LET PUBLIC VOTE ON PROPOSED NEW WATER DISTRICT, POESTENKILL RESIDENTS SAY

POESTENKILL, NY – The Town Board held a well-attended public hearing on the proposed water district in Poestenkill yesterday. Residents heard from the Laberge Group, the consulting agency that put together the proposed plan, before having the opportunity to raise concerns to the Board. 

Terri-Lee Jacangelo, a resident who lives on Seneca Drive, expressed frustration with how long it has taken to propose a solution to the PFAS problem, given it has been two years since the contaminant was first found in Algonquin Middle School’s water supply. “We don’t have final [cost] numbers out… is [the water district] going to go to the citizens to vote on?” 

Greg Pattenaude spoke on behalf of the Concerned Citizens for Clean Water, telling the Board that “we believe clean water is important,” but emphasized that the “overhead does seem excessive.” Pattenaude also brought up that over $200k of federal pandemic funding has been untouched by the Town which could be used to help finance the project. According to Laberge, the project is estimated to cost $5.55 million. 

The Board has acquired significant grant funding to cover most of the costs, including $670k from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Grant and over $3.3 million predicted in formula funding from the NYS Water Infrastructure Improvement Grant, which leaves $952,300 remaining to be paid for by the town. The Town of Poestenkill would have to take out a loan to pay for this, and residents within Water District 2 would be responsible for $405 per household every year. 

Residents would also of course have to pay for the water they use on top of debt service payments. Laberge estimated that the average household would use 73,000 gallons a year, which at the current water district rate would incur about $420 per home. 

With an estimated $140 for operation and maintenance costs, the total price per home would be $965 a year. If Congressional funding came through in November, that cost would be reduced to about $600 per household. In addition, homeowners would be responsible for the one-time cost of connecting the service line to their homes, a cost that Laberge’s proposal didn’t estimate. 

The price tag of the switch from well water to public water seemed to be a chief concern for those residing within the proposed district. Resident Paul Plante emphasized that once “the district is formed, then the cost of engineering shifts to us… I’m a disabled veteran on a fixed income.” 

“Don’t put it out to a vote until the cost is significantly clarified,” said Dominic Jacangelo, former Town Supervisor and the construction supervisor for Poestenkill’s first water district. The cost of the project is currently contingent on Congressional assistance that has not yet been solidified.

Jacangelo also pointed out that the construction of Poestenkill’s first water district took less than a year. “Construction is really fast. It’s so important to make sure everything is in place before we do that.” If the Board moves forward with the proposed district, they say construction would commence this summer with the aim of completing it by December 2024. 

Water for the new district would be sourced from the City of Troy, which gets its water from the Tomhannock Reservoir. The Reservoir has been considered as an alternative clean water source for a PFAS-contaminated town before: Hoosick Falls considered connecting to the Tomhannock back in 2021 to mitigate their own PFOA contamination crisis. This was the last time PFAS testing was completed at the Reservoir, where surface water samples found PFOS below 1 part per trillion (ppt) and PFOA below 2 ppt, which are relatively safe levels according to EPA’s proposed measures.

Though the Board tabled the public hearing after all residents had a chance to speak, Supervisor Keith Hammond made a note to say that the hearing will be “ongoing” so residents have a continuous chance to talk and ask questions about the district as the process endures. Hammond said that residents would be invited to speak again after next week’s public discussion on the state’s final report on PFAS contamination in the town.

It may be beneficial to conduct surface water sampling at Tomhannock Reservoir before a decision on the water district is made to confirm that it would be the alternative with the least amount of risk to PFAS contamination for Poestenkill households that would rely on it. 

The reason for the new water district is Poestenkill’s extensive drinking water contamination from chemicals called PFAS – per and polyfluoroalkyl substances – also known as “forever chemicals” due to their lingering properties in blood and concerning health risks. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)  and Department of Health (DOH) investigated potential sites of contamination over the last two years and recently released a report detailing their findings. 

Poestenkill residents are urged to attend the open house-style event put on by the DEC and DOH to discuss the findings of the report. The event is Thursday, May 18th at the Algonquin Middle School cafeteria, and residents can attend anytime between 5:00 and 8:00 PM. 

The Water Insecurity Correction Coalition (WICC), through its Upstate Water Contamination Project, has been working with and for residents of Poestenkill to provide education on the PFAS problem and hopefully find and advocate for the best solution to the contamination of drinking water supplies. WICC is a youth-led  501c3 nonprofit based in New York State. 

