HOOSICK FALLS, N.Y. -- Governor Andrew Cuomo toured the contamination site in Hoosick Falls and saw its new filtration system. 

"There are 80,000 currently unregulated chemicals," Governor Cuomo said. "We were using chemicals that we had never used before. We allowed waste disposal in fashions that in retrospect were not prudent."

However, just one chemical that we know of has been harming Hoosick Falls residents for decades.

Sunday for the first time since the crisis began, Governor Cuomo addressed the PFOA contamination, in person.

Residents have been paying the price in their health. According to Cuomo, the temporary filtration system in the village is now working and clear of PFOA. However he says ideally, state officials are looking for a long term alternate water supply.

"DEC and DOH are working through and researching a number of options," Cuomo said.

The governor also talked about aggressively going after Saint Gobain, the company found to be responsible for the contamination. 

Cuomo wants the company to pay for installation and maintenance of filtration systems, as well as six months of residents' water bills.

"Not only have they had to go through the hardship of using bottled water, but then they get a bill for the water system. In many way it adds insult to injury," Cuomo said.

But Cuomo has been facing criticism as well, from residents wondering why it took him more than three months to visit the area. The governor claims he wasn't physically needed in the village, and that he wasn't intimidated by the criticism.

"To stay away from a situation because you were going to be criticized, you'd be under your bed as an elected official," he said.

He says he'll be back again to check in on the situation "down the road," but for now, he says progress has been good, and he joined local leaders in commending the state's efforts. 

"We're in a good place for a lot of reasons," Village Mayor David Borge said. "It's not perfect and probably never will be, but it's about as great as it can be."

"They are trying to do everything they can within the limitations that we had," Town Supervisor Mark Surdam said. "None of us have ever dealt with a situation like this."

"Longer roads still ahead, more work to do, but we've made great progress and people should feel good about that," Cuomo said.

Cuomo is also calling on the EPA to set national guidelines for long term PFOA exposure to clear up confusion regarding what levels are safe.