High levels of cancer causing chemicals found in drinking water in Long Island town – as mayor sends urgent warning to residents
Scientists have discovered that drinking water on a Long Island contains high levels of cancer-causing chemicals in the century-old water system. Officials are calling for federal help to replace it.
A substance known as 1,4-dioxane, a carcinogen linked to liver and kidney cancer, was found in all nine wells in the village of Hempstead. WABC.
Traces of ‘forever chemicals’ were also found ā microscopic, man-made chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that can take thousands of years to be released into the environment or into the human body. demolished.
Scientists say the chemicals entered the system over time from commercial and industrial sources, and now the city is looking for ways to provide safe water to more than 58,000 residents.
āWe don’t want to panic our residents, but we want them to be informed,ā said Village Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr.
A substance known as 1,4-dioxane, a carcinogen linked to liver and kidney cancer, and trace amounts of ‘forever chemicals’ were found in the drinking water of the village of Hempstead.
Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. (pictured) warned the village’s more than 58,000 residents about the chemicals and said they are trying to replace the treatment plant
‘Although research is still being done into its effect on humans, most tests have been done on laboratory animals.’
āHere in the Village of Hempstead, we don’t want to wait to find out what the outcomes are that will impact our residents, so that’s why we’re taking action now to ensure we remove the high levels of dioxin in our water,ā Hobbs said.
The New York State Department of Health said, “The water supplied to the Village of Hempstead does not pose a significant health risk and remains acceptable for all uses as MCLS are well below levels known to cause health effects.”
āAlthough the water supply has had samples that tested higher than the maximum contaminant level (MCL), they have taken interim steps to minimize 1,4-dioxane in the supplied water.ā
The village has drawn up plans to replace the water treatment plant and estimates a new facility would cost $55 million FOX 5NY.
Hobbs said the village council voted unanimously to take a measure that would allow the village to post a $50 million bond.
The village has drawn up plans to replace the water treatment plant and estimates a new facility would cost $55 million
This means they have voted to borrow $50 million to finance the project, but are hoping the federal government will help foot the bill.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said they have given Long Island $700 million for clean water, including $72 million for the town of Hempstead.
Village officials said the money was only for specific projects. Help is urgently needed because they only have one treatment plant and need to be able to supply water if it is shut down.
The work is expected to take place in the autumn and is expected to take two to five years.
Recent EPA data shows that more than 70 million Americans drink tap water that contains toxic āforever chemicalsā linked to cancer.
The hardest hit areas are along the East Coast, including New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
Recent EPA data shows that more than 70 million Americans drink tap water that contains toxic ‘forever chemicals’ linked to cancer
āForever chemicalsā are microscopic, man-made chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). They can take thousands of years to break down
The main purpose of PFAS compounds is to repel water and oil, which is what makes nonstick cookware so much easier to clean and why certain jackets and tents can withstand rain.
Texas researchers found the chemicals in seven out of 10 insecticides, but six contained extremely high levels of a particularly dangerous type strongly linked to cancer.
Simply washing dishes can introduce PFAS into the water supply. The substances can also end up in our food if the packaging is made grease-resistant ā think of fast-food cheeseburgers ā or if the non-stick coating of pots and pans starts to deteriorate.
PFAS are also common in pesticides used to feed crops.
This produces chemical-rich runoff that can enter the drinking water supply.
In April, chemical vats filled with toxic liquid were unearthed in the Long Island town of Oyster Bay, where residents said there has been a mysterious increase in cancer over the years.
In April, chemical barrels filled with toxic liquid were unearthed in the town of Oyster Bay on Long Island
The drums were buried by Northrop Grumman when it operated an aerospace facility in the city from the 1950s to the 1990s.
Construction workers unearthed six barrels of chlorinated solvents and waste petroleum.
The drums were buried by Northrop Grumman when it operated an aerospace facility in the city from the 1950s to the 1990s.
Officials fear the waste has leaked into the ground and is on its way to the public drinking water supply.
The city is home to more than 17,200 people who have long raised concerns about Grumman Aerospace’s waste, particularly a four-mile-long cancer-causing plume flowing underground that they say has contributed to a rise in cancer diagnoses.
Residents have also found toxins in their attacks and in the soil ā and a family of three living near the park were all struck by cancer.