At last week’s meeting, the Poestenkill Town Board was asked about the status of the late Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) report on the town’s PFAS situation. The DEC was set to update residents last fall on the progress of finding the main source of PFAS contamination in the town.
“We were promised by DEC a report last fall. Then it became winter. Then it became spring,” emphasized Concerned Citizens for Clean Drinking Water (CCCDW) member Phil Larocque at the April 13 meeting. “What I’m asking for our group… is to just beg the question to DEC: where the heck is this report?”
Supervisor Keith Hammond revealed that the Town Board has seen and reviewed the report from the DEC. “I can tell you that the report is out in draft form. I’ve seen it, I can’t make it public.”
Supervisor Hammond commented that the delay on the report could be attributable to “parties involved” that are unhappy with the conclusions of the report. “Some of them are upset with the report, but it’s done. And it will be made public shortly. [DEC] are planning another meeting at Alongquin [Middle] School to discuss it.” He emphasized further, “There are people that are involved that don’t want it out at all.”
The board later went into executive session (closed to the public) to discuss the draft report further. Supervisor Hammond speculated that the report should be made available to the public “hopefully in the next couple of days,” but no reports have been issued at the time of publication. “It’s going to be leaked eventually, so they’re going to have to report it shortly.”