Hoosick Falls, NY – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today sent a letter to Hoosick Falls Mayor David Borge, urging him and the Village Board of Trustees to table the current PFOA settlement and abstain from agreeing to the proposed legal agreement with Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International.
“I have very serious concerns that the terms stipulated in this proposal are not in the best interests of the residents of the Village of Hoosick Falls. The potential future impacts on the families in Hoosick Falls and neighboring communities is still undetermined. To allow polluters to pay a mere $1,045,000 to the village is inadequate to cover the immense risk that has been placed on public health,” Senator Gillibrand wrote in her letter to Mayor Borge. “The residents of Hoosick Falls deserve to know that every available resource at the local, state and federal levels is being used to fully challenge the responsible parties and ensure that full remediation will occur. Furthermore, the village should not be precluded from taking legal action on behalf of the residents in the event that future circumstances warrant such action.”
The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter is included here and below:
The Honorable David B. Borge
Mayor, Village of Hoosick Falls
Municipal Building
24 Main Street
Hoosick Falls, NY 12090
Dear Mayor Borge,
I am writing to urge you and the Village Board of Trustees to table the resolution before you and abstain from agreeing to the proposed legal agreement with Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International.
I have very serious concerns that the terms stipulated in this proposal are not in the best interests of the residents of the Village of Hoosick Falls. The potential future impacts on the families in Hoosick Falls and neighboring communities is still undetermined. To allow polluters to pay a mere $1,045,000 to the village is inadequate to cover the immense risk that has been placed on public health. Furthermore, for this payment the polluters receive a “Partial Release and Covenant not to Sue,” which is completely unacceptable.
The residents of Hoosick Falls deserve to know that every available resource at the local, state and federal levels is being used to fully challenge the responsible parties and ensure that full remediation will occur. Furthermore, the village should not be precluded from taking legal action on behalf of the residents in the event that future circumstances warrant such action.
I am also deeply disturbed that there is no proposal for the long-term health monitoring for Hoosick Falls residents who have been exposed to extreme levels of PFOA due to Saint-Gobain’s contamination.
I also want to echo the sentiments of hundreds of residents who were not given adequate public notice to review and comment on the terms of this proposal as well as the substantive and very serious issues raised by former EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck and former Director of the NYS Center for Environmental Health Dr. Howard Freed.
An agreement of this magnitude deserves much more deliberate examination and public scrutiny. There is absolutely no detriment to the taxpayers of Hoosick Falls and all of New York to indefinitely suspend the consideration of this proposal to instead search for more information and a more advantageous agreement for Hoosick Falls.
Transparency and accountability are essential in order to produce a fair resolution for Hoosick Falls. The proposal currently under consideration and the manner by which it was hastily introduced to the public provides neither.
My office and I will work diligently to assist both the village board and all residents in any way we can to help ensure a fairer resolution, long-term health monitoring and access to clean and safe drinking water.
Sincerely,
Kirsten Gillibrand
U.S. Senator (D-NY)