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Greene lawmakers support effort to stop burning of PFAS

Aug 26, 2020 6:00 am
Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Greene County lawmakers August 24, approved a resolution in support of a state bill that would prevent the incineration of firefighting foam at a facility in Cohoes, Albany County. The firefighting foam, similar to the foam previously used at the county’s firefighting training center in Cairo, contains PFAS, a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX and others. PFAS, or per- and polyfluroalkyl substances, are contaminants that resist decomposition and accumulate in the human body. They have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, liver damage, pre-eclampsia and other conditions. The measure passed by the county legislature supports a state bill passed by the Assembly and Senate in June, currently awaiting Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's signature. That measure prohibits the incineration of aqueous film-forming foam containing PFAS statewide. Another bill awaiting Cuomo’s signature, sponsored by state Sen. Brad Hoylman and state Assemblyperson Pat Fahy, would eliminate PFAS from food packaging by Dec. 31, 2022. The recent resolution follows the legislature's vote last month to enter into a retainer agreement with a Long Island law firm in the lawsuit filed against manufacturers of the firefighting foam used at the training center on Mountain Avenue in Cairo. The action was filed by the state Attorney General’s Office in November and identified Cairo as one of several locations in New York affected by PFAS. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.