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House Committee Looking Into PFOA Contamination

The Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics facility on McCaffrey Street in Hoosick Falls
Lucas Willard
/
WAMC
Saint-Gobain's plant in Hoosick Falls

One day after the New York state Assembly announced it will hold hearings on water safety, Congress is getting involved in investigating the PFOA crisis in Hoosick Falls. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has writtento the EPA and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo seekingdocuments about the water contamination crisis in Rensselaer County.  

Congressman Chris Gibson of the 19th district had called for the hearings. The House committee is investigating whether officials knew the water was contaminated with the believed-to-be cancer-causing chemicals for months without alerting residents to the risk. The administration and the EPA are required to respond by July 20.

The Cuomo administration says in a statement:

"States across the country have struggled to confront evolving information about PFOA and other emerging contaminants, particularly in the face of shifting guidelines and the absence of regulation from the federal government.  We will gladly share our experience in New York to clarify the facts and the steps we have taken to address these challenges. We hope the end result is that Congress and the federal government act swiftly to prioritize and to implement uniform, nationwide regulations of PFOA and similar, currently unregulated contaminants. No town, city, or state should have to fear the water they are drinking.  With clear federal regulations, we can achieve that goal.”

A lifelong resident of the Capital Region, Ian joined WAMC in late 2008 and became news director in 2013. He began working on Morning Edition and has produced The Capitol Connection, Congressional Corner, and several other WAMC programs. Ian can also be heard as the host of the WAMC News Podcast and on The Roundtable and various newscasts. Ian holds a BA in English and journalism and an MA in English, both from the University at Albany, where he has taught journalism since 2013.
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