New York to Test Blood of City Residents Exposed to Toxic Chemical
Source: http://www.insurancejournal.com, October 19, 2016
New York is offering free blood tests for residents of a Hudson Valley city where the water supply was contaminated with a toxic chemical in fire-fighting foam used at a nearby Air National Guard base.
State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker announced Monday that testing in Newburgh will begin on Nov. 1. Residents can get tested for PFOS, which was found in the city’s primary water supply in May. The chemical has been linked to ailments ranging from high cholesterol to kidney cancer.
The Department of Environmental Conservation has declared Stewart Air National Guard base a state Superfund site to give DEC the authority to oversee the military’s investigation and cleanup work.
In March, the military said it’s examining sites nationwide to determine whether fire-fighting foam has contaminated ground water.