OTHER RESOURCES 

Laberge’s Public Hearing Presentation

Public Hearing Informational Handout 

“Proposed $5.5 million water district for Poestenkill” by James De La Fuente, NEWS10 ABC. 

DEC RELEASES FINAL REPORT ON PFAS IN POESTENKILL, ABSOLVES COMMERCIAL SITES OF CULPABILITY

POESTENKILL, N.Y.—The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today released the final community update on the status of PFAS contamination in Poestenkill. 

Based on 18 months of data collection, the DEC reported that “no industrial source” is to blame for the PFAS contamination of local water supplies. The DEC assessment suggests that there “is not an individual, unique source of PFAS” in Poestenkill but rather “multiple low-level contributors, including PFAS from consumer goods that is transferred through domestic wastewater.”  

In the report, DEC said that the elevated levels of PFAS found at Algonquin Middle School and surrounding properties are attributable to “the geologic conditions… conducive for surface water and shallow groundwater to mix with the deeper aquifer zone, which currently serves as the school’s drinking water supply.” The assessment concludes that the highest concentrations of PFAS were found along the “down gradient side of the Algonquin Middle School septic,” the groundwater equivalent of downstream.  

The assessment explains further that “groundwater contamination that is diffuse and not shown to be emanating from a known commercial or industrial source is not amenable to conventional source treatment,” meaning that they do not attribute Poestenkill’s high levels of PFAS to one culprit and suggest a less conventional solution to the problem. However, DEC ultimately concludes that “remedial action is not warranted.”

DEC and the Department of Health (DOH) subsequently claim that the best solution to Poestenkill’s PFAS problem is encouraging the affected area to switch to a “public water” system, alluding to the new water district that will be surrounding Algonquin to connect households that currently rely on private well systems. 

As for private well testing, DEC informs residents that “investigation findings suggest that PFAS detections in private wells are likely emanating from non-point sources of wastewater” and that testing of resident wells will not continue. 

Though a single source of contamination might have been anticipated, the report suggests that “multiple low-level sources of PFAS” are the cause of the town’s PFAS contamination. At Algonquin in particular, DEC suggests that “wastewater is the most likely source of PFAS contamination in groundwater serving as the school’s drinking water supply,” though with the caveat that “the many product types and potential industrial sources of PFAS contamination [means] confirming domestic wastewater as a source requires multiple lines of evidence.” 

To find a source, DEC collected water and soil samples from Hass Manufacturing, a former car wash site, Valente Lumber Yard, Cooper Tire, and the Waste Management Transfer Station. PFOA and PFOS concentrations in groundwater above the EPA’s recommended 4 parts per trillion (ppt) were found at Valente Lumber Yard and the Waste Management Transfer Station. A soil sample collected at the former car wash property tested above the PFOS soil guidance value for residential use. 

“I hope there is some relief for Poestenkill residents to have a final assessment on the PFAS problem in their town,” said Annabel Gregg, WICC Founder and Project Lead for the organization’s Upstate Water Contamination Project. “I understand why the DEC screened samples using New York State’s Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 parts per trillion. How would they know that the EPA would suggest more stringent standards in the last few months? Regardless, given the timing of this report, I urge Poestenkill residents to read the full assessment. There were, despite DEC’s acquittal of them, commercial sites investigated that showed PFOA and PFOS concentrations above the EPA’s proposed new MCL and even approaching 10 parts per trillion. Multiple sources being responsible certainly seems plausible, but next steps for addressing that are missing from the report. 

“The EPA has warned us that any amount of PFAS exposure could lead to negative health outcomes. For the sake of the community, the logical next step after this report is to promptly secure funding to build the new water district and get residents connected to safe, uncontaminated water as quickly as possible. But I encourage residents to keep paying attention to their water safety.”

The final assessment comes two weeks after Poestenkill Town Supervisor Keith Hammond commented that the delay on the report could be attributable to “parties involved” that were unhappy with the conclusions of the report. 

“Some of them are upset with the report, but it’s done,” Hammond said at the April 13 Town Board meeting. “There are people that are involved that don’t want it out at all.”

