Public hearings should investigate water contamination issues statewide
to give public answers about safety of New York State’s water supply
Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville), 49th State Senate District candidate, today is calling on the New York State Senate to join the state Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives and hold public hearings on the safety of our state’s water supply.
In addition to focusing on the PFOA contamination issues in Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh, Tedisco wants the Senate, Assembly and congressional public hearings to take a holistic approach and investigate water contamination issues across the state including potentially in the 49th Senate District as detailed in today’s Times Union.
Tedisco noted that in the 49th Senate District, Schenectady County has a vital aquifer that needs to be protected and there is some concern about contamination in Fulton County.
“We are talking about people’s lives here. The public has a right to safe, reliable drinking water. Every day it seems we hear about another disturbing situation where the potential safety of our drinking water may be compromised. It’s time for all branches of our representative democracy to take this seriously, speak truth to power, and get some answers as to what is going on with our water supply,” said Tedisco.
“The public deserves to know what the state knew about all of these contamination issues, when did they know about it and what they are planning to do to address this crisis and we have to know what procedures need to be adjusted to make sure this never happens again. We don’t want to scare people. We should be giving them answers and ensure public confidence in the safety of our water supply,” said Tedisco.
“The Assembly and Congress said they will be holding hearings on the quality of our water supply, I now hope that the Senate soon follows suit and schedules a public hearing on this urgent public safety matter. Make no mistake, if the Senate does not hold public hearings on this, then I will, if I am honored to be elected to the State Senate,” said Tedisco, who noted that a few years, he held his own hearing on the proposed 45 percent Thruway truck toll hike when the Thruway Authority refused to hold one in the Capital Region. Tedisco successfully helped stop that toll hike.
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