EPA Unlikely To Set Mark For Toxic Chemicals In LI Water: Schumer

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer yesterday announced he has made a public push to pressure the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reverse course on a likely imminent decision to not set drinking water standards for highly toxic chemicals already found on Long Island.

Schumer made the announcement at a press conference yesterday standing at Long Island's Citizen's Campaign for the Environment with local advocates.

The EPA, led by acting administrator, Andrew Wheeler, are about to make a decision not to commit to setting a maximum contaminant level (MCL) under the Safe Drinking Water Act for PFOA and PFOS, according to Schumer.

Schumer argued that in failing to set a federal standard, the federal government is both limiting the public’s knowledge about their possible exposure to these contaminants and hindering potential cleanup efforts.

“The EPA is supposed to be the cop on the beat, protecting Long Island’s drinking water. They should do their job, not pass the buck when it comes to regulating toxic PFOA and PFOS contaminants,” Schumer said. "In my recent and personal meeting with Acting EPA Administrator Wheeler, I can confirm the notion that the feds are on the verge of not setting drinking water standards that accurately reflect the dangers of these chemicals and that is really troubling for two reasons. First, it means that states and localities across the country will be forced to spend real dollars on doing it themselves. Second, it means that the federal government is –yet again-- looking for any and all ways to downplay the severity of this issue and potentially walk away from other commitments—now or in the future—that we need them to keep locally at Gabreski, and with the Suffolk County Water Authority.

Schumer and CCE explained that the class of toxic chemicals, including PFOS and PFOA, have contaminated drinking water and impacted thousands of lives in communities across New York and the United States, including Long Island. Schumer said there is still time to apply pressure on this issue and to ensure the best standards for public health and drinking water. The Senator had a warning for the EPA: limiting the public’s knowledge about their possible exposure to these toxic substances will hinder potential cleanup efforts locally, and make it more difficult to protect public health overall. Schumer also warned that allowing the feds to turn a blind eye here could have a ripple impact in other ways on Long Island.

In May of last year, Schumer had to urge the EPA to release a study on the chemicals and their impacts on drinking water. The study, released last week by the Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), found that PFAS can pose risks to the most vulnerable populations at levels lower than what the EPA said was safe in its 2016 health advisory. The study also described how people are exposed to the chemicals, and the health risks that these chemicals pose for different populations. Upon learning that top Administration officials attempted to cover up the results of this HHS study, Schumer demanded its release and began a public push. The report was released a month later. Schumer, today, cautioned that the same kind of duck and cover methods cannot stand when it comes to official and federal drinking water standards.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are two types of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of manufactured chemicals, and are persistent in the environment and resist degradation. These toxic chemicals are often used to manufacture products like fabric protectors, firefighting foam, and stain repellents. They are common primary ingredients in the firefighting foam that was used at Air National Guard bases for training and fire-suppression exercises, according to state regulators. Exposure to PFAS chemicals has been linked to certain cancers and other serious adverse health effects. Exposure to PFAS chemicals has been linked to certain cancers and other serious adverse health effects.