SLG Urges Statewide Action on Toxic "Forever" PFAS Chemicals, Joined by NYPIRG, EANY + EWG

SENECA FALLS, NY (11/17/2022) (readMedia)-- On Friday, Seneca Lake Guardian – joined by the New York Public Interest Research Group, Environmental Advocates NY, Environmental Working Group and Senator Rachel May – will urge aggressive statewide action on toxic "forever" PFAS chemicals. A recent Rockefeller Institute policy brief showed that New York is one of nine states that falls well short of the EPA guidance on enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS.

Landfills, such as the State's largest, Seneca Meadows, are one of four major sources of PFAS – or toxic "forever chemicals" – in drinking water. Toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals'' are a family of thousands of chemicals found in many everyday products including GORE-TEX, non-stick pans, popcorn bags, and more. Instead of breaking down, they build up in the environment and in our bodies, often entering through drinking water sources contaminated by landfills. In our bodies, these chemicals primarily build up in the blood, kidney and liver. According to the CDC, exposure to PFAS is linked to harmful health impacts such as cancer, liver damage, decreased fertility, increased risk of asthma and thyroid disease, to name a few.

Senator Rachel May and Assembly Member Anna Kelles recently announced legislation – the "PFAS Surface Water Discharge Disclosure Act" – which would require annual testing for all facilities permitted to discharge water. There are no federal or state regulations currently requiring PFAS disclosures from all facilities that might be discharging it.