Clean drinking water protections could weaken around Stewart Air National Guard Base, according to Spectrum News 1. Rep. Pat Ryan says the Department of Defense wants to scale back PFAS reporting requirements at military installations and has urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to reject the proposal.
Ryan argues the changes would reverse years of bipartisan progress cleaning up contamination linked to firefighting foam used at the base. The pollution tainted Newburgh’s former drinking water supply.
A 2022 CDC study found Newburgh residents had blood levels of one PFAS chemical averaging three times the national rate. The Defense Department says it needs at least two weeks to respond to PFAS-related questions and will reply directly to Ryan.
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