The latest known surface and groundwater sampling results (prior to the final update) from these properties can be viewed using Water Insecurity Correction Coalition (WICC)’s Poestenkill PFAS Interactive Map. WICC will be reviewing the final report’s sampling data and subsequently updating the map in the coming days for ease of public access. 

To answer resident questions and share their findings, DEC, DOH, and the Rensselaer County Department of Public Health (RCDOH) invite community members to attend their “Availability Session” at Algonquin Middle School on Thursday, May 18 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. 

At the availability session, DEC, DOH, and RCDOH experts will staff tables featuring information about the various aspects of the investigation and response, providing opportunities for local residents to ask questions of experts one-on-one. 

“We are happy that DEC has given the public an update, the first in almost 12 months. Our members are reviewing the update and will be meeting to discuss,” the Concerned Citizens for Clean Drinking Water (CCCDW), an ad-hoc group of Poestenkill residents formed in response to the PFAS problem, told WICC in a statement on Wednesday. “In addition, we believe the announced May 18 ‘Open House’ falls short of what is necessary given the nearly two-and-a-half-year investigation into PFAS contamination in the Algonquin Middle School neighborhood and strongly urge a formal presentation to the community so that we can hear their conclusion at the same time.” The group also emphasized that the Town of Poestenkill should reschedule the May 11 public hearing on the water district to be moved until after the DEC holds its Open House. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warned this year that any amount of PFOA or PFOS exposure could harm human health. Just last month, the EPA recommended that states lower their current Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL). New York State’s MCL is 10 parts per trillion (ppt), and the EPA now recommends 4 ppt. Investigation into Poestenkill’s contamination began after routine water monitoring revealed PFOA concentrations above 12 ppt at Algonquin Middle School in January 2021. 
The April 26 Community Update can be read here, and DEC’s Final Assessment can be accessed here. Other information on DEC’s investigation into Poestenkill can be found on their webpage.  
Water Insecurity Correction Coalition, Inc. is a youth-led nonprofit organization based in New York focused on eradicating water insecurity in all forms nationwide. WICC’s Upstate Water Contamination Project is a two-pronged advocacy and citizen science program focused on road salt contamination in the Adirondacks and Poestenkill’s PFAS contamination. 

DEC DRAFT PFAS REPORT IS WRITTEN, SAYS POESTENKILL TOWN BOARD

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.”

STATEMENT ON WIAA GRANT AWARDED TO POESTENKILL

POESTENKILL – On Nov 6, the Town of Poestenkill was awarded with $3.32 million in state funding from the WIIA (New York State Water Infrastructure Improvement Act) grant to aid with the creation of a new water district surrounding Algonquin Middle School, where high levels of PFAS were found in the water supply early last year. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are known to cause cancer and immune system suppression, among other health issues. The grant is expected to cover nearly two-thirds of the costs associated with creating the water district. 

Although the state funding is significant, the source(s) of the initial PFAS pollution remains unknown. The Concerned Citizens for Clean Drinking Water (CCCDW), supports the construction of a new water district but remains concerned about not knowing the root source of the “forever chemical” contamination. Free testing has been limited to those residents selected by county and state officials.  Other residents have chosen to pay for private testing out of pocket. The results of both public and private tests have varied from house to house and has only led to further confusion.  In addition, the Poestenkill community is still awaiting a promised autumn update from State officials, which was expected to include any new developments on contaminant source(s) and the five business locations tested this past summer. 

CCCDW believes that the State grant is a step in the right direction and applauds the Town Board for their efforts in securing this grant for the community. However, the Town indicated that it is not currently on track to get additional federal funding, although efforts continue.  Without the additional funding, residents in the affected area would be responsible to cover the additional 40% of water district construction costs if the Town Board and affected residents approve moving forward. 

The Water Insecurity Correction Coalition and the Concerned Citizens for Clean Drinking Water will continue to emphasize the need for adequate funding, research, and attention from local, state, and federal leaders to secure additional grants for the construction of a new water district. To bring clarity and resolve this threat to community health, identifying the initial source(s) of contamination is of utmost priority to CCCDW, WICC, and the residents of Poestenkill. 

The Water Insecurity Correction Coalition, Inc. (WICC) is a youth-led 501c3 nonprofit organization based out of Upstate New York. The Upstate Water Contamination Project (UWCP) has been working through community surveys and education with residents, local leaders, and organizations of Poestenkill to increase awareness of the threat of PFAS to local water supplies and improve community connectivity to solve this threat to human health. Learn more about UWCP and WICC at yeswicc.com/uwcp. 

