Village receives grant to help with PFOA costs
HOOSICKFALLS, N.Y. >> Mayor Robert Allen said that his administration has been working hard at finding alternative ways for the village to pay for PFOA related costs.
With that work in place since the new village administration took over in April, the New York State Environmental Facilities Corp. recently awarded the Village of Hoosick Falls $220,000 to help cover costs associated with the discovery of the toxic chemical, PFOA, in the municipal water supply. Village officials are also still working together to negotiate new settlement agreements with the companies accused of polluting the village’s water supply, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International, the previous village administration under former Mayor David Borge voted twice to table two separate settlement agreements, after hearing much public outcry about the deals not being sufficient enough.
The previous administration first voted to table a $850,000 settlement agreement between the village and the companies and they then voted to table a revised agreement worth 1.045 million.
“After the second settlement was tabled, the village immediately started looking for avenues to pay the bills,” Allen said. “After discussions with members of the Cuomo Administration, the EFC was brought in to see what could be worked out. Based on the type of costs, the EFC was able to give the Village $220,000”
Perfluorooctanoic acid had been used in the village for decades in the manufacturing of products such as non-stick cookware and electrical insulation before the federal Environmental Protection Agency stepped in during 2006 and reached an agreement with several manufacturing giants, including DuPont Co., to virtually eliminate use of the substance. Chronic exposure to PFOA
has been linked to testicular cancer, kidney cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Studies suggest other possible health consequences, including a connection to pancreatic cancer.
While the water supply continues to have no detection of PFOA thanks to the permanent GAC Filtration System, there is still more work to be done. Among that work is finding a way to pay for various costs incurred because of the water situation. One of those costs was engineering work provided by MRB Group.
Based on the terms of
the agreement, if the Village receives financial restitution from the companies responsible, it would pay back the EFC. Allen said there are no interest charges or time limit with this agreement.
“This has given immediate relief to our residents and us. Our small village does not have vast financial resources, and I’d personally like to thank Governor Cuomo and the EFC for their assistance,” said Allen.
The Village of Hoosick Falls is also still working for solutions to pay nearly $1 million in legal and engineering costs, as well as losses in the water department. Among the expenses, the village has incurred over $100,000 that was owed to MRB Group and the $220,000 awarded funds will help pay off that debt.
“This money has finally allowed us to pay our engineering firm, the MRB Group,” said Allen. “They have done tremendous work on behalf of Village, and it was my pleasure to personally give that check to them at our May Board Meeting.”
Ryan Colvin, president of MRB Group, said in a statement that his team trusts Allen’s administration and will continue to assist the village.
“On behalf of MRB Group, we appreciate Mayor Rob Allen’s praise and kind words, but more importantly his trust in our team’s expertise and capability,” Colvin said in a statement. “The entire MRB Group consulting and engineering team has enjoyed working with the Village and is proud to
have played a role in addressing the significant health threat caused by the PFOA drinking water contamination. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to assist the Village in addressing this extremely important issue as well as the current and future needs of the Hoosick Falls community.”
Allen said him and the Board of Trustees are continuing to seek solutions that impact local taxpayers as minimally as possible. The mayor and board are concurrently working together with the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Health as they continue to pursue a new water source, protect the health of residents and advance the economic development of the Village.