Rosengren