Albany, NY - May 20, 2016 - New York State Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker and Acting Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos today issued the following statement regarding the EPA's issuance of lifetime advisory levels for PFOA and PFOS:
"Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo joined Governor Peter Shumlin of Vermont and Governor Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire in calling on the federal Environmental Protection Agency to acknowledge that PFOA contamination is not a state or regional problem, but rather a national problem that requires consistent federal guidelines. We are pleased that the EPA has today issued a lifetime health advisory of 70 PPT for long-term exposure to PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. Both of our agencies are thoroughly reviewing the EPA's guidance as we continue our aggressive efforts to ensure that all communities in New York State have access to water that's safe to drink.
"As part of Governor Cuomo's Water Quality Rapid Response Task Force, DEC and DOH are working to evaluate potential threats to drinking water supplies statewide and assist communities with testing and technical assistance. In communities with elevated levels of PFOA and/or PFOS, the state is actively working with local officials to install filtration systems to remove contaminants, identify alternative water sources and/or take other appropriate actions to reduce exposure. The state will hold all responsible parties accountable for the costs associated with the full remediation of the contamination."