Gillibrand calls on Trump to follow through on law to stop toxins in firefighting foam

<p>Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling on the Trump&nbsp;administration to follow through on a new law that would stop toxins from being used in firefighting foams.</p>

News 12 Staff

Dec 4, 2018, 11:11 PM

Updated 1,969 days ago

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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling on the Trump administration to follow through on a new law that would stop toxins from being used in firefighting foam.
The city of Newburgh is still struggling two years after dangerous amounts of the chemicals PFAS and PFOS were found in their water supply.  They were traced to firefighting foams used at Stewart Air National Guard Base.
The toxins cause cancer and reproductive problems, and they are being found nationwide near airports, that up until recently, were federally required to use firefighting foams with the toxins in them.
A new law signed by President Donald Trump now allows airports to use alternatives.
The guard base at Stewart has already stopped using the foams, but Gillibrand says nothing has been done to let commercial airports know that safer alternatives can be used, and so the contamination in many areas - both state and nationwide - continues.
"The Trump administration is just sitting by while our communities continue to be contaminated by these chemicals. There's no excuse for this. The Trump administration needs to act now,” she says.
The new law gives airports three years to switch to a non-toxic, firefighting foam.
Gillibrand says none of the commercial airports in New York state have yet to do so.


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