PFOA Informational Meetings in Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh

June 2, 2016
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PFOA Water ContaminationPFOA Informational Meetings are being held on JUNE 7 and JUNE 8, 2016 at 6:30pm to discuss recent PFOA developments.

The Petersburgh meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at 6:30 pm in the Petersburgh Veterans Memorial Community Center (PVMCC) located at 71 Main St., Petersburgh, NY 12138.

The Hoosick Falls meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 8, 2016 at 6:30 pm in the Hoosick Falls Country Club located at 73 Richmond Avenue, Hoosick Falls, NY 12090.

Items discussed will include:

  • the EPA setting the PFOA health advisory level at 70 parts per trillion and what needs to be done to make sure your drinking water is safe;
  • interpreting soon to be released PFOA blood test results and what it means for your health; and
  • your family’s potential legal options.

This meeting is being sponsored by the law firms of Chaffin Luhana LLP, Williams Cuker Berezofsky, LLC and Faraci Lange, LLP.

Please attend if you are a client of these firms or a resident not represented by legal counsel who is interested in learning more about general PFOA developments or the litigation.
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Man Credited with Discovering PFOA in Hoosick Falls Files Lawsuit

April 8, 2016
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Lawsuit Filed Hoosick FallsMichael Hickey, the man who was credited to have discovered the toxic chemical PFOA in the water supply of Hoosick Falls two years ago, filed a federal class-action lawsuit this week.

The lawsuit, which Hickey filed on behalf of himself and his son, targets manufacturing plants Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International as the potential cause of the contamination.

Hickey states that his concern of any future health effects caused by their consumption of the PFOA-tainted water for years lead him to pursue this claim.

The lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court in Albany and is one of several lawsuits filed this year on behalf of Hoosick Falls residents. Some allege that they may have developed serious health issues due to the PFOA exposure.

Hickey began looking into the village’s water two years ago when he noticed an unusually high rate of cancer among the community residents. This is when he detected an elevated level of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a harmful man-made chemical, in the public drinking-water supply.

The complaint was filed on behalf of Hickey by Stephen G. Schwarz and Hadley L. Matarazzo of Faraci Lange LLP, Gerald J. Williams, Esther E. Berezofsky and Michael J. Quirk of Williams Cuker & Berezofsky, and Eric Chaffin and Roopal P. Luhana of Chaffin Luhana LLP.

Read the full story here.

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Water Filters Installed in Private Wells Labeled Not Safe for Consumption in Hoosick Falls

March 10, 2016
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A Department of Environmental Conservation contractor recently installed filters in private wells in Hoosick Falls that were intended to eliminate PFOA, which is a chemical linked to causing cancer. However, these filters were labeled with a warning, saying the product is known “to cause cancer and birth defects.”

In addition, the label states that the water filter is illegal to use in the United States for human consumption, which is the main purpose of the private wells in Hoosick Falls.

Hoosick Falls Water Filter

The Department of Environmental Conservation made the following statement regarding this error:

“A supplier incorrectly shipped one box of valves that are not to be used with drinking water to a contractor. Immediately upon discovery late last night, DEC began tracking down the incorrect valves so they can be replaced. DEC terminated the companies responsible for the error. However, homeowners still continue to be advised not to drink or use water from the filtration systems until the state advises them that it is acceptable for all uses, so these systems were not used.”

The DEC also stated that it is unsure of how many incorrect water filters were installed.

If you have had a filter installed recently, please check the label to make sure it is not marked unsafe for consumption.

Read the full article here.


Residents of Hoosick Falls and other communities who believe they may have been impacted by the PFOA water contamination are encouraged to submit a contact form.

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Banks Suspend Granting Mortgages in Hoosick Falls

February 5, 2016
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The Bank of Bennington and the Trustco Bank in Hoosick Falls have suspended granting new mortgages due to the area being contaminated with toxic chemicals.

Trustco Bank’s treasurer Kevin Timmons, who confirmed the report, says that before lenders can finance home, the property normally must have access to potable water. A standard test for potability includes testing for e-coli and other contaminants, but now perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) must be added to the list, which is the chemical that has been found at dangerous levels in Hoosick Falls’ water supply.

For the homes that are not on the public water supply, the bank requires that their private wells are tested before issuing their mortgage.

A temporary filtration system that will work to remove majority of the PFOA from the village’s water supply is set to be in place by the end of February. This system, along with the permanent filtration system anticipated to be completed in October, are being funded by Saint-Gobain.

Trustco and the Bank of Bennington have claimed that they will resume granting mortgages once the filtration system is in place and the public water supply is safe for cooking and drinking.

Read the full article here.

Residents of Hoosick Falls and other communities who believe they may have been impacted are encouraged to contact us and complete a water contamination contact form.

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