Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that three years after perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, was found in the Village of Hoosick Falls' public drinking water, the state Department of Health recommended new drinking water standards July 8 for PFOA, and also PFOS and 1,4-dioxane. Locally, Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh in Rensselaer County, and Newburgh farther south in the Hudson Valley, have all had problems with these chemicals in their drinking water. Now water with ten parts per trillion PFOA and PFOS is considered safe for drinking by New York, and one part per billion for 1,4-dioxane. “This long-awaited first step puts New York on a path to cleaner drinking water. Establishing Maximum Contaminant Levels for PFOA, PFOS, and 1,4-dioxane will require all public water systems in New York to test for these chemicals and take action when elevated levels of contamination are discovered,” said Maureen Cunningham, the senior director for clean water at Environmental Advocates of New York. She also said that, "there is likely no safe level of these chemicals." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.