Opposition is mounting to the state health department’s new water standards. The result could be New Yorkers drinking toxic water.
The New York State Department of Health has backtracked on its drinking water standards, say opponents of the changes. They want Gov. Andrew Cuomo to rescind a revision that turns a three-month notification rule into a once-a-year requirement.
The proposed revision allows the health department to wait for nearly a year before telling New Yorkers they are drinking contaminated water.
“New York should be strengthening, not weakening, our clean water protections,” said Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried in a statement. “There’s no reason to delay or reduce public notification processes, nor to delay installing treatment systems when we know how toxic these chemicals are.”
This potential deferral system, included in an amendment to the state’s near-final maximum contaminant levels standard, could unnecessarily delay the treatment of drinking water contaminated with PFOA, PFOS, 1,4-dioxane, according to RochesterFirst.com.
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