SOURCE:
November 9, 2021
Two groups have released data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency that identifies locations throughout New York as potential sites where cancer-causing chemicals known as PFAs are being used.
The Citizens Campaign for the Environment and a federal environmental group released maps to demonstrate how widespread the cancer-causing toxic chemical is.
Environmental advocates had to take legal action in order to obtain the locations from the EPA. They released the data in an effort to inform residents who live in the community.
New York has over 3,500 potential users of PFAs with Long Island making up 445 of those potential sites.
Environmentalists say the map shows industrial areas across Long Island where they could be a potential for contamination from PFAs.
There are already seven PFAs Superfund sites across Nassau and Suffolk counties, including Gabreski Airport in Westhampton, the fire training facility in Yaphank and the Navy Grumman Plume in Calverton.
The Citizens Campaign for the Environment is calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign legislation that would require water providers to test for 40 emerging contaminants, including dozens of PFAs chemicals.