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by Cliff Weathers
Seven months have passed since customers of Suez and Nyack water utilities learned that their drinking water exceeded New York State’s Maximum Contaminant Level for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). These two extremely toxic chemicals are part of a larger class of chemicals known as PFAS. These chemicals, which are toxic even in minuscule concentrations, are known to cause a host of serious health problems that include kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, decreased immune response, and decreased birth weight and skeletal birth defects. There is no known safe level of any PFAS chemical.
While it’s unclear what the source of contamination could be, the contamination is widespread in both Suez and Nyack water sources. Nyack Water serves some 15,000 people in Nyack, South Nyack, Central Nyack and parts of West Nyack, and draws water from the Hackensack River. Suez serves some 300,000 people in Rockland County and New Jersey and draws water mostly from its network of wells, reservoirs, and surface waters across the county.
Testing suggests multiple sources, or dispersed sources of some kind, rather than one single polluter. Multiple PFAS were detected in almost all water sources. All but one of 63 water sources tested had detectable levels of PFAS. PFOA. Two or more PFAS were detected in 87% of tested water sources, with up to eight different PFAS detected.
Upon receiving notice that water supplies in the county exceeded state standards for those two PFAS, the Rockland Water…
Fire in a garage at 2 Mohican TrailHouse fire: On July 10, a Mohican Trail house caught fire. Firefighters arrived and observed smoke pushing out from second floor eaves, with the main body of the fire appearing to be located in the garage. Police notified the homeowner who said he was out of town with his family, and no one was in the house. Firefighters used a hose line to attack the fire with water. They forced open the front door and found no one inside. They searched the house for extension and found a second-floor room above the garage to be affected by the fire. A second hose line was stretched for use fighting the fire in this area. Volunteer firefighters were dispatched for help. Greenville and Hartsdale fire departments also assisted until the fire was out. The fire investigator noted that the house was under construction, and the garage seemed to be the place where work materials were being stored. The cause of the fire could not be specifically determined. A contractor arrived on scene to board up the house during the homeowner’s absence.
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