CCCDW is an ad-hoc group of Town of Poestenkill residents formed to share information and advocate at all government levels regarding the PFAS contamination found at Algonquin Middle School, nearby homes, and other sites in the town that have a history of PFAS usage.

Related News Articles and Websites: 

• News 10: Poestenkill awarded $3.32M in funding for safe drinking water

• Times Union: Poestenkill receives $3.3 million state water grant but still doesn't know PFOA source

• New York State: WIIA/IMG Awards 2022 by Region

• PFA Related Information

Media Contact for WICC: 

Arianna Trapp

atrapp@yeswicc.com 

Media Contact for UWCP: 

Annabel Gregg 

agregg@yeswicc.com 

Media Contact for CCCDW: 

Philip LaRocque

Philip@philiplarocque.com

518-596-5586

NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STARTS, GREGG STEPS DOWN, & OTHER KEY LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS

NEW YORK, NY – The Water Insecurity Correction Coalition is proud to announce the bittersweet news regarding the Executive Director position at the nonprofit. Since the organization’s founding in 2019, Annabel Gregg has served as the ED of WICC. After nearly three years leading WICC, Gregg will be stepping down from the Executive Director title, effective July 1st, 2022. 

Gregg started the nonprofit after the success of the first and second Run Fast For Flint 5k fundraisers in 2018 and 2019, recognizing the power that collective action creates. Since its start, Annabel has led the organization through multiple fundraisers for Flint, MI; Houston, TX; Newark, NJ; and more. She serves as chair of the Mari Copeny Award & Scholarship program, which has awarded over 18 scholarships to promising, community-oriented high school seniors in Newark, Flint, and Greenwich, NY. Amongst other projects, Gregg also coordinated the Summer Internship Program in 2020 and 2021 and facilitated the development and implementation of the Upstate Water Contamination Project in 2022. She will be staying on the Water Insecurity Correction Coalition, Inc. Board of Directors as Board President throughout the remainder of her FY22 term, and will act as Consultant on the Upstate Water Contamination Project and other future projects on an as-needed basis. 

“I am extremely grateful for having worked with such amazing, dedicated young people for three years,” says Gregg. “The mission of WICC will remain a part of my career philosophy and long-term goals. The fight against water insecurity is still one I will be a part of. I am so excited to see the organization flourish under new leadership, and I know Arianna will carry WICC in the right direction.” 

Excitingly, former Advocacy Team Coordinator Arianna Trapp will be stepping up to fill the Executive Director role, effective on the same aforementioned date. Trapp started as an intern on the advocacy team in 2020 and was promoted to the team coordinator position in 2021. During her tenure at WICC, Arianna has researched drought-induced water insecurity in the San Joaquin Valley of California, met with legislators to discuss water contamination in rural Kentucky, and hosted a WICCourse educational panel event on the history of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. 

"I started off as an intern with WICC, so this has really been the best journey,” reflects Trapp. “I am excited to lead WICC in this new chapter and to see what we can do moving forward. There is still so much work to be done and we have an amazing group of young people to do it with."

In other notable organization staff news, former Fundraising and Finance Director Sam Grimmke stepped down from his position, effective June 1st, 2022. Sam was one of the founding members of WICC, and led the organization through many important fundraising initiatives and the nonprofit’s first round of grant applications. He will remain on the Board of Directors for the remainder of his FY22 term and as a Consultant on the Upstate Water Contamination Project. Grimmke’s position will be filled by Madeline Van Shelven, former Fundraising Team Coordinator since 2021. Like her new Executive Director, Madeline started as an intern on the fundraising team in 2020 and has worked on many fundraising projects since then. Madeline is a J.D. Candidate at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. 

Advocacy Director Nolan Lyons, another founding member of WICC, will be stepping down from his position as AD, effective August 1st, 2022. Lyons led the Advocacy Team through many innovative legislative and education projects, most notably the Fall 2021 Infrastructure Program, where he coordinated the team’s efforts to pass water infrastructure legislation in New York and Kentucky. He will be succeeded by newcomer Nico Gentile, a BS/MS Candidate at the University of Rochester who is currently based out of California. Gentile founded and coordinated the Massachusetts Climate Education Organization. 

For more information on this exciting transition period and the WICC organization, please visit yeswicc.com/about.