Richard Moody is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the state Department of Environmental Conservation is testing inactive landfills and Superfund sites in Greene and Columbia counties for the chemicals PFOA and PFOS. The chemicals are commonly used in cleaning products and firefighting foams, carpets and furniture. Both PFOA and PFOS have been linked to birth defects, cancer and other diseases, and were identified as contaminants in the drinking water sources in Hoosick Falls, Newburgh and other locations statewide. The DEC is conducting preliminary investigations at 26 inactive landfills in Columbia County and 27 inactive landfills in Greene County, DEC Region 4 Public Information Officer Rick Georgeson said. The DEC also tested two Superfund sites in Greene County: American Valve in Coxsackie and American Thermostat in Catskill. The DEC determined the sites were not sources of PFOA or PFOS contamination, Georgeson said. “State Superfund sites in Columbia County will be sampled in the future as part of this assessment of emerging contaminants,” Georgeson said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.