Freshman Congressman Antonio Delgado wrote a letter Wednesday to the EPA, urging it to reconsider not setting a national standard for cancer causing chemicals in the nation's water supply. 

This is in response to a report earlier this week by Politico, which stated the EPA was not going to set a national standard for PFOS, and other chemicals in drinking water. 

The City of Newburgh has been plagued with water issues since PFOS was discovered in the water supply in 2016. Run-off from Stewart Air-National-Guard Base caused contamination in Lake-Washington, where Newburgh residents used to get their drinking water.

In his letter, Delagado says the public has a right to know how much of any potentially hazardous chemical is in their water, requesting a plan for the EPA to consider that includes: 

  • Creating a maximum contaminant level for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water
  • Designating PFOS, PFAS and PFOA as hazardous substances under the Clean Water Act
  • Requiring testing in all public water systems
  • And creating measures to hold polluters accountable 

The Air Force said they are doing evaluations on all 190 sites across the nation that have been impacted, and confirmed they are working on remediation efforts.