Hoosick Falls, Petersburgh residents seek access to information on PFOA contamination
HOOSICK FALLS, N.Y. >> After dealing with water contamination crises for more than two years, a group of Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh residents still feel their voices aren’t being heard by some elected officials.
A group of eight residents sent a letter last week to state Sen. Kemp Hannon, R-Garden City, chairman of Senate’s Health Committee, asking for a meeting to examine documents his office acquired from the companies identified as responsbile of polluting municipal and private water supplies in both municipalities with perfluorooctanoic acid, a reputed cancer-causing substance. The letter was signed by Michele Baker, Cathy Dawson, Michelle O’Leary, Laura Peabody, Maryann Petrus, Connie Plouffe, Jennifer Plouffe and Silvia Potter.
Hoosick Falls residents have been dealing with this issue since the discovery in 2014 of high levels of PFOA that may have been flowing through village water for years, while the chemical was discovered in Petersburgh’s water in 2016. The companies responsible for the contamination in Hoosick Falls have been identified by state and federal officials as Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International, while Taconic Plastics was cited as the source of Petersburgh’s contamination.
“We, the undersigned residents from Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh, write to formally and respectfully request a meeting in order to view and discuss documents your office has obtained from the companies responsible for water pollution in our communities,” the residents wrote. “The information contained in the documents your office has acquired may help us gain a better understanding of who knew what when and could help our local governments tremendously as they negotiate settlements with the companies responsible for this crisis.”
Hannon’s office did not immediately respond Tuesday for requests to confirm receipt of the letter and provide comments on its contents.
PFOA was used for decades in the manufacture 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.
In the letter, the residents said Hannon was quoted during an interview on public radio saying anybody could request to view documents associated with the PFOA contamination in Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh.
“[You stated that ‘Anybody who has any legitimate need to take a look at [the documents] has been offered access,’” the letter states. “As residents of the impacted communities and citizens who stand to benefit by the policy decisions you said were informed by some of these documents, we fall into the category of those with a legitimate need to see them. While we are discouraged that requests for this information have been ignored by the Senate, we have no reason to believe that you wish to continue this troubling trend by withholding information crucial to the health of our families and overall community.”
The residents said they want to see these documents so they can determine for themselves how their communities became polluted.
“Now we need your help to learn more about how our communities became polluted,” the residents wrote. “As you are aware, we have had to deal with misleading information and a complete lack of transparency when all we have wanted is basic information pertinent to our health and safety.”
Liz Moran, water and natural resources associate for Environmental Advocates of New York, said residents have had to fight too long just to receive basic information about the contamination.
“At every turn, Hoosick Falls residents have had to fight their own government just to get basic information regarding their health and future,” Moran said. “This scheme to keep residents in the dark begs the question, ‘What are they trying to hide?’”