The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has released new actions to further restrict burning of potentially toxic firefighting foam at a Cohoes facility.
DEC directed Norlite to temporarily suspend the incineration of Department of Defense firefighting foam in late 2019.
On Thursday, DEC announced that it will consider Norlite’s forthcoming permit renewals as new permits, therefore requiring expanded review. DEC says the company will also be required to provide “expanded environmental justice outreach” and receive community comments.
The state says it’s considering soil and surface-water monitoring for PFAS compounds in Cohoes. Prior testing determined there were no changes in PFAS concentrations in water supplies for Cohoes and nearby Green Island.
State Senator Neil Breslin and Assemblymember John McDonald recently sponsored legislation that if signed would prohibit the incineration of firefighting foam in Cohoes.