Campaign for Water Protection, Greater Newburgh, NY PFOS Contamination

NEWBURGH, N.Y. - June 22, 2017 - PRLog -- The Campaign For Water Protection (#WaterProtection) is pleased to announce that retired Marine Master Sergeant Jerry Ensminger USMC - founder of The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten - will speak on the topic of water contamination and what the public needs to know at the Newburgh Free Library, NY on July 22, 2017 - The Newburgh PFOS Crisis.

Jerry Ensminger USMC, lost his 9 year-old daughter to Leukemia from toxic well water at Camp Lejeune. U.S. Marine officials failed to act on the water contamination. Ensminger tirelessly fought to have the US Federal Government to investigate the contaminated water.  In 2012, then President Obama signed the Janey Ensminger Act (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Janey_Ensminger) into law to begin providing medical care for people who may have been affected by the Camp Lejeune contamination.

In addition - Jerry Ensminger - and his group - The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten - was instrumental in securing a 2.2+  billion dollar settlement from the US Federal Government for those impacted by the Camp Lejeune toxic water.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centers_for_Disease_Control...) found that Camp Lejeune's contaminated water had harmful chemicals at concentrations from 240 to 3400 times levels permitted by safety standards. An undetermined number of former base residents later developed cancer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer) or other ailments, which many blame on the contaminated drinking water.

A chemical spill more than two decades ago at an Air National Guard base at Stewart Airport, New Windsor, NY has contaminated the water supply of Cities of Newburgh, NY and New Windsor, NY - and perhaps of the some towns nearby. Ensminger will discuss ways to hold the establishment accountable and responsible for water cleanup costs and health related costs.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has identified Stewart Air National Guard Base as a source of the PFOS contamination detected in the area and in the City of Newburgh public drinking water supply. From 2013 through 2016, the City of Newburgh tested the drinking water for PFOS as part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program to test public water systems for unregulated contaminants. The test results reported that the water is below the EPA's provisional health advisory level.

New York State and the City of Newburgh are working to identify: the sources of contamination, investigate alternative drinking water options and treatment options as well as performing additional water testing.

What is PFOS?
is an anthropogenic fluorosurfactant and global pollutant. PFOS was the key ingredient in Scotchgard, a fabric protector made by 3M, and numerous stain repellents. It was added to Annex B of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in May 2009. PFOS levels that have been detected in wildlife are considered high enough to affect health parameters, and recently higher serum levels of PFOS were found to be associated with increased risk of chronic kidney disease in the general US population. "This association was independent of confounders such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, and serum cholesterol level.

A (DEC) investigation recently found that a lake near the airport was contaminated with high levels of PFOS, a pollutant used in fire fighting foam. The investigation has identified the source of the contamination: In the early 1990's a spill of 4,000 gallons of liquid fire-fighting foam at the nearby Stewart Air National Guard Base likely caused the contamination.

This event will bring together water leaders and community members to learn how to protect, understand and even love water.

When: Saturday, July 22, 2017 from 11 am to 2 pm
Where: Newburgh Free Library, 124 Grand St, Newburgh, NY 12550
Directions:  http://www.newburghlibrary.org/contact-us/directions/
Who: The event is open to the public

MEDIA ARE WELCOME TO COVER THE ROUNDTABLE PANEL DISCUSSIONS

• Media attending the event are encouraged to arrive and check in no later than 11 am at the Newburgh Free Library.
• Media Note: Video and audio are permitted and there are no time limitations for still photographers covering the event.
• Media RSVP: To cover any of the media opportunities, please RSVP by 9 a.m. on July 20, 2017 to: Hudson Valley Public Relations, hello@hudsonvalleypublicrelations.com, 845-202-7087.

For more information visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CampaignWaterProtection/ or call 845-202-7087.

Look for upcoming announcements and events in your area about how you can help protect water. The intent is to focus, understand and share ideas on how to protect the water supplies we count on for our lives - before a crisis hits.

For more information about PFOS or water, visit the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/ or the ATSDR website at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/.

About The Campaign for Water Protection:

The Campaign For Water Protection will bring together water leaders and citizens to learn how to protect, understand and even love water.

The campaign started as town hall roundtable meetings sharing ideas on how to best protect our water. The campaign is expected it to grow into cultural events and celebrations to touch move and inspire people to truly take action to protect water.

The Campaign For Water Protection will be proactive in finding ways to focus, understand and share ideas on how to protect the water supplies we count on for our lives - before a crisis hits.

The Campaign For Water Protection with us - as individuals,  our communities,  our businesses, and our state, local and tribal governments. The aim of the campaign is to make quality of our water and availability of pristine water supplies priority # 1.

Join The Campaign For Water Protection and learn how to protect, understand and even love water.